JEDEC is formulating the next-generation standard DDR6 RAM. How will it compare with DDR5? This article is here to expatriate on this interesting topic.
PC DRAM Technology will Achieve an Effective Bandwidth of 47 GB/s In The Near Future.
DDR5 memory has gone mainstream, and the JEDEC organization has already begun preparations for formulating the next-generation standard DDR6 and has disclosed some plans for the specifications.
DDR6 RAM modules will feature significant internal changes that will enable unprecedented speeds. According to a recently leaked presentation from RAM controller maker Synopsys, DDR6 will debut with 8.8 Gbps modules and could eventually reach 17,600 MT/s, potentially expanding to a theoretical limit of 21,000 MT/s.
DDR5 Vs. DDR6
The fastest DDR5 desktop modules offer a data rate of 8,400 MT/s (DDR5-8400), with even faster modules expected. A JEDEC presentation shared by Twitter user “Darkmont” confirms that the organization is developing DDR6 but still requires a choice between PAM or NRZ signaling modes.
DDR6 chips operate differently than previous generations, using dual 12-bit data channels per module instead of the traditional 16-bit channels. Although the data channels will be shorter, DDR6 modules will be faster, with a single DDR6-17600 module potentially achieving an effective bandwidth of 47 GB per second.
JEDEC Expects to Complete the Preliminary Draft of the DDR6 Memory
JEDEC expects to complete the preliminary draft of the DDR6 memory standard this year, and the official version 1.0 will not be available until around the second quarter of 2025.
The first finalized DDR6 JEDEC standards, including LPDDR6 for portable systems, are expected in the second half of 2025. The LPDDR5 standard is five years old, and the next generation of low-power PC memory is expected to be slower than RAM modules designed for desktop computers.
The traditional PC hardware paradigm is shifting as manufacturers and chipmakers strive to increase performance in a world filled with complex digital products and data-intensive AI workloads. While GDDR6 and GDDR6X video memory chips have much faster data rates than DDR modules, DDR6 can still significantly improve system performance.
Although the DDR6 standard will likely be finalized next year, PC manufacturers and builders may have to wait a while before adopting the new technology. Intel is generally willing to update its CPU platform earlier than AMD, but future Arrow Lake and Panther Lake architectures will likely continue to use DDR5 modules.
Montage Technology: DDR5 third-generation RCD chips are expected to be shipped in large quantities in the second half of the year
In addition, starting this year, new high-performance “capacity” chip products will gradually increase in volume, including PCIe 5.0Retimer chips, MRCD/MDB chips, CKD chips, and MXC chips. These new products involve cutting-edge technologies in the industry and will benefit from the wave of the AI industry.
The demand for PCIe Retimer chips is growing rapidly in the Chinese market based on the industry’s current feedback. Due to factors such as the limited computing power of a single GPU, deploying an AI server cluster with the same computing power requires more GPUs or AI chips and, therefore, more PCIe Retimer chips.
According to public information, two companies worldwide are mass-producing PCIe 5.0 Retimer chips. In addition to Montage, the other is Astera Labs, which currently occupies an important share of the PCIe Retimer chip market. Montage Technology’s PCIe Retimer chips are gaining recognition from more and more customers and downstream users. Benefiting from the three factors of PCIe5.0 ecological penetration, increased demand for AI servers, and increased market share, this product will contribute new performance growth points to the company in the next few years.
Taiwan Memory Makers Hope DDR4 Will Help Boost Growth in 2024
DDR4 is expected to enter the mature stage of its life cycle this year, leading to an increase in sales and prices. As a result, industry insiders believe that Taiwan’s memory manufacturers and fabless companies are paying more attention to this market. The market worries that Korean manufacturers will stop producing obsolete DDR3 products when they refocus their production efforts.
According to industry insiders, the transition from DDR3 to DDR4 has already begun, and Taiwanese memory manufacturers will prioritize DDR4 to boost revenue starting in 2024. Combining shipments and average selling prices (ASPs) will help them grow this year.
Sources said that while DRAM contract prices have been rising steadily, price increases for niche market DDR3 will remain fairly modest in the first half of 2024.
Taiwanese memory companies such as Nanya Technology, Winbond Electronics, and ESMT are still in the red in the first quarter of 2024.
Niche memory IC design company ESMT lost about NT$57.96 million ($1.79 million) in the first quarter of 2024. This is a big improvement compared to the NT$590 million loss in the previous quarter and the NT$370 million loss in the same period last year.
ESMT also realizes that in 2024, Taiwan manufacturers will gain new development prospects from DDR4 because major global memory suppliers mainly focus on DDR5 or HBM memory. Memory products will be updated every two to three years.
DDR4 is approaching the transition stage of DDR3, which is expected to drive up prices and sales. According to ESMT’s forecast, shipments will rise sharply, and the average selling price of chips will also rise.
Specialized DRAM chipmaker Nanya’s net loss improved significantly in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. The company also expects a double-digit increase in ASP in the second quarter.
Winbond Electronics, a manufacturer of specialized DRAM and flash memory, announced an operating loss for the first quarter of 2024. The net loss attributable to the parent company was NT$464 million, or NT$0.11 per share.
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