SK Hynix launches the world’s first DDR5 DRAM kits

The future needs of the PC and enterprise markets will be in Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning, all of which demand high levels of system bandwidth and increasingly large data sets. To meet these requirements, future systems will require faster DRAM and larger per-DIMM capacities. This is where DDR5 DRAM steps in. 

SK Hynix has confirmed that they are now ready to meet the needs of these future markets, claiming that they are ready to provide their customers with DDR5 memory as soon as the market is active. This means that SK Hynix will be ready to provide DDR5 DRAM as soon as companies like AMD or Intel support it. SK Hynix has also pointed out that they have provided Intel will sample products for product validation purposes. 

DDR5 DRAM will support transfer rates of 4,800-5,600 Mbps at launch, which is much faster than today’s DDR4 memory. DDR5’s operation voltage has also been lowered from DDR4’s 1.2V, offering users a 20% decrease in power consumption with an operating voltage of 1.1V. 

DDR5 also feature integrated ECC protection, which means that all DDR5 users will benefit from Error Correcting Code, a feature which was previously exclusive to the workstation/server markets. All DDR5 users will have 1-bit-level error correction. This can increase program reliability by a factor of 20x. DDR5 modules will also support up to 256GB DIMM capacities using through-silicon-via (TSV) technology.  

SK Hynix expects demand for its DDR5 memory to surge in 2021, as products will start to utilise the technology. In 2022, DDR5 is expected to possess 10% of the total DRAM market and grow to take 43% of the DRAM market by 2024. DDR5 adoption will explode once AMD and Intel develop products which support the standard, at this time it is unclear when this transition will take place. 

DDR5 will offer users enhancements to system bandwidth, an increase to system stability through ECC support and larger maximum DIMM capacities. Faster 6,400 Mbps are also in the works for those who require faster DRAM.