SK Hynix Targets Next-Gen Market, Unveils DDR5 6400Mbps Module Sample

UDIMM and SODIMM Developed with Industry-First Application of New Components

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Pyeonghwa] SK Hynix has shipped samples of 32-gigabyte (GB) modules operating at 6400 megabits per second (Mbps) speed based on the new technology Double Data Rate (DDR) 5 with newly applied semiconductor devices. This is the industry's first case of PC and client DDR5 products with the highest existing speed. SK Hynix announced its goal to proactively respond to the upcoming DDR5 era, securing market share in the PC and server markets and taking the lead in the industry.

On the 25th, SK Hynix announced that it developed 32GB UDIMM and SODIMM modules with DDR5-based 6400Mbps speed and provided samples to customers. UDIMM is a general term for memory modules used in PCs such as desktops and laptops. SODIMM is a compact module used in PCs with a shorter overall length.

The DDR5 6400Mbps module product developed by SK Hynix is the highest-speed PC and client DDR5 product currently available. To ensure stable operation during high-speed data processing above 6400Mbps, SK Hynix applied the 'Clock Driver (CKD)' for the first time in the industry. CKD is a new device that improves the quality issues of high-speed clock signals. It is a device standardized by the JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) for use in UDIMM and SODIMM operating at DDR5 6400Mbps or higher. SK Hynix is the first to provide samples equipped with CKD to a PC system-on-chip (SoC) customer for system evaluation.

Despite industry concerns such as delays in the release of new chipsets supporting DDR5 in the market, SK Hynix plans to preemptively complete certification with major customers and start mass production to secure a leading position in the forthcoming DDR5 market. Based on DDR5, SK Hynix aims to target not only the PC market but also the premium server market to solidify its status as a leading memory company.

Park Myungsoo, Vice President and Head of DRAM Marketing at SK Hynix, stated during the Q2 earnings conference call, "High-spec and high-capacity products are needed in high-performance computing (HPC) markets such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning," and added, "We expect the transition to DDR5 to proceed in earnest from next year."

In August, SK Hynix completed customer certification for server DDR5 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB module products applying the 10-nanometer-class 4th generation (1a) fine process. Last month, it also completed customer certification for all PC and client DDR5 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB UDIMM products.

In the first half of next year, SK Hynix plans to introduce various DDR5 products based on the 10-nanometer-class 5th generation (1b) fine process. To overcome performance and mass production challenges due to process miniaturization limits, DRAM using 1b technology will actively utilize extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. SK Hynix expects that the EUV process will reduce power consumption while improving product performance and productivity.

The semiconductor industry expects DDR5-based products to replace existing DRAM and become the main products in the future market. These products will support the latest computing systems by being compatible with new CPUs and chipsets, and will be used in high-performance servers for cloud data centers, big data, and metaverse (virtual world) implementations. The share of DDR5 in the overall DRAM market is expected to expand to about 40% by 2025.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.