Date: 01/02/2009

Samsung releases 4Gb DDR3 DRAM chip amid the weak memory market

Samsung Electronics again rise the DRAM memory capacity in a single chip to 4Gb from earlier 2Gb by announcing world's first four-gigabit (Gb) DDR3 DRAM chip made on 50 nm process technology.

The 4Gb DDR3 can be produced in 16 gigabyte (GB) registered dual in-line memory modules (RDIMM) for servers, as well as 8GB unbuffered DIMM (UDIMM) for workstations and desktop PCs, and 8GB small outline DIMM (SODIMM) for laptops. By applying dual-die package technology, this new device can deliver modules of up to 32GB - offering twice as much capacity as memory modules based on the previous highest chip density of 2Gb.

Designed to be low-powered, the 4Gb DDR3 DRAM operates at 1.35 volts (V), therein improving its throughput by 20 percent over a 1.5V DDR3. Its maximum speed is 1.6 gigabits per second (Gbps).

In 16GB module configurations, 4Gb DDR3 can consume 40 percent less power than 2Gb DDR3 because of its higher density and because it uses only half the DRAM (32 vs. 64 chips).

Where's the market!
Semiconductor memory industry is in bad shape. The benefit in increasing the DRAM capacity is not exponential now, compared to just a year earlier trend. The performance of current desktop and laptops does not increase significantly with the additions of few more Gbs of DRAM. For most of the applications 4Gb to 8Gb is enough to give smooth performance even with Windows vista. First of all, window vista is not overwhelmingly adopted in comparison to Windows XP. Samsung may have to wait for this newly launched chip to become key seller.
Whenever the DRAM capacity improved computer performance in a big way, its market has grown very well. That's not the case now. There are no great software applications, which industry or home users should buy.
But the market can change any time by the availability of must- to-buy enterprise or desktop software, which demands higher DRAM size.

There is a positive market prediction too, Market analyst IDC says, the worldwide DDR3 DRAM market will account for 29 percent of the total DRAM market in 2009 and 75 percent in 2011. In addition, IDC estimates that 2Gb-or-higher DDR3 DRAM will make up three percent of the total DRAM market in 2009 and 33 percent in 2011 (units in bits).