Samsung unveils the fastest LPDDR5X DRAM for AI Applications

Samsung has developed the industry’s fastest LPDDR5X DRAM capable of reaching data transfer speeds of up to 10.7Gbps. Optimized for AI applications, the chip offers improved performance, power efficiency, and higher capacity. It will enter mass production in the second half of 2024.

Samsung makes the industry’s fastest LPDDR5X DRAM

Samsung is the world’s largest memory chip maker. The Korean tech giant has led this industry for years. In October 2022, it achieved a data transfer speed of 8.5Gbps (gigabits per second) with its latest LPDDR5X DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) chip. The company has now improved the speed by 25% to set a new record.

According to Samsung, the new solution is fabricated on a 12nm process node. This ensured a compact size—the fastest LPDDR5X DRAM is also the smallest among existing LPDDRs—for enhanced power efficiency. It makes the chip ideal for on-device AI applications, which require low-power, high-performance LPDDR memory. Samsung used specialized power-saving technologies to achieve 25% higher efficiency than the previous generation.

The new chip incorporates technologies such as optimized power variation. It adjusts power according to workload. Additionally, Samsung expanded low-power mode intervals to extend energy-saving periods. These improvements lower energy usage when processing data, helping extend the battery life of mobile devices. In server applications, a higher power efficiency helps lower the total cost of ownership as energy consumption is less.

On-device AI applications also demand high-capacity memory solutions. To that end, Samsung’s new LPDDR5X DRAM chip offers 30% more capacity, including up to 32GB of single package capacity of mobile DRAM. The Korean firm has tailor-made the new chip for modern use cases. It plans to expand LPDDR DRAM to various device categories beyond mobile phones and continue optimizing its chips for the new era of generative AI.

“As demand for low-power, high-performance memory increases, LPDDR DRAM is expected to expand its applications from mainly mobile to other areas that traditionally require higher performance and reliability such as PCs, accelerators, servers, and automobiles,” said YongCheol Bae, an Executive Vice President at Samsung. “Samsung will continue to innovate and deliver optimized products for the upcoming on-device AI era through close collaboration with customers.”

Mass production begins later this year

Samsung seems to have begun sampling its 10.7Gbps LPDDR5X DRAM with industry partners. The chip will enter mass production following this verification with mobile AP (application processor) and mobile device providers sometime in the second half of the year. It could be commercially available by the end of 2024 or in early 2025, in time for the Galaxy S25 series.