Samsung has announced that their second generation 10nm 8-gigabit DDR4 DRAM is now in mass production. This should be good news for consumers as it will alleviate the supply shortage resulting in higher memory prices. Since it is not just RAM that uses memory ICs, other components usually rise up in pricing with it. Components such as video cards for example are directly affected. Samsung has a more aggressive production schedule with the second gen 10nm DRAM since it will give them a stronger foot hold in the market for the coming year.
These new second generation 10nm DRAM can also be produced much more efficiently than the previous generation at approximately 30% more. Samsung does not make use of an EUV process, but uses a high-sensitivity cell data sensing system and a progressive “air spacer” scheme instead. In the cells of Samsung’s 2nd-generation 10nm-class DRAM, a newly devised data sensing system enables a more accurate determination of the data stored in each cell, which leads to a significant increase in the level of circuit integration and manufacturing productivity.
Samsung 2nd Gen DDR4: Better Performance and Efficiency
These second generation 8Gb DDR4 are also supposedly superior performers than the 1st generation. The new 8Gb DDR4 can operate at 3,600 megabits per second (Mbps) per pin. In comparison, the company’s 1x-nm 8Gb DDR4 operates at 3,200 Mbps. Plus, Samsung claims that these bring a 10 to 15 percent energy efficiency improvement. Brought about by an advanced, proprietary circuit design technology. The advancements that Samsung learned with this second gen DDR4 is also applicable to their DDR5, GDDR6, and HBM3 production. In fact, Samsung claims that it enables them to accelerate production plans for these.
I’ll believe that it helps reduce RAM prices when I see it.