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The new DDR5 standard is here, and high-performance computing memory keeps pace with the times.
In 2020, the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association announced the DDR5 SDRAM standard for the first time, with a focus on improving memory density and frequency. It has a maximum speed of 6400 Mbps, a maximum capacity of 2TB for a single LRDIMM, and a maximum UDIMM capacity of 128GB.
Recently, the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association announced the latest JESD79-5C DDR5 SDRAM standard, designed to improve reliability, security, and further enhance performance for a wide range of applications, from high-performance servers to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Officially, the information on the new standard can be downloaded from the official website.
In the JESD79-5C DDR5 SDRAM standard, the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association has introduced an innovative solution to improve DRAM data integrity, called PRAC, which will accurately calculate the number of DRAM activations based on the granularity of the word line. When PRAC-enabled DRAM detects excessive activations, it alerts the system to pause traffic and specify a time to take mitigation measures. Close coordination between DRAM and systems provides a fundamentally accurate and predictable way to solve data integrity challenges.
Key features of the JESD79-5C DDR5 SDRAM standard include:
Extends the standard timing parameter definition from 6800 Mbps to 8800 Mbps
Extend DRAM core timing and Tx/Rx AC timing to 8800 Mbps, with previous versions only supporting up to 6400 Mbps timing parameters and up to 7200 Mbps core timing for partial fragments
引入自刷新退出时钟同步（Self-Refresh Exit Clock Sync），以优化I/O训练
Incorporate Dual-Chip Package (DDP) timing
Deprecate some Array Self-Refresh (PASR) to address security issues
Mian Quddus, Chairman of the JEDEC Board of Directors, said "We are pleased with the JC-42 Committee's efforts to advance the DDR5 SDRAM standard, with the breakthrough new features of JESD79-5C designed to support the industry's evolving needs for security, reliability, and performance in a variety of applications.
DDR5 accelerates the expansion of market share
The larger the parameter scale of the large model, the heavier the burden of computing power, and the AI server is the core of computing power. In 2023, AI servers (equipped with high-computing chips such as GPUs, FPGAs, and ASICs) will ship nearly 1.2 million units, an annual increase of 38.4%, accounting for 9% of overall server shipments, and will account for 15% of the market share in 2026.
More large model parameters require large-capacity, high-speed memory support, Micron said at the conference that the DRAM usage of an AI server is 6-8 times that of an ordinary server. The server DRAM (excluding HBM) market is expected to reach $32.1 billion by 2026.
In response to the high-performance requirements of AI servers, the demand for more powerful memory, DDR5, has increased. Compared to DDR4, DDR5 has the characteristics of higher speed, higher capacity and lower power consumption. DDR5 memory has a maximum transfer rate of 6.4Gbps, which is twice as fast as DDR4.
The memory interface chip is the core logic device of the server memory module, as the only way for the server CPU to access memory data, its main role is to improve the speed and stability of memory data access, and meet the growing demand of server CPU for memory module for high performance and large capacity.
As DDR memory technology evolves to DDR5, the usage of memory interface chips is also increasing. After the launch of Intel and AMD's new platform to support DDR5, the server DDR5 has a PMIC matching problem, which makes the market size of DDR5 not increase rapidly, and the launch of the new platform is blocked. Although the supply of DDR5 from OEMs will be hindered in the short term, due to the large number of PMIC suppliers, switching and adaptation will not become a bottleneck for the increase of DDR5 penetration, and the server DDR5 penetration rate is expected to reach about 30% this year. With the accelerated development of AI servers and the gradual resolution of PMIC yield issues, DDR5 penetration is expected to further increase and reach 85% by 2026.
Lee Jung-bae, executive vice president and head of U.S. memory business at Samsung Electronics, said in a blog post that the company will expand its capacity for 32GB DDR5 and 1TB modules, saying, "We will actively leverage new interfaces such as CXL memory modules (CMMs), which will help enable memory bandwidth and capacity to scale seamlessly based on operational needs." ”
SK hynix also said that it plans to increase investment in high-bandwidth memory and DDR5 chips to meet the growing demand of the AI market. "Capital expenditure will increase in 2024 compared to 2023. ...... We will maximize the efficiency of capital utilization," said Kim Woo-hyun, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of SK hynix, "Within the scope of the investment amount in 2023, we have adjusted our capital expenditure according to product priorities, and in 2024, we will focus more on converting process processes rather than just increasing production capacity." ”
Kim Woo-hyun said SK hynix will strive to expand the proportion of fourth- and fifth-generation 10nm-class process memory chips, and these new products will account for more than half of the company's DRAM production by the end of 2024. However, he said it will take quite some time to reach the level of production capacity in the fourth quarter of 2022.
According to TrendForce statistics, in the second half of 2023, SK hynix squeezed out Samsung Electronics to become the world's largest server DRAM manufacturer. According to the report, in the third quarter of 2023, SK hynix's server DRAM sales reached $1.85 billion, winning 49.6% of the market share, ranking firmly in the global leader, and Samsung Electronics, which ranked second, ranked third, ranked third with server DRAM sales of $1.313 billion in the quarter, with a market share of 35.2%, and Micron's server DRAM sales of $560 million, with a market share of 15.0%, ranked third.
The above statistics are only for DDR5 memory for traditional servers, and do not include HBM for AI servers.
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