Micron is shipping samples of 128GB DDR5 memory modules based on 32Gbit DRAM chips

Micron has begun testing 128GB DDR5 modules with 32Gbit memory chips. The chips are assembled in a monolithic package without stacking technology. The release of monolithic 32Gb DDR5 chips paves the way for promising 1TB memory modules for servers. The portal reports this AnandTechreferring to a manufacturer statement made at a Micron press conference this week.

Image source: Micron

“We have expanded our range of high-capacity DDR5 memory modules with a 128 GB module based on monolithic single-chip chips. We have also started supplying samples of these modules to our customers. They are designed to meet the needs of tasks and applications related to artificial intelligence. We expect initial sales of this product in the second quarter of 2024.”said Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron.

Micron produces 32GB DDR5 DRAM chips using the 1β process (1-Beta), the company’s latest solution that uses multiple exposure technology with DUV (deep ultraviolet) lithography instead of the more advanced EUV (ultraviolet) lithography. That’s everything we know about these 32Gb monolithic memory chips. The company does not provide any information about the potential speed of these memory chips. However, it can be assumed that, with the same operating voltage and transfer speed, their power consumption is likely to be lower than that of the same 32 Gbit memory chips that use two 16 Gbit crystals mounted one on top of the other.

New 32 Gbit memory chips open up the possibility of producing 32 GB memory modules consisting of just eight individual chips. Based on 32 of these chips, RAM modules with a capacity of 128 GB can be produced. By arranging the chips more densely, memory modules with a capacity of 1 TB can theoretically be created. At the moment, such solutions may seem excessive, but they will certainly find their application in areas such as artificial intelligence, big data and database servers. Such memory modules provide up to 12 TB of DDR5 RAM as part of a single-processor server, taking into account the CPU’s support for 12-channel memory.

As for DDR5 memory overall, Micron expects its offering mix to exceed that of DDR4 in early 2024.