Rambus creates first DDR5 memory prototype

Rambus sends out word it's the first company with a functional DDR5 memory prototype in its labs. The final DDR5 specification will be released next year and the first DDR5 memory products are expected in 2019. DDR5 promises double the bandwidth of DDR4, higher density and it will run on lower voltages. Another change is that DDR5 will move the voltage regulators from the motherboard to the memory modules. Server and high performance computing applications will be the first target markets of DDR5.

Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ: RMBS) today announced functional silicon of a double data rate (DDR) server DIMM (dual inline memory module) buffer chipset prototype for the next generation DDR5 memory technology. This represents a key milestone for Rambus and the industry’s first silicon-proven memory buffer chip prototype capable of achieving the speeds required for the upcoming DDR5 standard.

“Data-intensive applications like Big Data analytics and machine learning will be key drivers for the adoption of DDR5, with enterprise close behind,” said Luc Seraphin, senior vice president and general manager of the Rambus Memory and Interfaces Division. “We are proud to provide an early path to adoption with the first working buffer chip prototype running at the anticipated performance of next-generation DDR5. This demonstrates our continued dedication to be first to market and remaining on the leading edge of industry standards.”

According to JEDEC, next-generation DDR5 memory will offer improved performance and power efficiency, providing double the bandwidth and density over DDR4. With that, server DIMM chipsets, like registered clock drivers and data buffers, will be critical to enabling higher memory capacities while maintaining peak performance. This Server DIMM chip prototype leverages the signal integrity and low power, mixed-signal design expertise of Rambus to enable development of next-generation solutions for future data center workloads.