With the two leading processor makers, Intel and AMD, now both ready to provide support for the next generation of DDR memory, DDR3 memory technology keeps improving, enabling higher levels of performance and better power consumption features. Just recently, Hynix Semiconductor announced that it had developed a 1GB (1-gigabit) DDR3 DRAM, taking advantage of the 40nm process technology. According to the company, the new 1 Gb memory chip has been designed to meet Intel's DDR3 DRAM specifications. The chip will be examined by the Santa Clara, California-based chip maker for certification.

 

As far as performance goes, the new Hynix DDR3 DRAM is said to provide a maximum speed of 2133Mbps (megabit per second), being capable of operating at a wide range of voltages. According to a recent news-article on Digitimes, the mass production of Hynix' 40nm process technology is slated to begin in the third quarter, later this year.

 

The memory company is said to be looking to expand the adoption of its next-generation 40nm technology to some other products, including mass storage memory modules, mobile DRAM and graphics DRAM. This will ultimately enable higher performance and lower power consumption for products such as SSDs, laptop memory or graphics card memory. The company is also expecting that the new technology will lead the DDR3 memory market in the second half of this year, as more and more computer systems are expected to take advantage of this next-generation memory standard.

 

Hynix also said that its overall productivity of 40nm 1Gb DDR3 DRAM has increased by more than 50% over its current 50nm process technology.

 

With the new announcement, Hynix joins Samsung, which has recently announced that it has successfully developed and validated the first DRAM chip and module, using the new 40nm process technology, enabling higher performance and better power consumption.