14 DAY TRIAL // DDR4 memory is on track for 2014, and now we know for certain that low-profile DDR4, or LPDDR4, good for laptops and other portable systems, is also on track for release next year.
Right now, JEDEC (formerly known as Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) is discussing a standard for memory with 3,200 Mbps data rate. That means a clock speed of 3.2 GHz for each module.
The memory would also have max signaling of 350mVpp, as well as 1.1 voltage and configurable termination using low-voltage swing terminated logic.
Another thing is that the memory die will be of the two-channel x16 DRAM type. It's one of the biggest changes compared to previous modules actually.
Data bus inversion technology has also been included, improving signal integrity, and JEDEC is even doing its best to ensure a power consumption cut of 50%.
That's a pretty tall order, especially since the performance is supposed to be so high. It's necessary though.
After all, the LPDDR3 interface was updated recently to support 2,133 Mbps data rate (2333 MHz clock), and DDR4 needs to be superior in every way.
And the difference between 2,133 Mbps and 3,200 Mbps isn't that high. Not to mention that there are various high-end DDR3 modules and kits that reach 2800 MHz and even more.
Granted, JEDEC intends for LPDDR4 to eventually reach 4,266 Mbps / MHz. It will take a while for that goal to be reached though, so energy efficiency is left as the potential deal maker of breaker.
On a related note, once LPDDR4 comes out, the next order of business will be to actually sell people on the idea. That will be hard, since even today, many tablets, phones and laptops use LPDDR2, not LPDDR3. And LPDDR3 has been around for 2 years now.
"Our goal was to double the bandwidth performance, but also we took a much harder look at the power usage," said Dan Skinner, director of architecture development at Micron Technology and a JC-42.6 Subcommittee member.
"Once [the intended] performance level is reached, then doing so at the best power point is the top priority."