14 DAY TRIAL // The Korean producer announced they put together the first DDR3 (double data rate 3) memory module, which showcases a technology that will replace today's DDR2 memory. The new DDR3 will probably be available as of next year and it will have clock speeds of at least 800 MHz.
The 512 MB module presented by Samsung is able to process data at a rate of 1066 Mbit per second, which is equivalent to about 8,000 newspaper pages per second, according to Samsung. The chips also operate at a lower voltage. Samsung's DDR3 uses 1.5V, compared to 1.8V for DDR2. The lower voltage adds to the power saving, further improving battery life. Because DDR3 processes information faster than its predecessors, it uses less power to do the same amount of work. This means it saves more battery power, making it especially beneficial for notebooks
The main type of DRAM found in most PCs today is DDR SDRAM (synchronous DRAM), which processes data at between 266Mbps and 400Mbps, depending on the parts. A faster type of DDR called DDR2, which has speeds of 400Mbps to 667Mbps, entered the market late last year and is gaining popularity this year, especially among notebook PC vendors.
DDR3 memory is also under development at Germany's Infineon Technologies and Micron Technology in the US, though neither company is ready to show their prototype.
Samsung was the world's biggest supplier of memory chips in 2004, with DRAM revenue of about $7.5bn, giving it 29 percent of the market, according to market research company iSuppli.
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