Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest maker of DRAM, has announced that it had begun shipping samples of the industry's highest-density memory module for server systems. The 32GB DDR3 modules were designed for use in advanced servers, which require high-density and high-performance features at low-power consumption levels. Memory chips that power 32GB modules are made using 40nm fabrication process.

Samsung is using the industry’s highest-density monolithic DDR3 device – a 40nm class, 4Gb DDR3 chip – as the building block for the new 32GB module. This comes one year after the company announced its 50nm-class 2Gb-based, 16GB registered dual inline memory module (RDIMM) last March. Mass production of the 32GB RDIMM is slated to begin next month.

The highly-efficient 32GB RDIMM consists of 36 dual-die 40nm-class 4Gb DDR3 chips that can perform at equal or greater levels to a 40nm-based 16GB RDIMM with no increase in power consumption.

By equipping a two-way server with 32GB modules, a server system can have up to 384GB of memory. This allows for doubling the previously largest density of 192GBs per server with a power increase of less than five percent over that needed for a 16GB module-based system.

In addition, replacing 12 DRAM modules of 16GB density with just six 32GB modules would achieve a 192GB total density, while allowing the DRAM operating speed in a two-way server system to rise by 33% from 800MHz to 1066MHz, as power is cut by 40%.

In the high-performance segament, four-way servers using 16GB modules, one terabyte of DRAM would be commonplace. By using 32GB RDIMMs, Samsung is moving toward providing four-way servers with 2TB of DRAM each, a migration that it believes will spur introduction of diverse software and a broader scale of server applications.

"Technology leadership is a key factor in Samsung's aggressive competitiveness within the memory industry. Our highly successful implementation of 40nm-class technology is indicative of our determination to move toward the 30nm-class process node in the second half of this year. Our 30nm-class technology will provide even more advanced memory solutions for high-end server and PC applications,” said Soo-In Cho, president and general manager of Samsung Electronics Memory Division.

Tags: Samsung, DRAM, DDR3, 40nm, 4Gb