DRAM | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 21 Oct 2021 15:22:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png DRAM | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 SK Hynix HBM3 memory is even faster than expected https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/joao-silva/sk-hynix-hbm3-memory-is-even-faster-than-expected/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/joao-silva/sk-hynix-hbm3-memory-is-even-faster-than-expected/#respond Thu, 21 Oct 2021 09:06:54 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=536505 While SK Hynix planned to offer at least 665 GB/s of bandwidth with its HBM3 memory, the company has been able to handily surpass that goal. Today, SK Hynix officially announced the specifications for its HBM3 memory, with each module offering 819 GB/s of maximum bandwidth.  SK Hynix has become the first company in the …

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While SK Hynix planned to offer at least 665 GB/s of bandwidth with its HBM3 memory, the company has been able to handily surpass that goal. Today, SK Hynix officially announced the specifications for its HBM3 memory, with each module offering 819 GB/s of maximum bandwidth. 

SK Hynix has become the first company in the industry to introduce HBM3 into the market. According to SK Hynix, HBM3 is the fastest DRAM in the world, featuring a whopping 819GB/s of maximum bandwidth, a 78% increase over its predecessor (HBM2E). To put that number into perspective, 819 GB/s is the same as transmitting 163 FullHD movies in a second.

Available with 24GB or 16GB of capacity per module, all HBM3 can correct data (bit) errors with the help of the built-in on-die error correction code (ECC), increasing its reliability. SK Hynix 24GB DRAM chips are approximately 30μm thick, about a third of a regular A4 paper's thickness.

HBM3 memory is aimed at high-performance data centres and machine learning platforms, providing enhanced performance in artificial intelligence and super computing workloads.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: While we might not see HBM3 in gaming-oriented products, it will surely boost many other workloads. Now, we'll just have to wait and see the first products to utilise HBM3. 

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SK Hynix claims its HBM3 memory can offer over 665GB/s of bandwidth per chip https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/joao-silva/sk-hynix-claims-its-hbm3-memory-can-offer-over-665gb-s-of-bandwidth-per-chip/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/joao-silva/sk-hynix-claims-its-hbm3-memory-can-offer-over-665gb-s-of-bandwidth-per-chip/#respond Thu, 10 Jun 2021 12:06:49 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=519161 It was less than a year ago that SK Hynix started to mass-produced HBM2E, but the memory manufacturer is already working on the next generation of HBM memory. Named HBM3, the next-gen memory promises to deliver speeds of up to 5.2Gbps per chip, which translates into a bandwidth of over 665GB/s.

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It was less than a year ago that SK Hynix started to mass-produced HBM2E, but the memory manufacturer is already working on the next generation of HBM memory. Named HBM3, the next-gen memory promises to deliver speeds of up to 5.2Gbps per chip, which translates into a bandwidth of over 665GB/s.

SK Hynix's HBM2E is one of the fastest DRAM solutions out there. For each 16GB chip, HBM2E offers a maximum I/O speed of 3.6Gbps and a maximum bandwidth of 460GB/s, about 9x faster than GDDR6.

With HBM3, which is still under development, SK Hynix plans to push speeds and bandwidth even further. HBM3 chips can achieve a speed of 5.2Gbps, resulting in a maximum bandwidth of 665GB/s. That's a 44.6% improvement over its predecessor.

Although 5.2Gbps is already quite impressive, memory manufacturer SiFive (via Tom's Hardware) has previously announced its plans to release HBM3 memory capable of reaching speeds of 7.2Gbps.

KitGuru says: We probably won't see HBM in gaming graphics cards for quite some time. AMD had previously done it, but the results weren't what they were cracked up to be. On the other hand, compute accelerators have continued to use HBM, and considering how well HBM performs in this type of workload, we expect to see it being used in these solutions for the foreseeable future.

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Samsung announces industry first HKMG-based 512GB DDR5 memory https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/samsung-announces-industry-first-hkmg-based-512gb-ddr5-memory/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/samsung-announces-industry-first-hkmg-based-512gb-ddr5-memory/#respond Thu, 25 Mar 2021 14:09:03 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=509126 The memory market is heating up this year with companies like SK Hynix, TeamGroup and Adata all unveiling upcoming DDR5 memory modules for release later this year. Now, Samsung is joining the club, announcing the industry's first 512GB DDR5 module.  Samsung has announced the first HKMG-based DDR5 memory, aimed at bandwidth intensive and advanced computing …

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The memory market is heating up this year with companies like SK Hynix, TeamGroup and Adata all unveiling upcoming DDR5 memory modules for release later this year. Now, Samsung is joining the club, announcing the industry's first 512GB DDR5 module. 

Samsung has announced the first HKMG-based DDR5 memory, aimed at bandwidth intensive and advanced computing applications. Using High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) process technology, Samsung's DDR5 memory is able to deliver twice the performance of DDR4 at up to 7,200 megabits per second.

Traditionally, HKMG technology has been used in logic semiconductors. However, as Samsung explains, due to the continued scaling down of DRAM structures, the insulation layer has thinned, which leads to higher leakage current. Samsung is replacing the insulator with HKMG material, allowing Samsung's DDR5 memory to reduce leakage and improve performance considerably. Power usage has also been reduced by 13 percent over DDR4.

Samsung's DDR5 memory also uses through-silicon via (TSV) technology, allowing eight layers of 16Gb DRAM chips to be stacked, boosting capacity to a whopping 512GB in one module. This is something Samsung has been working towards for a long time, as the company first introduced HKMG tech in its GDDR6 memory modules in 2018 and first began using TSV technology in DRAM modules in 2014.

As you would expect, Samsung has been closely working with Intel while developing its DDR5 memory solution. Currently, Intel's Alder Lake platform is expected to be the first to support DDR5 memory. Currently, Intel Alder Lake and the first consumer DDR5 memory modules are expected to launch in late 2021.

KitGuru Says: Samsung maintained a leadership position in the memory market over the DDR4 generation and so far, it looks like that will continue as we move towards DDR5. Are you expecting significant performance and efficiency gains from the next generation of memory? 

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Lexar to enter DRAM market https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/christopher-nohall/lexar-to-enter-dram-market/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/christopher-nohall/lexar-to-enter-dram-market/#respond Thu, 18 Jun 2020 10:50:42 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=472695 Lexar has announced its entry to the DRAM market, where the company plans to offer memory solutions for both laptops and desktops. Lexar is mainly known for its flash storage products, including SD cards and, more recently, SSDs. Now, the company says it is “excited to announce its entrance into the DRAM market”. Lexar will offer …

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Lexar has announced its entry to the DRAM market, where the company plans to offer memory solutions for both laptops and desktops.

Lexar is mainly known for its flash storage products, including SD cards and, more recently, SSDs. Now, the company says it is “excited to announce its entrance into the DRAM market”. Lexar will offer two DRAM options for consumers, for laptop and desktop platforms. Both kits offer speeds of 2666MHz and operate at 1.2v, which Lexar claims makes them “ideal for the new smart home offices and classroom setups”.

Image credit: Lexar

“We are very excited to introduce DRAM memory to our product portfolio”, said Mike Chen, General Manager, who added that “Lexar looks to continue advancing our DRAM offerings, with additional high performing models to launch later this year.”

The Lexar DDR4-2666 SODIMM laptop memory is available this month with a price tag of $19.99 USD (4 GB – 2666), $29.99 USD (8 GB – 2666), $64.99 USD (16 GB – 2666) and topping out at $159.99 USD (32 GB – 2666).

The Lexar DDR4-2666 UDIMM Desktop Memory is available this month at a cost of $32.99 USD (8 GB – 2666), $64.99 USD (16 GB – 2666) and $149.99 USD (32 GB – 2666).

These options only mark the beginning of the company's foray into the DRAM market, with more memory kits set to be released later this year.

The full announcement from Lexar can be found HERE. Lexar DRAM is available from Platinum Micro HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Lexar's entry to the DRAM market? 

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DRAM prices to ‘trend slightly upward’ in Q1 as PC makers begin stocking up https://www.kitguru.net/components/matthew-wilson/dram-prices-to-trend-slightly-upward-in-q1-as-pc-makers-begin-stocking-up/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/matthew-wilson/dram-prices-to-trend-slightly-upward-in-q1-as-pc-makers-begin-stocking-up/#respond Mon, 13 Jan 2020 18:44:50 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=446615 There has been plenty of news around the DRAM and NAND market over the last couple of weeks. Firstly, a Samsung facility suffered a small power outage leading to several days of production downtime. Beyond that, analysts are putting in their predictions for 2020, setting expectations for price rises.  Trendforce division, DRAMeXchange has previously said …

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There has been plenty of news around the DRAM and NAND market over the last couple of weeks. Firstly, a Samsung facility suffered a small power outage leading to several days of production downtime. Beyond that, analysts are putting in their predictions for 2020, setting expectations for price rises. 

Trendforce division, DRAMeXchange has previously said that it expects NAND contract prices to rise in Q1 2020. Now, the analysts are updating their Q1 outlook for the DRAM market, which is moving from “mostly holding steady” to “slightly trending upward”.

 

This adjustment isn't due to any supply shortages brought on by Samsung's power outage. Instead, it is due to buyers wanting to build up their inventories earlier in the year than usual and as a result, there will be “an earlier-than-anticipated kickoff of the cyclical upturn”.

In the PC DRAM market specifically, negotiations over Q1 2020 contracts are still under way, so the key prediction for the KitGuru audience is that memory products shipped to PC OEMs will either stay the same price or rise slightly upward. Samsung's recent power outage seems to have dialled up a sense of urgency, as PC OEMs aim to stock up on memory now in anticipation of supply shortages later in the year.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: NAND and DRAM pricing began to fall for consumers in the second half of 2019 and while it may not shoot back up immediately, there is the potential for prices to climb again over the course of 2020. 

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Samsung DRAM and NAND production facility suffers power outage https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/samsung-dram-and-nand-production-facility-suffers-power-outage/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/samsung-dram-and-nand-production-facility-suffers-power-outage/#respond Thu, 02 Jan 2020 14:05:55 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=444394 There has been talk of NAND and DRAM supply getting back on track this year but sometimes, unforeseen circumstances can get in the way. This time around, one of Samsung's fabrication plants has suffered a power outage and while the power was down for only one minute, it will take several days of downtime to …

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There has been talk of NAND and DRAM supply getting back on track this year but sometimes, unforeseen circumstances can get in the way. This time around, one of Samsung's fabrication plants has suffered a power outage and while the power was down for only one minute, it will take several days of downtime to assess the damage caused. 

On New Year's Eve, Samsung's Hwaeseong plant lost power for one minute, putting a stop to NAND and DRAM production. According to Yonhap News Agency, Samsung expects the short outage to cause two or three days of downtime before production restarts, although this shouldn't set back production timelines too much.

The downtime is estimated to cause a financial hit in the ‘few billion won' range, which would equal a couple of million US dollars. That's a pretty big bill for such a short power cut, which was caused by a power transmission cable exploding at a nearby substation.

Even so, this isn't the biggest set back to occur from a power outage at one of Samsung's facilities. Back in 2018, a 30 minute power cut led to $43.3 million worth of wafers being scrapped, so this latest incident is minor by comparison.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: We'll likely hear a bit more about this later in the week once the damage has been fully assessed. Samsung is one of the largest memory producers in the world, so power outages can be a big issue but in this case, it looks like things will be back up and running swiftly and hopefully won't cause production timelines to slip too much. 

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Samsung Develops Industry’s First 12-Layer 3D-TSV DRAM Packaging Technology https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/james-dawson/samsung-develops-industrys-first-12-layer-3d-tsv-dram-packaging-technology/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/james-dawson/samsung-develops-industrys-first-12-layer-3d-tsv-dram-packaging-technology/#respond Fri, 11 Oct 2019 11:29:23 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=429596 Samsung recently announced that they have developed the worlds first 12-layer 3D-TSV (Through Silicon Via) technology DRAM modules with up to 24GB capacity, one of the first products to use the technology will be Samsung’s very own HBM2 KGSDs. Samsung’s new 12-layer 3D-TSV process features 12 DRAM chips interconnected through 60,000 TSV holes which is …

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Samsung recently announced that they have developed the worlds first 12-layer 3D-TSV (Through Silicon Via) technology DRAM modules with up to 24GB capacity, one of the first products to use the technology will be Samsung’s very own HBM2 KGSDs.

Samsung’s new 12-layer 3D-TSV process features 12 DRAM chips interconnected through 60,000 TSV holes which is why this technology is considered as one of the most challenging packages for mass production, as it requires pinpoint accuracy. The thickness of the package remains at 720 micron which means DRAM layers are getting thinner, while still producing acceptable yields for high-end products.

“Packaging technology that secures all of the intricacies of ultra-performance memory is becoming tremendously important, with the wide variety of new-age applications, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and High Power Computing (HPC),” said Hong-Joo Baek, executive vice president of TSP (Test & System Package) at Samsung Electronics.

By increasing the number of layers from eight to twelve, Samsung will soon be able to offer mass production of 24 GB High Bandwidth Memory which will provide three times the capacity of current 8 GB high bandwidth memory available today. Meaning Samsung will produce the highest DRAM performance for data-intensive applications on the market.

In addition, Samsung’s latest 3D packaging technology features shorter data transmission times between chips than the current wire bonding technology, which will result in significantly faster speed and lower power consumption, increasing efficiency.

KitGuru says: This latest technological advancement from Samsung means we should see High-end graphics cards and FPGAs benefit from Higher memory bandwidth and capacities in the near future.

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Intel to retake ‘world’s largest chipmaker’ crown as DRAM market declines https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/intel-to-retake-worlds-largest-chipmaker-crown-as-dram-market-declines/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/intel-to-retake-worlds-largest-chipmaker-crown-as-dram-market-declines/#respond Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:36:05 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=406475 Intel is set to take back the title of 'world's largest chipmaker' from Samsung, as the memory market is expected to see a decline throughout 2019.

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Intel managed to cling onto the title of world’s biggest chipmaker for 25 years before Samsung dethroned the company at the end of 2017. Although the South Korean manufacturer retained the title for another year, slower DRAM sales could see Intel once again retake the crown.

Despite holding the record since 1992, Intel’s $62.8 billion (KRW 67 trillion approx. before inflation) wasn’t enough to outmatch Samsung’s semiconductor revenue of $69.1 billion (KRW 74.26 trillion before inflation). Market researchers at IC Insights have predicted that Intel will return to the top spot in 2019, as the firm outlines an expected 7 percent decline in the semiconductor industry and a 24 percent decrease in the memory market in particular.

Although IC Insights expects Intel to grow just 1% year-on-year, the firm believes Samsung’s grip will loosen due to a staggering 19.7% decline given that the South Korean supplier is dependent on memory for its chip sales. If the memory market suffers, Samsung suffers much more than its multifaceted competition as a result.

Researchers have yet to factor in how this downward trend will affect other companies in the DRAM and NAND flash markets, but manufacturers such as SK Hynix, Micron, and Toshiba are to expect declines 20 percent or more. It will also be interesting to see how this affects pricing on the consumer market, as the price of memory has steadily been coming down over the past year.

KitGuru Says: It’s worth noting that IC Insights has worked out its prior sales according to the current exchange rate, accounting for any disparity between numbers reported at the time and now. Still, this doesn’t affect the decline that the firm expects to hit the memory market like a whirlwind.

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Analysts claim largest DRAM price decline since 2011 https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/analysts-claim-largest-dram-price-decline-since-2011/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/analysts-claim-largest-dram-price-decline-since-2011/#respond Wed, 06 Mar 2019 17:58:59 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=406046 The DRAM and NAND Flash markets enjoyed a massive boom in recent years, to the point where there have been allegations of price fixing. Late last year, market analysts began talking about ‘steep declines' due in 2019. Now according to updated analysis, DRAM contract prices are in the sharpest decline since 2011. According to analysis …

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The DRAM and NAND Flash markets enjoyed a massive boom in recent years, to the point where there have been allegations of price fixing. Late last year, market analysts began talking about ‘steep declines' due in 2019. Now according to updated analysis, DRAM contract prices are in the sharpest decline since 2011.

According to analysis from DRAMeXchange, a subsidiary of TrendForce, a lot of current DRAM contracts have switched to monthly deals rather than quarterly deals, with the biggest price decline occurring in February. According to the report, DRAM prices have dropped by nearly 30 percent, resulting in the biggest quarterly decline since 2011.

Image credit: SK Hynix

DRAMeXchange says contract prices between fabricators and other companies began declining in late 2018. Now, inventory levels have built up, which has led to further price drops. DRAM suppliers are apparently holding six weeks worth of unsold inventory.

Aside from that, the analysis states that PC OEMs are unable to begin using up larger chunks of DRAM supply as demand is being suppressed. This is partially brought on by a shortage in low-end Intel CPUs. As a result, excessively high inventory will continue to cause a downward trend in prices until demand rises again.

KitGuru Says: These price reductions are currently affecting the channel and may not have trickled down to consumer retailers yet, so that is worth keeping in mind. Still, it will be interesting to keep an eye on the RAM market this year, particularly after prices climbed so high in recent years.

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Chinese investigation claims to have ‘massive evidence’ of DRAM price fixing https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/chinese-investigation-claims-to-have-massive-evidence-of-dram-price-fixing/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/chinese-investigation-claims-to-have-massive-evidence-of-dram-price-fixing/#respond Thu, 22 Nov 2018 09:03:49 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=395808 RAM prices have risen significantly over the last couple of years and while things are starting to settle down a bit now, there are still many who believe that something shady was going on. In December 2017, China's economic regulator began investigating Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron in order to figure out whether or not …

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RAM prices have risen significantly over the last couple of years and while things are starting to settle down a bit now, there are still many who believe that something shady was going on. In December 2017, China's economic regulator began investigating Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron in order to figure out whether or not the three companies had colluded in a price fixing scheme. Since then, investigators have apparently uncovered “massive evidence” against the three companies.

When market share is combined, Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron control the overwhelming majority of the DRAM market (over 90%). If China's investigation finds the company's involved guilty, then hefty fines could be imposed, ranging anywhere from $800 million to $8 billion. The investigation in China isn't the only legal issue though, there is also a class action lawsuit out against Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron over in the US, which also claims that the three companies colluded to inflate prices.

Speaking with The Financial Times, China's anti-monopoly bureau head, Wu Zenghou, noted that the DRAM price fixing investigation has “made important progress”. He also added that “massive evidence” of anti-competitive behaviour has been uncovered, although specific examples weren't given.

Of course, this could all just end up being another ugly side to the on-going chip war. Just recently, the US accused a China-based semiconductor of stealing trade secrets from Micron. Before that, multiple people were arrested for attempting to steal trade secrets from TSMC, with the goal of selling them to companies in China.

KitGuru Says: We don't really have enough information to lean one way or the other at the moment. Still, it will be interesting to see where things go from here.

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SK Hynix announces first 16-gigabit DDR5 DRAM https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/sk-hynix-announces-first-16-gigabit-ddr5-dram/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/sk-hynix-announces-first-16-gigabit-ddr5-dram/#respond Thu, 15 Nov 2018 13:00:12 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=394954 We still have some life left in the DDR4 generation but DDR5 is coming and SK Hynix is already at the forefront.

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At this point, DDR4 RAM has been around for a while, bringing along huge increases in frequency and capacity. Just yesterday, we heard about G.Skill's new 64GB and 128GB DDR4 kits but the industry is already gearing up for the next phase. Today, SK Hynix has announced its first 16-gigabit DDR5 RAM module.

DDR5 memory has been in the works for a while now. Towards the end of last year, RAMBUS began discussing early specifications for DDR5, meanwhile JEDEC has previously said that the move to DDR5 will density and bandwidth. In July, Samsung announced its first 8-gigabit LPDDR5 memory chip. Now this week, SK Hynix is unveiling its own push towards DDR5, with the industry's first DDR5 DRAM module to meet JEDEC standards.


Image credit: SK Hynix

SK Hynix's first DDR5 DRAM is created using the same 1Ynm process technology used for 8-gigabit DDR4 DRAM. However, the jump to DDR5 has improved speeds and density all while reducing power consumption compared to DDR4. The operating voltage for 16-gigabit DDR5 DRAM has been lowered to 1.1V, a 30% decrease compared to DDR4.

According to SK Hynix, this new DDR5 DRAM supports a data transfer rate of 5200Mbps, which is 60 percent faster than the 3200Mbps capable on the previous generation. In all, this 16Gb (gigabit) DRAM can process 41.6GB (Gigabytes) of data per second.

Currently, SK Hynix plans to begin mass producing DDR5 memory in 2020. By 2021, market researchers at IDC expect DDR5 to account for 25 percent of the DRAM market, with growth to 44 percent by 2022.

KitGuru Says: From the sounds of it, we still have a few years of life left in DDR4, but the next-generation is coming and manufacturers are making swift progress. 

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US DoJ cracks down on DRAM companies accused of stealing trade secrets from Micron https://www.kitguru.net/components/matthew-wilson/us-doj-cracks-down-on-dram-companies-accused-of-stealing-trade-secrets-from-micron/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/matthew-wilson/us-doj-cracks-down-on-dram-companies-accused-of-stealing-trade-secrets-from-micron/#respond Fri, 02 Nov 2018 13:21:30 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=393453 We've been hearing more and more reports surrounding corporate espionage in the tech industry over the last year. This time around, the US government is getting involved, with the Department of Justice cracking down on a company known as ‘Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Company' and its DRAM partner, UMC, over the theft of trade secrets. …

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We've been hearing more and more reports surrounding corporate espionage in the tech industry over the last year. This time around, the US government is getting involved, with the Department of Justice cracking down on a company known as ‘Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Company' and its DRAM partner, UMC, over the theft of trade secrets.

The Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Company is based in China, while UMC is based in Taiwan. Both companies are being indicted under corporate espionage charges. Apparently, both are responsible for stealing Micron technology worth $9 billion. As a result, all US companies are banned from supplying either company with any goods.

In the DoJ's press release, we are told that “a grand jury in San Francisco has returned a multi-defendant indictment alleging economic espionage on the part of a state-owned Chinese company, a Taiwanese company and three Taiwan individuals”. This was all part of “an alleged scheme to steal trade secrets from Micron”, which is based in Idaho, USA.

According to the US government, Micron is worth around $100 billion and has a 20-25 percent share in the DRAM market, which china didn't have much of a foothold in until recently. The Department of Justice intents to “aggressively prosecute” any company found to be stealing trade secrets from US-based firms.

From the sounds of it, the Department of Justice suspects that Fujian Jinhua and UMC conspired to steal trade secrets from Micron as far back as early 2016. At that time, Chen Zhengkun was the General Manager and Chairman for a corporation that Micron acquired. He then moved on to become the president of a Micron subsidiary in Taiwan known as ‘MMT', which was responsible for manufacturing at least one of Micron's DRAM chips. Then in 2015, Chen resigned from MMT and “almost immediately” went to work at UMC. While there, he facilitated a cooperation agreement between UMC and Fujian Jinhua for the mass production of DRAM. Chen then later became the president of Fujian Jinhua, overseeing DRAM production.

After jumping ship from Micron's MMT subsidiary, Chen recruited several of his former employees to join him at UMC. It is alleged that those employees stole trade secrets upon leaving, bringing them straight to UMC to kickstart DRAM production. Of course, under US law, all people named in the indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Once trial gets under way, a $5,000,000 fine could be imposed in addition to 10-years in prison for the theft of trade secrets. If convicted, each company involved will also face forfeiture of stolen documents in addition to more than a $20 billion fine.

This is not the only corporate espionage story we've come across in the semiconductor world over the last year. In May 2017, one former TSMC employee was arrested and charged with stealing trade secrets and selling them to China. That same situation popped up again with a different employee in September 2018.

KitGuru Says: It will be a while before this makes it to trial and we get a resolution but so far, it is a huge case. We'll be keeping an eye out for updates in the future. 

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NAND Flash prices to drop more in 2019 but DRAM will remain steady https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/nand-flash-prices-to-drop-more-in-2019-but-dram-will-remain-steady/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/nand-flash-prices-to-drop-more-in-2019-but-dram-will-remain-steady/#respond Fri, 26 Oct 2018 12:10:31 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=392597 NAND Flash prices entered a freefall earlier this year, hitting lows of 50 percent thanks to oversupply. It was initially reported that DRAM would shortly follow, but limitations from the world's top-3 DRAM makers are set to reduce capacity expansions in order to stabilise prices. The drop in NAND Flash prices is primarily due to …

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NAND Flash prices entered a freefall earlier this year, hitting lows of 50 percent thanks to oversupply. It was initially reported that DRAM would shortly follow, but limitations from the world's top-3 DRAM makers are set to reduce capacity expansions in order to stabilise prices.

The drop in NAND Flash prices is primarily due to efforts from major suppliers to expand capacity, leaving more options on the market. This is expected to intensify leading into 2019, as “more than half of upstream NAND makers” attempt to maintain profitability, according to DigiTimes.

“Globally leading NAND flash makers have yet to slow down capacity expansions, and prices may see a larger drop in 2019 than in 2018,” explains chairman of Adata Technology, Simon Chen to the publication. This is comprised of around “6-7 leading makers” around the world including Samsung, Western Digital, Mircon and SK Hynix.

Each company is working on their respective 96-layer 3D NAND technologies, expected to launch within the first half of next year. The majority are building capacities for manufacturing between 50,000 and 100,000 chips per month, while China's Yangtze Memory Technology should reach highs of 150,000 monthly chips.

Unfortunately, the memory market won’t experience the same price decline as its storage brethren, with RAM prices now expected to remain as they are. SK Hynix, Micron and Samsung maintain control thanks to a distinct lack of competition, allowing the three to slow capacity expansions despite increased demand across the professional and gaming markets.

KitGuru Says: We might have been rooting for further price declines across all markets, but we’ll just count our lucky stars to see such a fall since the last lot of price rises. Have you been in the market for new SSDs and RAM?  

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DRAM and NAND prices set to drop this year ahead of steep decline in 2019 https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/dram-and-nand-prices-set-to-drop-this-year-ahead-of-steep-decline-in-2019/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/dram-and-nand-prices-set-to-drop-this-year-ahead-of-steep-decline-in-2019/#respond Mon, 15 Oct 2018 15:35:28 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=391100 Although Intel’s 14nm CPU shortage wasn’t the most welcome news last month, it did enable DRAMeXchange to tease a much-needed price decline within both the DRAM and NAND markets. This is set to steepen throughout 2019, however weak price trends suggest that we could see significant price drops by the end of the year. Despite …

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Although Intel’s 14nm CPU shortage wasn’t the most welcome news last month, it did enable DRAMeXchange to tease a much-needed price decline within both the DRAM and NAND markets. This is set to steepen throughout 2019, however weak price trends suggest that we could see significant price drops by the end of the year.

Despite a 1 to 2 percent price increase on DRAM throughout the third quarter, DRAMeXchange notes that this is a much weaker trend quarter on quarter (QoQ) than we're used to seeing. Boffins have since readjusted their prediction from a 2 percent drop in the DRAM market to a more significant “5 percent or more QoQ in 4Q18.”

NAND Flash memory has already begun to decline, however, experiencing a 10 percent price drop in the third quarter. The report suggest that this could drop as much as 15 percent before the end of the year.

DRAMeXchange expects that this downward trend is due to three distinct reasons: “First, the smartphone market this year may not see remarkable shipments, since the replacement demand for smartphones has been sluggish due to the lack of differentiation among products in terms of hardware specifications. Second, the server shipments are uncertain. Third, the notebook and PC shipments may be impacted by the shortage of Intel CPUs.”

What’s better is that DRAMeXchange is being understandably conservative with its estimations, meaning that there could be even greater price drops. This depends on the weakening state of the server market and the somewhat-stagnant smartphone market, which is noticeably dwindling in demand for upgrades.

2019 could potentially usher in a 25 to 30 percent decline in the NAND Flash memory space thanks to increase 3D NAND production, inevitably seeing solid state drives (SSDs) become much more affordable. By just how much still remains to be seen, however, but trends are certainly looking good.

KitGuru Says: Of course, this still wouldn’t return DRAM and NAND pricing to what it once was, but any drop in price is a welcome one. Are you in the market to upgrade your RAM or SSD? How much would you be willing to pay?

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DRAM market expected to see a steeper price decline thanks to Intel’s 14nm CPU shortage https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/damien-cox/dram-market-expected-to-see-a-steeper-price-decline-thanks-to-intels-14nm-cpu-shortage/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/damien-cox/dram-market-expected-to-see-a-steeper-price-decline-thanks-to-intels-14nm-cpu-shortage/#respond Tue, 11 Sep 2018 12:17:00 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=386452 Industry analysts expect Intel’s 14nm CPU shortage to lead to a further price decline for DRAM and storage markets later in the year.

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Yesterday, it was revealed that Intel is reportedly suffering from inadequate supply of its 14nm chips, resulting in a partnership with TSMC in order to fulfil demand. Industry experts are expecting this to hit notebook and PC sales hard, while DRAM and storage markets are set to see a further price decline before the end of the year.

Intel is on the brink of launching its new 9th generation chips later this year, all based on the same 14nm+ process its Coffee Lake platform uses. The slowed 14nm production is set to affect the new line, with TrendForce’s analytics division, DRAMeXchange, projecting a decline of notebook shipments by up to 0.2 percent as a result.

“The lack of supply for existing CPU product lines is having a significant impact on the notebook market as a whole,” reads the press release. “TrendForce estimates that the CPU supply gap in the notebook market has increased from around 5% in August to 5-10% in September. There is a possibility that the supply gap may extend to over 10% in 4Q18, and the shortage is expected to be resolved rather later in 1H19.”

Fortunately, this is likely to impact the memory and storage markets in a positive way. While shipments for notebooks decline, oversupply of DRAM and NAND Flash memory is expected to further increase. DRAMeXchange “previously estimated that the contract prices of PC DRAM products will drop by around 2% QoQ in 4Q18,” however this could see an even stronger price decline as the quantity of stock is even greater than prior predictions.

Despite TrendForce’s observations, Intel released a statement outlining its optimistic $4.5 billion revenue outlook, increased from its predictions back in January. “We will have supply to meet our announced, full-year revenue outlook and we're working closely with our customers and factories to manage any additional upside.”

KitGuru Says: Early adopters often have a hard time hopping on the bandwagon of new CPUs when they release, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see Intel’s 9th generation stagger a bit once it lands. It will be interesting to see how potential shortage will reverberate through the different PC markets, however.  

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Oversupply will cause NAND Flash prices to drop further throughout 2018, according to analysts https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/damien-cox/oversupply-will-cause-nand-flash-prices-to-drop-further-throughout-2018-according-to-analysts/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/damien-cox/oversupply-will-cause-nand-flash-prices-to-drop-further-throughout-2018-according-to-analysts/#respond Fri, 03 Aug 2018 13:05:12 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=381878 Last week, reports cropped up claiming that a DRAM oversupply is inbound, set to reduce the cost of components throughout the next year. It looks like the same can be said for the NAND Flash market, as analysts predict a 10 percent drop quarter on quarter throughout Q3 and Q4 2018. NAND Flash prices have …

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Last week, reports cropped up claiming that a DRAM oversupply is inbound, set to reduce the cost of components throughout the next year. It looks like the same can be said for the NAND Flash market, as analysts predict a 10 percent drop quarter on quarter throughout Q3 and Q4 2018.

NAND Flash prices have been steadily declining since April, after DRAMeXchange documented a slight oversupply that affected prices going into Q2 2018. Now the TrendForce-owned firm has determined that this will continue into late 2018, going against the traditional peak pricing for seasonal months.

As supply of 3D NAND Flash has expanded, the growth of the end market has been decidedly weaker than anticipated, resulting in a much greater number of stock. The primary reason for this seems to be the stagnation of the handset market, with internal specifications often looking nearly identical to one another.

“First, the annual shipments for smartphones this year are expected to be just on par with last year's. The replacement demand for smartphones has been sluggish due to the lack of differentiation among products in terms of hardware specifications,” the analysts said. “Second, notebook shipments were very strong in [the first half of this year], so the seasonal shipment growth for notebooks in [the second half] will be lacklustre compared with the growth in the year's first half as the base period.”

The same cannot be said for the server SSD market, which has spiked in profitability over the past couple of years. Unfortunately for companies, this has resulted in an overwhelming amount of competition, causing “an oversupply of server SSDs because too many suppliers are engaging in this profitable segment,” according to DRAMeXchange. Fortunately for consumers, the subsequent drop in SSD prices should see notebook manufacturers increase the SSD adoption rate by 50 percent before the end of the year.

“Since the market outlook for the 2H18 has become more certain, DRAMeXchange now anticipates continuing price decline during the traditional slow season of 1H19,” concludes the TrendForce press release. “Meanwhile, most suppliers are working to make the transition from the 64/72-layer architecture to the 96-layer. This ongoing technology migration is expected to increase the overall output and keep the market in oversupply.”

KitGuru Says: This is a good sign for those who have been waiting to get their hands on newer, faster storage devices. Seems like forever since I’ve been able upgrade, so I might just get a faster SSD. Have you been eyeing up any new hardware as prices are declining?

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Reports claim increased competition will result in DRAM oversupply next year https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/reports-claim-increased-competition-will-result-in-dram-oversupply-next-year/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/reports-claim-increased-competition-will-result-in-dram-oversupply-next-year/#respond Fri, 27 Jul 2018 15:01:22 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=381037 Since early 2017, we've been hearing about DRAM shortages and strains when it comes to supply and demand. In fact, the situation has been so seemingly odd that China's economic regulator launched an investigation into market collusion. It looks like there might be light at the end of the tunnel though, with the latest reports …

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Since early 2017, we've been hearing about DRAM shortages and strains when it comes to supply and demand. In fact, the situation has been so seemingly odd that China's economic regulator launched an investigation into market collusion. It looks like there might be light at the end of the tunnel though, with the latest reports claiming that the market will do a 180 in 2019 with a DRAM oversupply.

According to a report from DigiTimes, Micron Technology has recently ramped up its capacity, and commercial DRAM production from two new China-based companies is expected to kick off soon. According to ‘industry sources', this may end up leading to an oversupply in the DRAM market next year.

We know that SK Hynix and Samsung have both announced plans to ramp up capacity to produce more memory chips, but with rival companies coming in to play, there could be some hesitation on that front.

Currently, the global DRAM market is expected to peak at $104 billion in 2018, before settling down by 1.8 percent and 2.6 percent in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

KitGuru Says: Micron, SK Hynix and Samsung have had the lion's share of the DRAM market over the last few years. If more companies enter the scene, then there will be more competition around to drive down prices, and more supply to go around. With all of that said, we won't know for sure how the market will be impacted until next year. 

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Samsung claims 6.4Gbps data rates with world’s first LPDDR5 DRAM chip https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/samsung-claims-6-4gbps-data-rates-with-worlds-first-lpddr5-dram-chip/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/samsung-claims-6-4gbps-data-rates-with-worlds-first-lpddr5-dram-chip/#respond Wed, 18 Jul 2018 11:08:04 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=380111 Samsung has announced the completion of its new 8-gigabit LPDDR5 DRAM chip, raising data rates up to 6.4Gbps-per-pin. While mass production is seemingly a little way off yet, the new memory is expected to help bolster artificial intelligence (AI) technology in smartphones within the next few years. Beyond its 16Gb GDDR6 DRAM that rolled out …

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Samsung has announced the completion of its new 8-gigabit LPDDR5 DRAM chip, raising data rates up to 6.4Gbps-per-pin. While mass production is seemingly a little way off yet, the new memory is expected to help bolster artificial intelligence (AI) technology in smartphones within the next few years.

Beyond its 16Gb GDDR6 DRAM that rolled out in December 2017 and 16Gb DDR5 DRAM that subsequently followed this February, the LPDDR5 DRAM continues Samsung’s new 10-nanometre-class process. Its target of up to 6.4Gbps-per-pin is already 1.5 times faster than the current LPDDR4(X) standard. Samsung even claims that its increased transfer rate can send 51.2GB of data in a second, equating to 14 full-HD videos at 3.7GB each.

While most high-end smartphones sport 64-bit memory buses, Samsung has confirmed that its LPDDR5 has a single 32-bit (x32) memory channel, with 16 banks. It also doesn’t change the 16n prefetch seen in LPDDR4, which makes its claimed statistics all the more mysterious.

“This development of 8Gb LPDDR5 represents a major step forward for low-power mobile memory solutions,” said Jinman Han, senior vice president of Memory Product Planning & Application Engineering at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to expand our next-generation 10nm-class DRAM lineup as we accelerate the move toward greater use of premium memory across the global landscape.”

Power efficiency is a core aspect of LPDDR5, saving mobile batteries with a “deep sleep mode” that allows it to reduce power consumption by up to half of LPDDR4(X) in idle mode. It also adjusts its voltage on-the-fly to correspond with application processors when in active mode.

Samsung is aiming to produce the memory chips in line with customer demand, meaning that it will likely try to implement it in the next generation of smartphones. It’s entirely possible that this might make it in time for the tentatively titled Galaxy S10, however this has been in the works for quite some time.

KitGuru Says: This is impressive stuff that will certainly help shape the future of mobile-based artificial intelligence. Just how Samsung pulls off these new feats given the supposedly unremarkable changes to its design remains to be seen, however.

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Hefty fines are afoot if Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron are found guilty of DRAM price fixing https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/hefty-fines-are-afoot-if-samsung-sk-hynix-and-micron-are-found-guilty-of-dram-price-fixing/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/hefty-fines-are-afoot-if-samsung-sk-hynix-and-micron-are-found-guilty-of-dram-price-fixing/#respond Mon, 25 Jun 2018 13:12:03 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=377739 Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron could reportedly be facing unpleasant fines up to $8 billion if found guilty for DRAM price fixing.

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While China is still investigating Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron for allegedly fixing the prices of DRAM throughout 2017, the reported penalty is not looking pretty. If found guilty, the companies could face a potential $8 billion fine for intentionally hindering Chinese vendors.

China's Anti-Monopoly Bureau of Ministry of Commerce launched the investigation at the end of last year, noting the distinct fluctuation in pricing throughout 2017 not to have matched the steady growth shown from 2012 to 2016. Samsung was the first of the three to confirm that they had been visited by the Chinese officials, shortly followed by SK Hynix and Micron in May, but prices continued to rise further despite the intervention.

Although investigations are still ongoing, Chinese antitrust laws could see the companies fined anywhere between $800 million and $8 billion, according to DigiTimes. This is a drop in the bucket in comparison to China’s imported $88.92 billion-worth of memory chips throughout 2017, much of which is allocated to Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron specifically as the three control 90 percent of the DRAM market.

This isn’t the first time that Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron have been investigated for price fixing practices, as the companies were punished along with the now-defunct Elpida Memory and restructured Infineon for the same thing between 1999 and 2002. Unfortunately for the companies, this resulted in a timelier probe into company practices once inconsistencies were highlighted.

In an effort not to see history repeat itself, China is attempting to improve its IC self-sufficiency rate moving forward, seeing a lot more support to home grown startups like Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC).

KitGuru Says: These are still alleged claims, but given that the three companies are also fighting a class action lawsuit based in the United States, it isn’t looking good. At the very least, guilty or otherwise, this will hopefully deter from malpractice moving forward.

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DRAM price increase might be restrained by China’s Ministry of Commerce https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/dram-price-increase-might-be-restrained-by-chinas-ministry-of-commerce/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/dram-price-increase-might-be-restrained-by-chinas-ministry-of-commerce/#respond Tue, 29 May 2018 13:14:47 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=374654 Investigations are currently underway to determine whether or not there has been foul play among the top three memory manufacturers, after Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron were accused of fixing the prices of DRAM and NAND memory throughout 2017. This has prompted China’s Ministry of Commerce to step in and express concerns over the ever-rising …

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Investigations are currently underway to determine whether or not there has been foul play among the top three memory manufacturers, after Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron were accused of fixing the prices of DRAM and NAND memory throughout 2017. This has prompted China’s Ministry of Commerce to step in and express concerns over the ever-rising prices of DRAM, potentially imposing a restriction.

China has a rather large stake when it comes to importing memory product, with TrendForce reporting that the nation consumes 20 percent of the world’s DRAM and 25 percent of NAND. As China’s R&D plays catch up for the country to build its own domestic production, an increased focus has naturally been placed on the regulation of DRAM to enable fair competition in the market.

While there has been no evidence made public from last year's investigation conducted by China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) regarding memory price fixing, the whopping first quarter market share increase has put memory manufacturers in the country’s crosshairs, as the Anti-Monopoly Bureau of Ministry of Commerce held a meeting with Micron last week.

Image credit: Micron

China is keen to find answers in order to alleviate component cost pressure from Chinese PC OEMs, as well as getting to the bottom of the staggering 44.9%, 27.9%, and 22.6% increased shares across Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron respectively. A 96 percent increase suggests that the three hold an oligopoly in the DRAM market, which has led to some discussion of restraining price increases.

All three companies are currently the target of a class action lawsuit in the United States, highlighting the sudden 47 percent spike in DRAM pricing in 2017 after a steadily sustained growth in the market between 2012 to 2016. Samsung and SK Hynix have tried to bolster their efforts with supply in order to meet demand with a combined £30 billion investment. Such a boost to the supply chain would eventually lead to prices coming back down, but it will be a while before we see the results.

KitGuru Says: DRAM and NAND pricing should hopefully begin to settle once again as we get closer to 2019. In the meantime though, it will be interesting to see what investigations can dig up. 

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Samsung and SK Hynix reportedly investing billions to boost memory supply https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/samsung-and-sk-hynix-reportedly-investing-billions-to-boost-memory-supply/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/samsung-and-sk-hynix-reportedly-investing-billions-to-boost-memory-supply/#respond Mon, 21 May 2018 12:54:51 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=373869 For the last year and a half, there have been consistent reports of a worldwide memory shortage. There has been debate over whether or not companies like Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron are unable to keep up with demand, or just unwilling, but theories aside, it looks like there is light at the end of …

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For the last year and a half, there have been consistent reports of a worldwide memory shortage. There has been debate over whether or not companies like Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron are unable to keep up with demand, or just unwilling, but theories aside, it looks like there is light at the end of the tunnel. This week, it is being reported that SK Hynix and Samsung are investing up to £30 billion to boost their manufacturing lines.

According to a report from The Korea Times, this combined investment from Samsung and SK Hynix will see semiconductor plants expanded over the next year. This means both companies will be able to make larger quantities of DRAM and other chips, which will hopefully lead to a bigger boost in supplies later this year, and deflate prices, which have boomed over the last year.

Image credit: SK Hynix

In the short term, supplies will likely remain tight, but by the second half of 2018, we could start to see an improvement. Prices likely would have fallen a bit quicker this year, but smartphone makers are bumping up the amount of DRAM in mobile devices across the board, increasing demand further.

Combined, SK Hynix and Samsung control over two thirds of the DRAM market, which includes both DRAM and NAND Flash memory. Hopefully over the next six months, we will start to see an improvement in the market in terms of consumer pricing.

KitGuru Says: There is demand for DRAM and NAND Flash chips in just about every major segment of the tech world. Hopefully this investment in bolstering supply will lead to decent results later this year.

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China’s economic regulator is investigating DRAM and NAND price fixing https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/chinas-economic-regulator-is-investigating-dram-and-nand-price-fixing/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/chinas-economic-regulator-is-investigating-dram-and-nand-price-fixing/#comments Fri, 29 Dec 2017 13:07:40 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=359150 Over the last year, we've been encountering increased reports of DRAM and NAND flash price increases. Each time, this has been chocked up to high demand and factories not being able to supply enough. However, it looks like China's economic regulator may think there's more to it, as a price fixing investigation has been launched. …

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Over the last year, we've been encountering increased reports of DRAM and NAND flash price increases. Each time, this has been chocked up to high demand and factories not being able to supply enough. However, it looks like China's economic regulator may think there's more to it, as a price fixing investigation has been launched.

Speaking with the China Daily newspaper (via Reuters) this week, senior official Xu Xinyu said that authorities have “noticed the price surge and will pay more attention to future problems that may be caused by ‘price fixing' in the sector”. China's National Development and Reform Commission's (NDRC) Pricing Supervision Department is concerned that a number of DRAM and NAND manufacturers have coordinated to increase prices and push profits as high as possible.

This price fix would be achieved by tightening supply and watching demand grow. This would result in more money for companies like Samsung, SK Hynix and a few others. Chinese regulators have already approached Samsung on the matter, though no public comments have been made just yet.

If the NDRC finds evidence of price fixing, then government penalties could be passed down to the companies involved.

KitGuru Says: The current supply shortage is expected to come to a halt in the first half of 2018. However, it'll be interesting to see what the NDRC discovers following its investigation. We'll keep an eye out for future updates.

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DRAM prices are expected to rise by 10-20 percent in the fourth quarter https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/dram-prices-are-expected-to-rise-by-10-20-percent-in-the-fourth-quarter/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/damien-cox/dram-prices-are-expected-to-rise-by-10-20-percent-in-the-fourth-quarter/#comments Wed, 15 Nov 2017 20:58:15 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=354529   The price of DRAM has been rising since early this year due to supply falling short of demand, and while we have been prepared for this continue on until 2018, we now have a better look into just how much. Unfortunately for PC buyers, this could range as high as 20 percent as we …

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The price of DRAM has been rising since early this year due to supply falling short of demand, and while we have been prepared for this continue on until 2018, we now have a better look into just how much. Unfortunately for PC buyers, this could range as high as 20 percent as we progress in this year’s fourth quarter.

The research comes from DRAMeXchange, in which research director Avril Wu predicts that the price increase will average around 10 percent that of the third quarter, which was similarly up by 5 percent itself. This could continue to rise “depending on the capacity specifications” up to 20 percent total.

Despite these constant price increases and shortages of supply, producers such as Samsung and SK Hynix have been able to continuously sell their entire stock, resulting in a total revenue of DRAM skyrocketing by 16.2 percent as it hit the third quarter.

Samsung is currently leading the pack with 45.8 percent market share, which is actually down by 0.4 percent from the second quarter. SK Hynix comes in second, having increased its market share by 1.4 percent, totalling 28.7 for the time being, while the Micron Group, better known for its Crucial brand, is expected to increase its share from its current 21 percent as it moves forward.

The demand for DRAM is higher than ever based on more devices requiring its use, primarily flagship smartphones that are cramming more in year-by-year. While we know the primary cause is silicon shortage ensuring demand has consistently outweighed supply, Wu also attributed blame to the holiday season, adding that this year has already been one of the biggest in terms of DRAM growth.

“Contracts with first-tier DRAM suppliers show that the prices of PC DRAM modules have now risen above US$30 and maintained around US$30.5 on average, amounting to a seven per cent hike from the third quarter,” notes Wu.

“This price increase is mainly attributed to the influence of the booming mobile DRAM market, which is in turn fueled by the limited product supply and the releases of flagship smartphones during the traditional busy season of this year's second half.”

KitGuru Says: This is another reason that we are seeing an all-time-high pricing of flagship smartphones too. It’s difficult to tell if this trend will ever buck as devices are cramming in more and more hardware, alongside the expected price hikes from the silicon shortage being passed onto consumers. Have you been affected by this exuberant pricing?   

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Tech is reportedly going to get much more expensive as silicon costs rise https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/tech-is-reportedly-going-to-get-much-more-expensive-as-silicon-costs-rise/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/tech-is-reportedly-going-to-get-much-more-expensive-as-silicon-costs-rise/#comments Tue, 14 Nov 2017 18:22:58 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=354394 Over the last year, we have seen plenty of price hikes in the tech world. A DRAM and NAND shortage has caused SSD and RAM prices to jump, but it looks like silicon prices are also set to rise over the next few years, which will have further reaching effects on chips across the board. …

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Over the last year, we have seen plenty of price hikes in the tech world. A DRAM and NAND shortage has caused SSD and RAM prices to jump, but it looks like silicon prices are also set to rise over the next few years, which will have further reaching effects on chips across the board.

According to a report from Korean-based news outlet, ETNews, SUMCO, a Japanese silicon wafer manufacturer responsible for over 60 percent of the world's supply, is planning on increasing prices by 20 percent in 2018. Then, another price increase is supposed to take place in 2019.

A quote from SUMCO CEO, Hashimoto Mayuki can be found in the report, in which he confirms the plans to raise prices. Silicon wafers are used widely in the tech world as the basis for DRAM, NAND flash, CPUs and GPUs. With demand increasing, prices are also going to increase.

SUMCO estimates that global wafer demands will rise to 6.6 million units a month by 2020. Given that the manufacturers can only deliver so much, demand will continue to outstrip supply, leading to price hikes.

KitGuru Says: This isn't great news for consumers, though we won't see the long-term effects this will have on pricing until 2018 and beyond. Silicon wafer pricing already rose by 20 percent in 2016, but if manufacturers jack up the prices even more, then being a tech enthusiast is going to get very difficult for most. 

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Apple quietly bumps up iPad Pro pricing following iPhone 8 and iPhone X event https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-quietly-bumps-up-ipad-pro-pricing-following-iphone-8-and-iphone-x-event/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-quietly-bumps-up-ipad-pro-pricing-following-iphone-8-and-iphone-x-event/#respond Wed, 13 Sep 2017 09:26:08 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=346592 In the midst of all the announcements yesterday, Apple did quietly make one change to its iPad lineup. We've known since the start of this year that 2017 was going to be tough for NAND flash and DRAM shortages and now, that seems to have caught up with Apple as a couple of iPad Pro …

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In the midst of all the announcements yesterday, Apple did quietly make one change to its iPad lineup. We've known since the start of this year that 2017 was going to be tough for NAND flash and DRAM shortages and now, that seems to have caught up with Apple as a couple of iPad Pro models have had their prices go up.

As of yesterday, the 256GB and 512GB 10.5-inch iPad Pro models and all of the 12.9-inch versions have had a price bump of $50. Sources speaking with 9to5Mac confirmed that the increase was due to NAND prices rising due to the current shortage.

This is somewhat ironic as Apple is usually a major cause of NAND supply shortages each year, as the company buys up a significant chunk of the world's supply in the build up to each iPhone launch. This is especially true this year, as Apple is launching a third iPhone- the iPhone X, alongside the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

When these shortages work themselves out towards early next year, hopefully we will see prices start to settle down too.

KitGuru Says: This was bound to happen eventually, after all, DRAM and NAND shortages have been big news in the tech industry pretty much all year long. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to live with these price increases for a bit longer.

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Micron DRAM facility temporarily closed due to contamination, DRAM supply will be strained https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/micron-dram-facility-temporarily-closed-due-to-contamination-dram-supply-will-be-strained/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/micron-dram-facility-temporarily-closed-due-to-contamination-dram-supply-will-be-strained/#comments Wed, 05 Jul 2017 17:03:04 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=339672 Just two weeks ago, we heard that companies were bracing themselves for DRAM and NAND shortages to last throughout the rest of 2017. As a result of these shortages, prices are increasing and it looks like this month in particular things may get a little worse as Micron has had to shut down one of …

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Just two weeks ago, we heard that companies were bracing themselves for DRAM and NAND shortages to last throughout the rest of 2017. As a result of these shortages, prices are increasing and it looks like this month in particular things may get a little worse as Micron has had to shut down one of its two DRAM fabrication plants. This particular plant accounted for 5.5 percent of the world's DRAM supply, so it's closure is going to put an even bigger strain on supply and demand.

The production lines at Micron's Fab-2 were closed at the start of July due to a malfunctioning nitrogen gas dispensing system. Due to this malfunction, wafers and equipment were both contaminated.

Chip shortages were first warned of during late 2016/early 2017, though initially this was expected to subside before the second half of this year. However, as reported in June, this is no longer going to be the case, with demand set to outstrip supply until at least early 2018.

In the meantime, sources indicate that Micron plans to have its Fab-2 facility back up and running as soon as possible, though it will be a “time-consuming challenge” to get back up to full production capacity.

KitGuru Says: It looks like we can expect a short term price bump in RAM while Micron sorts out its fabrication plant. The ebb and flow of supply and demand is certainly hitting us hard this year. 

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DRAM and NAND supply shortage expected to last until 2018 https://www.kitguru.net/components/matthew-wilson/dram-and-nand-supply-shortage-expected-to-last-until-2018/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/matthew-wilson/dram-and-nand-supply-shortage-expected-to-last-until-2018/#comments Thu, 22 Jun 2017 17:12:51 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=338768 Over the course of this year, we have been consistently hearing reports surrounding DRAM and NAND shortages, causing a strain on supply and ultimately, pricing. When these shortages first crept up in late 2016, it was thought that everything would go back to normal in the second half of this year. Unfortunately, that no longer …

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Over the course of this year, we have been consistently hearing reports surrounding DRAM and NAND shortages, causing a strain on supply and ultimately, pricing. When these shortages first crept up in late 2016, it was thought that everything would go back to normal in the second half of this year. Unfortunately, that no longer seems to be the case, with DRAM and NAND shortages now expected to see us through to 2018.

According to an analyst report over on Reuters, the growing demand for NAND and memory across the mobile and PC market is forcing some vendors to pay a significant premium in an effort to secure longer-term contracts for supply. One particular chip supplier admitted that recently, more than a few clients have moved to six-month supply agreements, taking the hit due to the financial premium in an effort to get enough chips for products. Typically, these companies would get by on quarterly or monthly deals.

Right now, it is believed that Apple buys around 18 percent of the world's annual supply of NAND chips in the build-up to the next iPhone launch. Typically, companies would tackle this by building up extra inventory during the first half of the year. However, this chip shortage has been going on since late 2016, nobody has been able to build up much inventory at all. With the next iPhone set to hit in September, the squeeze on NAND supply could hit even harder.

Samsung unfortunately did not offer a comment on the report but we know that earlier this year, the company had to delay its 4TB SSD launch due to supply shortages. SK Hynix did offer a statement, telling Reuters that while the company has been meeting delivery dates so far, supply conditions are tight and inventory levels are at an all-time low. Things may pick up again in 2018 though, with Samsung and SK Hynix expected to begin production at additional factories.

KitGuru Says: The rise of high-end smartphones means DRAM and NAND supplies are tighter than ever. Some Android devices now even go as far as to offer six to eight gigabytes of RAM. Storage demands in smartphones have also risen, with many only offering 32GB models and up. Hopefully things can get back on track next year. Have any of you guys noticed a shift in SSD or RAM pricing this year? 

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DRAM prices to keep rising until the 2nd half of 2017 https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/dram-prices-to-keep-rising-until-the-2nd-half-of-2017/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/dram-prices-to-keep-rising-until-the-2nd-half-of-2017/#respond Mon, 30 Jan 2017 21:09:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=320199 With Ryzen coming up very soon, Kaby Lake already on the market and Skylake-X coming over the summer, there will be a lot of people upgrading their PCs over the course of 2017. However, it is looking like you may want to budget a little extra for RAM as a market report released recently is …

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With Ryzen coming up very soon, Kaby Lake already on the market and Skylake-X coming over the summer, there will be a lot of people upgrading their PCs over the course of 2017. However, it is looking like you may want to budget a little extra for RAM as a market report released recently is showing that DRAM prices are set to keep rising throughout the first half of this year and may not stabilise until the third quarter.

This is coming from Nanya Technology president, Pei-Ing Lee who spoke with DigiTimes. It seems that supply of DRAM chips is starting to fall short of demand, which will continue throughout this quarter, which will cause a rise in the average selling price. This problem is apparently expected to continue through the second quarter of 2017 as well.


After Q2, the report claims that we should start to see pricing stabilise once again as supply catches up to ongoing demand. Unfortunately, right now we don't know how much of a rise we should expect for RAM kits, or how long it will take for things to drop back down to normal, but we should find out over the next few months.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The pricing of RAM has had its peaks and troughs over the last few years, unfortunately it sounds like 2017 might be a peak year, so those planning PC upgrades may want to factor that in over the next few months.  

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Samsung begins mass production of 10nm-class DRAM https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/samsung-begins-mass-production-of-10nm-class-dram/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/samsung-begins-mass-production-of-10nm-class-dram/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2016 22:15:49 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=288794 Samsung has become the first company to begin mass producing 10nm-class DRAM, using a new process known as argon fluoride immersion lithography, which takes over from the previous extreme ultraviolet process. Samsung will be releasing 8GB DDR4 RAM using these new chips, which offer improved data rates and power efficiency over the previously used 20nm-class …

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Samsung has become the first company to begin mass producing 10nm-class DRAM, using a new process known as argon fluoride immersion lithography, which takes over from the previous extreme ultraviolet process. Samsung will be releasing 8GB DDR4 RAM using these new chips, which offer improved data rates and power efficiency over the previously used 20nm-class chips.

According to Samsung, these new 10nm-class DRAM chips can support data rates up to 3200 Mbps, which is up from the 2400 Mbps rate supported on 20nm, all while using between 10 and 20 percent less power.

D-RAM-Group_002_Front_Green_706

Image Source: Samsung Newsroom

“Samsung’s 10nm-class DRAM will enable the highest level of investment efficiency in IT systems, thereby becoming a new growth engine for the global memory industry. In the near future, we will also launch next-generation 10nm-class mobile DRAM products with high densities to help mobile manufacturers develop even more innovative products that add to the convenience of mobile device users.”

As we go on throughout the year, Samsung will be introducing smaller 4GB modules for laptops and larger 128GB ones for servers. Samsung is also set to begin producing HBM2 this year, which we previously reported on.

KitGuru Says: Samsung has beat other memory makers to this punch thanks to its new process. It will be interesting to see just how well these new RAM modules perform compared to what is currently available. 

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AMD begins to sell DDR4 memory modules for Intel and next-gen platforms https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/amd-quietly-begins-to-sell-ddr4-memory-modules-for-intel-and-next-gen-platforms/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/anton-shilov/amd-quietly-begins-to-sell-ddr4-memory-modules-for-intel-and-next-gen-platforms/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2015 22:13:46 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=270693 Advanced Micro Devices has started to sell Radeon DDR4 memory modules. The new DIMMs are not compatible with AMD’s existing platforms, but can work with Intel Corp.’s central processing units as well as AMD’s upcoming chips due in 2016. AMD Radeon R7 DDR4 memory modules are available in dual-channel 8GB memory kits rated to run …

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Advanced Micro Devices has started to sell Radeon DDR4 memory modules. The new DIMMs are not compatible with AMD’s existing platforms, but can work with Intel Corp.’s central processing units as well as AMD’s upcoming chips due in 2016.

AMD Radeon R7 DDR4 memory modules are available in dual-channel 8GB memory kits rated to run at 2133MHz or 2400MHz with CL15 timings. It is unclear whether the modules feature Intel’s XMP [extreme memory profiles] technology, but they definitely support AMD’s own memory profiles, reports PC Games Hardware.

amd_performance_series_duo_AMP_430

At present only Intel’s “Skylake” and “Haswell-E” desktop processors support DDR4 memory. In the future AMD intends to release code-named “Bristol Ridge” and “Summit Ridge” processors with “Excavator” and “Zen” cores, which will use DDR4. The new chips will feature the new AM4 form-factor. Current-generation AMD microprocessors are compatible with DDR3 memory.

AMD’s Radeon R7 DDR4 memory modules are not performance champions, but fans of AMD’s Radeon graphics cards and modders make purchase decisions based on design and visual aesthetics, not on performance.

EDIT on above: 6th October 8.39am by Allan ‘Zardon' Campbell – Editor in Chief. This is not ‘KitGuru's opinion' and I am issuing an clarification/apology in regards to this statement. It is incorrect, inflammatory and should never have been published by Anton last night. You can read my update HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is interesting that while the Radeon R7 DDR4 memory modules are available in select stores in Germany, they are not listed on AMD’s official web-site.

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