DDR5/4/3/2: How Memory Density and Speed Increased with each Generation of DDR

By _Synopsys: VIP Experts Blog

February 28, 2019

The key features driving future memories are memory density, speed, lower operating voltage, and faster access. DDR5 supports memory density from 8Gb to 64Gb combined with a wide range of data rate from 3200 MT/s to 6400 MT/s. The operating voltage of DDR5 is further reduced from 1.2V of DDR4 to 1.1V.

The speed that DDR5 now offers is 16x faster than the first ever SDRAM. This is achieved through a significant jump in speed and density, increased in each generation of DDR. In this blog, we will discuss the evolution of different DRAM memories, from SDRAM to the latest DDR5. To know more about the latest memory specifications, read our recent blog – Industry’s First LPDDR5 IP & VIP Solution Extending Leadership in DDR5/LPDDR5.

DRAM produced from the early 1970s to mid-1990s used an asynchronous interface in which input control signals have a direct effect on internal functions. SDRAM, introduced in 1993, provided a synchronous interface, whereby changes on control inputs are recognized after a rising edge of its clock input. It supported a memory density of 512Mb. Following SDRAM, a series of DDR arrived in the market, each one having some new features and increase in memory density. Now, the next generation DDR5 is here to ensure higher memory density and many new features at lower power consumption and higher speed.

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