Samsung Electronics has expanded its DDR5 DRAM memory portfolio with a 512GB DDR5 module based on high-K metal gate (HKMG) process technology. Delivering more than twice the performance of DDR4 at up to 7,200Mbps, the new DDR5 will be capable of orchestrating the most extreme compute-hungry, high-bandwidth workloads in supercomputing, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), as well as data analytics applications. Samsung indicated the new DDR5 utilizes highly advanced HKMG technology that has been traditionally used in logic semiconductors. With continued scaling down of DRAM structures, the insulation layer has thinned, leading to a higher leakage current. By replacing the insulator with HKMG material, Samsung's DDR5 will be able to reduce the leakage and reach new heights in performance. This new memory will also use approximately 13% less power, making it especially suitable for datacenters where energy efficiency is becoming increasingly critical. Leveraging through-silicon via (TSV) technology, Samsung's DDR5 stacks eight layers of 16Gb DRAM chips to offer the largest capacity of 512GB. TSV was first utilized in DRAM in 2014 when Samsung introduced server modules with capacities up to 256GB.

Samsung Electronics has begun mass producing the industry's first 4-bit (QLC, quad-level cell) 4-terabyte (TB) SATA solid-state drive (SSD) for consumers. Based on 1-terabit (Tb) V-NAND with performance equivalent to the company's 3-bit design, Samsung's QLC SSD is expected to bring a new level of efficiency to consumer SSDs, Samsung said. With its new 1Tb 4-bit V-NAND chip, Samsung will be able to efficiently produce a 128GB memory card for smartphones that will lead the charge toward higher capacities for high-performance memory storage. Typically, as data stored within a memory cell increases from three bits to four, the chip capacity per unit area would rise and the electrical charge (used to determine information from a sensor) would decrease by as much as 50% making it considerably more difficult to maintain a device's desired performance and speed. However, Samsung said its 4-bit 4TB QLC SATA SSD maintains its performance levels at the same level as a 3-bit SSD, by using a 3-bit SSD controller and TurboWrite technology, while increasing drive capacity through the use of 32 chips, all based on 64-layer fourth-generation 1Tb V-NAND. The 4-bit QLC SSD enables a sequential read speed of 540 MB/s and a sequential write speed of 520 MB/s, and comes with a three-year warranty. Samsung plans to introduce several 4-bit consumer SSDs later in 2018 with 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities in the widely used 2.5-inch form factor.

Samsung Electronics has started mass producing 32GB DDR4 memory for gaming laptops in the widely used format of small outline dual in-line memory modules (SoDIMMs). The new SoDIMMs are based on 10nm-class process technology that will allow users to enjoy enriched PC-grade computer games on the go. Using the new memory solution, PC manufacturers can build faster top-of-the-line gaming-oriented laptops with longer battery life at capacities exceeding conventional mobile workstations, while maintaining existing PC configurations, according to Samsung. Compared to Samsung's 16GB SoDIMM based on 20nm-class 8Gb DDR4, which was introduced in 2014, the new 32GB module doubles the capacity while being 11% faster and approximately 39% more energy efficient, said the vendor. With a total of 16 of Samsung's newest 16Gb DDR4 DRAM chips (eight chips each mounted on the front and back), the 32GB SoDIMM allows gaming laptops to reach speeds up to 2,666Mbps. A 64GB laptop configured with two 32GB DDR4 modules consumes less than 4.6W in active mode and less than 1.4W when idle, said Samsung. This reduces power usage by approximately 39% and over 25%, respectively, compared to today's leading gaming-oriented laptops, which are equipped with 16GB modules.