Kingston FURY, the high-performance division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, announced today the updated new look of Kingston FURY Renegade DDR4 memory.

Kingston FURY Renegade DDR4 delivers amazing speeds up to 5333 MT/s, making it the ultimate choice for power users. The bold two-tone black heat spreaders are on double duty as they not only enhance the look of your build but also manages heat while you're deep at work or play to ensure optimal performance. For those seeking an extra dose of excitement, Kingston FURY Renegade DDR4 RGB boasts a stylish two-tone black heat spreader illuminated by 10 LEDs to create dynamic RGB lighting effects kept in lock-step by Kingston FURY's patented Infrared Sync Technology. Beyond its appearance it doesn't compromise on functionality, offering speeds up to 4600MT/s allowing users to boost frame rates, improve workflow, and edit game play in a flash.

TSMC today announced the new 3Dblox 2.0 open standard and major achievements of its Open Innovation Platform (OIP) 3DFabric Alliance at the TSMC 2023 OIP Ecosystem Forum. The 3Dblox 2.0 features early 3D IC design capability that aims to significantly boost design efficiency, while the 3DFabric Alliance continues to drive memory, substrate, testing, manufacturing, and packaging integration. TSMC continues to push the envelope of 3D IC innovation, making its comprehensive 3D silicon stacking and advanced packaging technologies more accessible to every customer.

"As the industry shifted toward embracing 3D IC and system-level innovation, the need for industry-wide collaboration has become even more essential than it was when we launched OIP 15 years ago," said Dr. L.C. Lu, TSMC fellow and vice president of Design and Technology Platform. "As our sustained collaboration with OIP ecosystem partners continues to flourish, we're enabling customers to harness TSMC's leading process and 3DFabric technologies to reach an entirely new level of performance and power efficiency for the next-generation artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and mobile applications."

CORSAIR, a world leader in enthusiast components for gamers, creators, and PC builders, today launched the much anticipated latest addition to its award-winning memory line-up, DOMINATOR TITANIUM DDR5 memory. Built using some of the fastest DDR5 ICs alongside patented CORSAIR DHX cooling technology for improved overclocking potential, DOMINATOR TITANIUM continues the DOMINATOR legacy with a stunning design and blazing performance.

Sporting an elegant, fresh new aesthetic and built using premium materials and components, DOMINATOR TITANIUM DDR5 memory will be available for both Intel and AMD platforms, supporting Intel XMP 3.0 when paired with 12th and 13th-Gen Core processors or AMD EXPO for Ryzen 7000 CPUs. These technologies enable easy overclocking in just a couple of clicks on compatible platforms.

This past weekend, Micron broke ground on what will be a new semiconductor assembly plant in Gujarat, India. The new facility is said to cover almost 0.4 square kilometres of land or 93 acres, on which phase one will include a 46.5 thousand square metre clean room. The first phase of the project is said to be built by Tata Projects and it's expected to start operating as early as the end of 2024, which seems somewhat optimistic considering how long it can take to build clean rooms of this size in other countries that have much more experience in building such facilities.

Micron is said to be investing a total of US$2.7 billion at the facility, although phase one has a budget of US$825 million as a first step. The full project is said to take five years to complete and is expected to bring some 5,000 direct jobs at the Micron plant. The plant will be a first-of-its-kind in India and Micron will be using it to assemble DRAM and NAND flash. Some of the investment is coming from the Indian government, but the reports don't mention how big of a share the government has contributed.

When Crucial cancelled its Ballistix gaming brand, it was unclear if the company would launch higher-end products in the future, although the company never said it wouldn't. Back in May of this year, Crucial launched its Pro series of memory, which was not exactly pro, at least not for the readership here which is used to an entirely different level of RAM. This was largely due to Crucial sticking to JEDEC spec, even though the company did launch some DDR5 5600 MHz modules.

Now—some six months later—it appears that Crucial is getting ready to deliver some higher performance modules with its new DDR5 6000 MHz modules, although at launch, they will only be available in a kit of two 24 GB modules. Although Crucial claims JEDEC spec, the 48-48-48 timings appear to either be slightly tighter than the original JEDEC spec, or JEDEC has updated the specs since they were announced. Although nothing about these modules screams high-end or pro, there's one thing that makes these stand out against the competition, they operate at 6000 MHz using only 1.1 Volt, whereas most 6000 MHz DIMMs on the market today, operate at 1.35 Volt higher. In addition to that, as these are JEDEC spec DIMMs, there's no need to enable XMP/EXPO settings to make them work at 6000 MHz, which could be a benefit to some. There might be some potential for tweaking these modules as well, something we'll have to wait for reviews to find out about. Crucial is asking for US$166.99 for the 48 GB kit, which puts them at a price disadvantage compared to its competitors, as you can get a similar kit for as little as $115 or possibly even less.

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer hardware brand, featured its AORUS 17X laptop in two influential AI-content-focused Youtubers by Hugh Hou and MDMZ. Both Youtubers took the new AORUS 17X laptop to the AI image and AI video generation test and found the great potential of how the laptops benefit their workflow. The AORUS 17X laptop is powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs to unlock new horizons for creativity and become the go-to choice for art and tech enthusiasts.

Hugh Hou: Unleashing the Power of AI Arts with the AORUS 17X Laptop
Hugh Hou's journey into AI arts, powered by Stable Diffusion XL, garnered viral success. The AORUS 17X laptop emerged as a game-changer with up to 16G of VRAM, enabling local AI photo and video generation without bearing hefty cloud-rendering costs. It empowers creators and outperforms competitors in AI-assisted tasks and enhances AI artistry.

During a recent demonstration, Intel showcased its cutting-edge packaging technologies, EMIB (embedded multi-die interconnect bridge) and Foveros, unveiling the highly-anticipated Meteor Lake processor with integrated LPDDR5X memory. This move appears to align with Apple's successful integration of LPDDR memory into its M1 and M2 chip packages. At the heart of Intel's presentation was the quad-tile Meteor Lake CPU, leveraging Foveros packaging for its chiplets and boasting 16 GB of Samsung's LPDDR5X-7500 memory. Although the specific CPU configuration remains undisclosed, the 16 GB of integrated memory delivers a remarkable peak bandwidth of 120 GB/s, outperforming traditional memory subsystems using DDR5-5200 or LPDDR5-6400.

Nevertheless, this approach comes with trade-offs, such as the potential for system-wide failure if a memory chip malfunctions, limited upgradeability in soldered-down configurations, and the need for more advanced cooling solutions to manage CPU and memory heat. While Apple pioneered on-package LPDDR memory integration in client CPUs, Intel has a history of using package-on-package DRAM with its Atom-branded CPUs for tablets and ultrathin laptops. While this approach simplifies manufacturing, enabling slimmer notebook designs, it curtails configuration flexibility. We are yet to see if big laptop makers such as Dell, HP, and Asus, take on this design in the coming months.

collaboration with diverse industries and support various applications
Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced that it has developed the industry's first and highest-capacity 32-gigabit (Gb) DDR5 DRAM using 12 nanometer (nm)-class process technology. This achievement comes after Samsung began mass production of its 12 nm-class 16Gb DDR5 DRAM in May 2023. It solidifies Samsung's leadership in next-generation DRAM technology and signals the next chapter of high-capacity memory.

"With our 12 nm-class 32Gb DRAM, we have secured a solution that will enable DRAM modules of up to 1-terabyte (TB), allowing us to be ideally positioned to serve the growing need for high-capacity DRAM in the era of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and big data," said SangJoon Hwang, Executive Vice President of DRAM Product & Technology at Samsung Electronics. "We will continue to develop DRAM solutions through differentiated process and design technologies to break the boundaries of memory technology."

TrendForce expects that memory suppliers will continue their strategy of scaling back production of both DRAM and NAND Flash in 2024, with the cutback being particularly pronounced in the financially struggling NAND Flash sector. Market demand visibility for consumer electronic is projected to remain uncertain in 1H24. Additionally, capital expenditure for general-purpose servers is expected to be weakened due to competition from AI servers. Considering the low baseline set in 2023 and the current low pricing for some memory products, TrendForce anticipates YoY bit demand growth rates for DRAM and NAND Flash to be 13% and 16%, respectively. Nonetheless, achieving effective inventory reduction and restoring supply-demand balance next year will largely hinge on suppliers' ability to exercise restraint in their production capacities. If managed effectively, this could open up an opportunity for a rebound in average memory prices.

PC: The annual growth rate for average DRAM capacity is projected at approximately 12.4%, driven mainly by Intel's new Meteor Lake CPUs coming into mass production in 2024. This platform's DDR5 and LPDDR5 exclusivity will likely make DDR5 the new mainstream, surpassing DDR4 in the latter half of 2024. The growth rate in PC client SSDs will not be as robust as that of PC DRAM, with just an estimated growth of 8-10%. As consumer behavior increasingly shifts toward cloud-based solutions, the demand for laptops with large storage capacities is decreasing. Even though 1 TB models are becoming more available, 512 GB remains the predominant storage option. Furthermore, memory suppliers are maintaining price stability by significantly reducing production. Should prices hit rock bottom and subsequently rebound, PC OEMs are expected to face elevated SSD costs. This, when combined with Windows increasing its licensing fees for storage capacities at and above 1 TB, is likely to put a damper on further growth in average storage capacities.

TrendForce reports that rising demand for AI servers has driven growth in HBM shipments. Combined with the wave of inventory buildup for DDR5 on the client side, the second quarter saw all three major DRAM suppliers experience shipment growth. Q2 revenue for the DRAM industry reached approximately US$11.43 billion, marking a 20.4% QoQ increase and halting a decline that persisted for three consecutive quarters. Among suppliers, SK hynix saw a significant quarterly growth of over 35% in shipments. The company's shipments of DDR5 and HBM, both of which have higher ASP, increased significantly. As a result, SK hynix's ASP grew counter-cyclically by 7-9%, driving its Q2 revenue to increase by nearly 50%. With revenue reaching US$3.44 billion, SK hynix claimed the second spot in the industry, leading growth in the sector.

Samsung, with its DDR5 process still at 1Ynm and limited shipments in the second quarter, experienced a drop in its ASP by around 7-9%. However, benefitting from inventory buildup by module houses and increased demand for AI server setups, Samsung saw a slight increase in shipments. This led to an 8.6% QoQ increase in Q2 revenue, reaching US$4.53 billion, securing them the top position. Micron, ranking third, was a bit late in HBM development. However, DDR5 shipments held a significant proportion, keeping their ASP relatively stable. Boosted by shipments, its revenue was around US$2.95 billion, a quarterly increase of 15.7%. Both companies saw a reduction in their market share.

SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) announced today that it has begun supplying the industry's first 24-gigabyte (GB) Low Power Double Data Rate 5X (LPDDR5X) mobile DRAM package to its customers, following the mass production of LPDDR5X in November 2022. SK hynix, in January, developed LPDDR5T, which is an upgraded product of LPDDR5X prior to the development of the 8th generation LPDDR6, and is currently processing customer validation.

"The company integrated the High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) process in the 24 GB LPDDR5X package, enabling the product to deliver outstanding power efficiency and performance," said SK hynix. "The addition of the 24 GB package to our mobile DRAM product portfolio has given us a more flexibility in accommodating customers' needs."

TrendForce highlights in its latest report that memory suppliers are boosting their production capacity in response to escalating orders from NVIDIA and CSPs for their in-house designed chips. These efforts include the expansion of TSV production lines to increase HBM output. Forecasts based on current production plans from suppliers indicate a remarkable 105% annual increase in HBM bit supply by 2024. However, due to the time required for TSV expansion, which encompasses equipment delivery and testing (9 to 12 months), the majority of HBM capacity is expected to materialize by 2Q24.

TrendForce analysis indicates that 2023 to 2024 will be pivotal years for AI development, triggering substantial demand for AI Training chips and thereby boosting HBM utilization. However, as the focus pivots to Inference, the annual growth rate for AI Training chips and HBM is expected to taper off slightly. The imminent boom in HBM production has presented suppliers with a difficult situation: they will need to strike a balance between meeting customer demand to expand market share and avoiding a surplus due to overproduction. Another concern is the potential risk of overbooking, as buyers, anticipating an HBM shortage, might inflate their demand.

During yesterday's HBM3 Gen2 memory products yesterday, Micron also shared an updated roadmap with select media and partners. The most interesting details on that roadmap were updates to DRAM and GDDR memory products, with increases in capacity coming for both types of memory. Micron is aiming to launch 32 Gbit or 4 GB DDR5 memory ICs somewhere in the beginning of 2024, which means we can look forward to 32 GB single sided DIMMs with a single DRAM die per memory IC. This should, in theory at least, enable cheaper 32 GB DIMMs, but as always, it's unlikely that the cost saving will be passed on to the end customer. As far as server customers goes, Micron is planning 128 GB DIMMs for 2024, followed by 192 GB DIMMs in 2025 and 256 GB DIMMs in 2026.

When it comes to GDDR, Micron will be launching JEDEC standard GDDR7 memory with 16 and 24 Gbit dies, or 2 and 3 GB capacity, the latter could be the highest capacity GDDR7 memory IC on the market and could see some interesting graphics card configurations. Micron is promising speeds of up to 32 Gbps per pin or 128 GB/s per chip, which is a big jump up from its current best GDDR6X memory which tops out at 24 Gbps per pin or 96 GB/s per chip. GDDR7 differs from Micron's proprietary GDDR6X by using PAM-3 rather than PAM-4 signalling, although this is simply something that the likes of AMD and NVIDIA would have to design their GPUs around. Micron doesn't appear to have any plans for GDDR7X at this point in time. The company is also working on several new iterations of HBM memory over the coming years, with the company expecting to hit 2 TB/s sometime in 2026 or later.

Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023. The Company posted KRW 60.01 trillion in consolidated revenue, a 6% decline from the previous quarter, mainly due to a decline in smartphone shipments despite a slight recovery in revenue of the DS (Device Solutions) Division. Operating profit rose sequentially to KRW 0.67 trillion as the DS Division posted a narrower loss, while Samsung Display Corporation (SDC) and the Digital Appliances Business saw improved profitability.

The Memory Business saw results improve from the previous quarter as its focus on High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and DDR5 products in anticipation of robust demand for AI applications led to higher-than-guided DRAM shipments. System semiconductors posted a decline in profit due to lower utilization rates on weak demand from major applications.

NEO Semiconductor, a leading developer of innovative technologies for 3D NAND flash and DRAM memory, today announced its participation at Flash Memory Summit 2023, taking place in person in Santa Clara, California, on August 8-10. CEO, Andy Hsu, will deliver a keynote address titled "New Architectures which will Drive Future 3D NAND and 3D DRAM Solutions" on August 9th at 11:40 a.m. Pacific Time.

Earlier this year, Neo Semiconductor announced the launch of its ground-breaking technology, 3D X-DRAM. This development is the world's first 3D NAND-like DRAM cell array that is targeted to solve DRAM's capacity bottleneck and replace the entire 2D DRAM market. 3D X-DRAM can be manufactured using the existing 3D NAND flash memory process with minor changes, significantly reducing the time and cost spent developing a new 3D process. During the keynote, Mr. Hsu will reveal the 3D X-DRAM process flow and technical details.

SK hynix Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter of 2023. The company recorded revenue of 7.306 trillion won, operating loss of 2.882 trillion won (with operating margin of negative 39%), and net loss of 2.988 trillion won (with net margin of negative 41%) for the three-month period ended June 30, 2023.

"Amid an expansion in generative artificial intelligence (AI) market, which has largely been centered on ChatGPT, demand for AI server memory has increased rapidly," the company said. "As a result, sales of premium products such as HBM3 and DDR5 increased, leading to a 44% sequential increase in revenue for the second quarter, while operating loss narrowed by 15%."

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that it has completed development of the industry's first Graphics Double Data Rate 7 (GDDR7) DRAM. It will first be installed in next-generation systems of key customers for verification this year, driving future growth of the graphics market and further consolidating Samsung's technological leadership in the field.

Following Samsung's development of the industry's first 24 Gbps GDDR6 DRAM in 2022, the company's 16-gigabit (Gb) GDDR7 offering will deliver the industry's highest speed yet. Innovations in integrated circuit (IC) design and packaging provide added stability despite high-speed operations. "Our GDDR7 DRAM will help elevate user experiences in areas that require outstanding graphics performance, such as workstations, PCs and game consoles, and is expected to expand into future applications such as AI, high-performance computing (HPC) and automotive vehicles," said Yongcheol Bae, Executive Vice President of Memory Product Planning Team at Samsung Electronics. "The next-generation graphics DRAM will be brought to market in line with industry demand and we plan on continuing our leadership in the space."

Scientists at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a new type of stacked or 3D DRAM that the researchers call Bumpless Build Cube 3D or BBCube 3D, which relies on Through Silicon Vias or TSVs to connect the DRAM dies. This is a different approach to HBM which relies on micro bumps to connect the layers together and the Japanese scientists are saying that their bumpless wafer-on-wafer solution should allow not only for an easier manufacturing process, but more importantly, improved cooling, as the TSVs can channel the heat from the DRAM dies down into whatever substrate the BBCube 3D stack is finally mounted onto.

If that wasn't enough, the researchers believe that BBCube 3D will be able to deliver higher speeds than HBM courtesy of a combination of the TSVs being relatively short and "high-density signal parallelism". BBCube 3D is expected to deliver up to a 32 fold increase in bandwidth compared to DDR5 memory and a four fold increase compared to HBM2E memory, while at the same time, drawing less power. The research paper goes into a lot more details for those interested at taking a closer look at this potentially revolutionary shift in DRAM assembly. However, the question that remains unanswered is if this will end up as a real world product some time in the near future, which is all based on how manufacturable BBCube 3D memory will be.

TrendForce reports that continued production cuts by DRAM suppliers have led to a gradual quarterly decrease in overall DRAM supply. Seasonal demand, on the other hand, is helping to mitigate inventory pressure on suppliers. TrendForce projects that the third quarter will see the ASP for DRAM converging towards a 0~5% decline. Despite suppliers' concerted efforts, inventory levels persistently remain high, keeping prices low. While production cutbacks may help to curtail quarterly price declines, a tangible recovery in prices may not be seen until 2024.

PC DRAM: The benefits of consolidated production cuts on DDR4 by the top three suppliers are expected to become evident in the third quarter. Furthermore, inventory pressure on suppliers has been partially alleviated due to aggressive purchasing by several OEMs at low prices during 2Q23. Evaluating average price trends for PC DRAM products in 3Q23 reveals that DDR4 will continue to remain in a state of persistent oversupply, leading to an expected quarterly price drop of 3~8%. DDR5 prices—influenced by suppliers' efforts to maintain prices and unmet buyer demand—are projected to see a 0-5% quarterly decline. The overall ASP of PC DRAM is projected to experience a QoQ decline of 0~5% in the third quarter.

In keeping with Framework's philosophy, the Framework Laptop 16 has socketed memory and storage, making it easy for you to choose what you need on day one and upgrade to more any time later. Our pre-built configurations have set combinations of memory and storage, while on DIY Edition, you can choose any of the modules we offer in the Marketplace or bring your own if you prefer. We've taken both memory and storage to the next level on Framework Laptop 16. For memory, we've created new semi-custom Framework-branded DDR5-5600 modules. For storage, we have two M.2 slots, as well as the ability to add two more in the Expansion Bay for colossal storage capacity.

One core challenge we aimed to solve for memory on the Framework Laptop 16 was being able to offer the same modules for pre-built systems, DIY Edition, and the Framework Marketplace. Historically, we needed to source separate "OEM" modules from Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron for use in our factory, and "Retail" modules from Crucial to offer in DIY Edition and the Marketplace. Instead, we worked with memory maker ADATA to create custom-label modules that we can use across all areas. Currently, we're leveraging SK Hynix DDR5-5600 memory chips for these modules, but may use other chips that meet the performance bar in the future as well.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is excited to announce a new white colored edition of its flagship Trident Z5 RGB series DDR5 memory, featuring extreme overclocked speeds of up to DDR5-8200 at 24 GB x 2 kit capacity.

The White Choice of Overclocked Performance DDR5 Memory
The new white version of the Trident Z5 RGB series boasts a sleek white aluminium heat spreader and features a black brushed-aluminium strip inset across the center, providing PC enthusiasts an ideal high-performance overclocked memory kit in a white themed PC build.

Hardware leaker MEGAsizeGPU has uploaded photos of unreleased G.Skill DIMMs—they claim that the leaked hardware "is the world's first 24G*2 DDR5 expo module: F5-6000J4048F24GX2-TZ5NR." The next-gen Trident Z5 memory is said to be rated for a 6000 MT/s data transfer rate, and close-up shots of labels on heatsinks point to the sample units being non-binary 24 GB DDR5 memory modules that can support EXPO profiles for AMD's Ryzen 7000-series CPUs. MEGAsizeGPU claims that "6000 MHz is the sweetspot for Ryzen" (AM5).

Off-screen captures show a PC system booting up in DDR5-6000 mode—within a Windows OS environment, CPU-Z demonstrates that these new Trident Z5 modules are based on SpecTek-made 24Gb DRAM ICs (instead of binary 16Gb)—SpecTek is a division working under Micron Technology. G.SKILL will likely be selling non-binary Z5 memory in pairs, so we expect to see matched 48 GB dual-channel kits popping up on the market soon. MEGAsizeGPU did not mention anything about pricing or availability. Kingston debuted its own non-binary memory offerings at Computex 2023, but presentation material on hand did not mention whether their new models support AMD's Extended Profiles for Overclocking (EXPO).

Micron Technology, Inc., one of the world's largest semiconductor companies, today announced plans to build a new assembly and test facility in Gujarat, India. Micron's new facility will enable assembly and test manufacturing for both DRAM and NAND products and address demand from domestic and international markets.

Phased construction of the new assembly and test facility in Gujarat is expected to begin in 2023. Phase 1, which will include 500,000 square feet of planned cleanroom space, will start to become operational in late 2024, and Micron will ramp capacity gradually over time in line with global demand trends. Micron expects Phase 2 of the project, which would include construction of a facility similar in scale to Phase 1, to start towards the second half of the decade.

Team Group unveiled its mighty Team Xtreem DDR5 memory for overclocking, at the 2023 Computex. These modules are designed such that their PCBs are shorter than their height, and instead of cramming RGB LEDs on top, the 2 mm-thick aluminium heat spreader turns into an extruded heatsink. Some of the higher speed versions of these run at DRAM voltages as high as 1.45 V, so the heatsink design should come in handy. The T-Force Xtreem comes in speeds ranging between DDR5-6400 and DDR5-8266, and in capacities ranging from 16 GB (2x 8 GB), going all the way up to 96 GB (2x 48 GB). The T-Force Xtreem RGB has an additional design element in the form of an acrylic RGB LED diffuser, although from the looks of it, this acrylic bit seems to be covering the fins of the heat spreader. It comes in the same speed-based and capacity based variants, as the regular Xtreem DDR5.

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced that its 16-gigabit (Gb) DDR5 DRAM, which utilizes the industry's most advanced 12 nanometer (nm)-class process technology, has started mass production. Samsung's completion of the state-of-the-art manufacturing process reaffirms its leadership in cutting-edge DRAM technology.

"Using differentiated process technology, Samsung's industry-leading 12 nm-class DDR5 DRAM delivers outstanding performance and power efficiency," said Jooyoung Lee, Executive Vice President of DRAM Product & Technology at Samsung Electronics. "Our latest DRAM reflects our continued commitment to leading the DRAM market, not only with high-performance and high-capacity products that meet computing market demand for large-scale processing but also by commercializing next-generation solutions that support greater productivity."