Samsung mass produces faster DRAM for high-performance computers

By Kang Yoon-seung

SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday it has started the mass production of new dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips, targeting the high performance computing segment that covers super computers and big-data cloud services.

The new product, dubbed the second generation of 4-gigabyte (GB) high bandwidth memory DRAM, or HBM2 DRAM, boasts seven times faster data processing speed compared with the previous record holder, the 4-gigabit (Gb) GDDR5, along with improvements in power efficiency.

Samsung said the breakthrough was made possible by applying advanced packaging technology, known as TSV, which "punches" fine holes in chips and vertically connects their electrodes. This it claimed results in much higher efficiency.

Samsung Electronics said it has made more than 5,000 holes to provide a faster data processing speed, which makes the DRAM more suitable for high-performance PCs and graphic cards.

The South Korean tech giant said it will continue efforts to tap deeper into the premium chip market by targeting high-performance computers.

Samsung recently unveiled its ultralight up-market Series 9 notebooks at the Consumer Electronics Show 2016 in Las Vegas that received considerable publicity for its high-quality build material and top-notch performance.

The tech giant said it will also start the mass production of the same DRAM with a capacity of 8GB in the first half of 2016.

colin@yna.co.kr
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