Samsung and SK Hynix Team Up to Develop Advanced and Efficient LPDDR6-PIM Memory

Collaboration Among Leading Chipmakers: A Step Towards Standardizing LPDDR6-PIM Memory

In a strategic move to enhance technological synergy, two leading DRAM manufacturers have opted to collaborate on standardizing LPDDR6-PIM (Processing-in-Memory) technology. Rather than competing fiercely for market dominance, these giants recognize the greater benefits of establishing a unified standard that addresses significant industry challenges. By leveraging LPDDR6 memory integrated with PIM capabilities, they aim to boost computing performance and efficiency.

Illustration of PIM Memory — Image Credit: Samsung.com

Anticipated to debut in late 2025, the LPDDR6 memory faces two primary hurdles without the implementation of PIM technology:

The Storage Wall: This challenge arises from the limitations in data transfer rates between memory and processors.
The Power Wall: As computational demands escalate, power consumption inevitably rises.

Addressing these issues is crucial for enhancing the processing capabilities of AI workloads. By overcoming these bottlenecks, manufacturers can significantly elevate the performance of high-end computing systems.

Through the standardization of PIM, DRAM producers will incorporate this advanced technology into their memory products, leading to improved LPDDR6 modules capable of facilitating faster computations. PIM architecture will be integrated directly into memory chips, introducing additional circuitry to handle computations such as matrix multiplications and logical operations. This innovation minimizes the burden on system processors, reducing data transfer volumes between components.

Advanced PIM Memory Technology — Image Credit: Samsung.com

The anticipated benefits extend beyond performance improvement; the adoption of PIM technology could significantly decrease energy consumption. This energy efficiency is especially impactful on a large scale. Implementing PIM within standard memory interfaces like DDR and LPDDR ensures compatibility with existing platforms, though it may initially increase manufacturing costs. However, this investment is likely to translate into higher long-term profitability for the companies involved.

With the surge in demand for AI capabilities across both consumer devices and server platforms, the need for high performance is climbing, alongside rising energy costs. Each incremental step that reduces overall power consumption can contribute significantly to corporate growth. Samsung, in particular, is committed to implementing PIM across various DRAM types, including LPDDR, GDDR, and HBM, and claims to offer a potential 70% energy savings.

For further insights on this significant industry development, refer to the original article on Mydrivers.

Source: Wccftech