Next-generation DDR5 RAM will double memory bandwidth and density over DDR4

DDR4 RAM only just recently made it into the mainstream on Intel Z170’s platform, but the industry is already looking ahead to the next generation of memory. JEDEC, the organization responsible for defining computer memory standards, has announced that it will demonstrate DDR5 memory in June, with the aim of finalizing the standard sometime in 2018.

However, don’t expect to be able to install the new memory in your PC any time soon. DDR4 RAM was finalized in 2012, but it wasn’t until 2015 that mainstream consumers really had access to it. That said, it probably won’t be properly ready before 2020.

This is in part because memory controllers in processors and SoCs need to be updated to support DDR5, and the entire design process usually takes two to three years.

According to JEDEC, DDR5 will double the bandwidth and density over DDR4 and offer better power efficiency. On the enterprise side, JEDEC says we can also expect a more user-friendly interface for server and client platforms that will enable high performance and improved power management in a wide range of applications.

It’s clear that RAM is going to be around for the foreseeable future, but if you consider technologies like Intel’s new Optane drives that are beginning to close the speed gap with RAM, it’s possible that we may one day no longer require RAM that is separate from storage.

Source: JEDEC

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