The era of LPDDR 6 has arrived! The demand for AI is too strong, and the next generation of DRAM will enter the market faster than expected

The next-generation low-power DRAM (LPDDR6) is entering the market at an unexpectedly rapid pace. Driven by the sharp increase in demand for high-performance, high-efficiency DRAM in the server and AI sectors, the commercialization process of this new standard is accelerating.

Several cutting-edge semiconductor design companies are currently discussing the simultaneous adoption of LPDDR5X and LPDDR6 IP (design assets). Mobile application processor (AP) design companies such as Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm also plan to support LPDDR6 starting from their next-generation products.

The core driving force behind this shift comes from the explosive growth of AI applications. Whether it is smartphones equipped with edge AI or AI data centers that require continuous processing of massive amounts of data, there are higher performance demands for DRAM. Global tech giants like NVIDIA are also actively promoting the procurement of LPDDR products.

According to industry insiders cited by Zdnet, currently more than half of high-performance semiconductor design companies are considering the parallel adoption of LPDDR5X and LPDDR6 IP, especially in the design of chips using advanced processes of 4 nanometers and below, where demand is emerging faster than expected.

AI Applications Drive Demand Surge

The biggest driving factor for the accelerated introduction of LPDDR6 is AI. As smartphones, the traditional main application area for LPDDR, increasingly incorporate edge AI, the demand for higher-performance LPDDR products is becoming more urgent.

As a result, mobile AP developers like Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm plan to incorporate LPDDR6 IP in their next-generation chips.

At the same time, the rise of AI data centers that need to continuously process massive amounts of data has led to a sharp increase in demand for high-performance LPDDR in the server sector. Global tech giants like NVIDIA are actively promoting the supply of LPDDR products.

Performance Improvement of 1.5 Times, Commercialization Expected in the Second Half of the Year

The performance specifications of LPDDR6 represent a significant leap over the previous generation. This generation of products has a bandwidth ranging from 10.6Gbps to 14.4Gbps, while the previous generation LPDDR5X has a bandwidth range of 8.5Gbps to a maximum of 10.7Gbps, resulting in a performance improvement of approximately 1.5 times.

Although the basic standards have been established, the full commercialization of LPDDR6 still requires time for preparation. Supporting facilities such as physical layer (PHY), controllers, and interface IP are not yet fully ready, and it is expected that formal commercialization will not occur until the second half of this year at the earliest.

Currently, LPDDR6 can achieve a performance of approximately 12.8Gbps, with expectations to increase performance to 14.4Gbps by next year. To this end, major domestic and international companies are working hard to promote IP development.

Advanced Process Chips to Adopt First

LPDDR is a DRAM standard that emphasizes energy efficiency compared to general DDR. The 7th generation LPDDR5X has already been commercialized, and LPDDR6, as the next-generation standard, was finalized in July last year.

Although supporting facilities are not yet fully mature, a considerable number of AI and high-performance computing (HPC) semiconductor design companies are advancing their plans to adopt LPDDR6. The strategy of these companies is to first adopt LPDDR5X and then upgrade performance once LPDDR6 achieves mass production.

According to industry insiders cited by Zdnet, currently more than half of high-performance semiconductor design companies are considering parallel adoption of LPDDR5X and LPDDR6 IP solutions. Especially among design companies for advanced process chips of 4 nanometers and below, the speed of demand has exceeded expectations