Samsung Electronics has begun mass producing four-gigabit (4Gb) DDR3 devices using 40nm-class process technology, according to the company. The memory maker also revealed plans to migrate more than 90% of its DDR DRAM production to 40nm-class.

At a module density of 16-gigabyte (16GB), the 4Gb DDR3-based module can save 35% in power consumption for more energy-efficient designs, said Dong-Soo Jun, executive VP of the company's memory marketing unit. Production of the 4Gb DDR3 also raises the amount of memory for use in servers to 32GB per module, which is twice the maximum density achieved with modules based on 2Gb components, Jun noted.

Samsung indicated that today's servers are equipped with an average of six registered dual in-line memory module (RDIMMs) sockets per CPU, with which up to a 96GB DRAM capacity can be accommodated. Power consumption varies depending on the component featured. A module based on 60nm-class 1Gb DDR2 components consumes 210W, while a 40nm-class 2Gb DDR3-based module consumes 55W, representing an approximate 75% savings. However, the new 40nm-class 4Gb DDR3-based module consumes a mere 36W, which represents about 83% savings over the 60nm-class 1Gb DDR2 module. These memory power savings translate into an overall reduction in server power of 10% per system, according to Samsung.

Samsung said by applying its 40nm 4Gb DDR3-based modules to existing server systems, DRAM density can be raised at least two-fold and system life-time can be extended sharply to prolong server life span in reducing new system investment.

The 4Gb DDR3 also raises the small outline dual inline memory module (SODIMM) density to 8GB. This enables a system level density of up to 16GB for two socket modes, or 32GB for four socket models, which is expected to meet much of the growing demand for high-performance notebooks with advanced graphics, according to Samsung.

The new 4Gb DDR3 supports both 1.5V and 1.35V specifications. Available memory modules include 16GB and 32GB RDIMMs, and 8GB SoDIMMs with a 1.6Gbps performance rate.