ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), one of China’s top DRAM manufacturers, has been asked to phase out its production of DDR4 memory and focus on making more DDR5. The directive was reportedly given by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The directive is something of a surprise, particularly since the company recently began mass production of DDR4 memory late last year. Not only that, the order means that manufacturers such as Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix will have no choice but to end production of not just DDR4, but DDR3 chips by this year.
One possible reason China is asking its top memory maker to ramp up production of DDR5 is to accommodate for newer devices that are bound to become dependent on the memory standard, and understandably so. It’s just the nature of technology; old tech eventually gets phased out over time, as newer innovations appear and become prevalent.
However, it’s not all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows with DDR5. The memory standard still faces some issues, with reports suggesting that some of CXMT’s latest samples are failing certain tests; its memory chips become unstable whenever operating at temperatures of 60°C or higher, which is worse than what Samsung’s own DDR5 chips are capable of operating in.
(Source: Tom’s Hardware)
