Intel Skylake Could Feature Dual DDR3/DDR4 Memory Support with Double IMCs

[Not Confirmed] An interesting point raised by the Italian publication Bitsandchips.it, stated that Intel has tucked away a very big hint pertaining to memory support in its IDF14 slide deck. Upon closer inspection the hint is about DDR3 and DDR4 support at the same time probably utilizing a Dual-IMC design . The market is now moving toward DDR4 but its prices remain quite high, so it might be possible that Intel will introduce the above-mentioned tech to hasten the transition.

Dual-IMC with DDR3 and DDR4 Support Could Grace Skylake Processors – Hints IDF14 Slides

As we told you a long time ago and as Intel later confirmed in IDF14, Skylake-S is coming in 2H 2015, most probably July. These will be quad cores and will come in i5 and i7 variants with 4 and 8 threads respectively. Skylake will of course also arrive on mobile platforms and 2-in 1 devices before the desktop release. If you notice the slide deck below, specifically the one on the right, you will notice that Intel mentions “DDR3 and DDR4″ in the “future” section of the Mainstream segment. Now Intel has noted down Haswell Micro-architecture, so its near future is Broadwell and Skylake-S.

So what does ‘DDR3 and DDR4′ support for the future generations of Intel Haswell mean? Well, one option could be offering some SKUs with DDR3 and other with DDR4, but that would be awfully inconvenient from a marketing and practical point of view. Not only would that discourage growth (DDR3 users will simply buy the DDR3 variant and stick with it) but that will result in disparity between similar products: not an ideal scenario.No, a far easier option would be to introduce dual memory support using a Double IMC (Integrated Memory Circuit) on the processors. A question that comes to mind is whether Broadwell-k will benefit from Double-IMCs as well, or will the rift between the high end and mainstream will grow ever larger.

Intel believes that the pricing of DDR4 will remain high; as will the demand of Skylake processors. Migration to DDR4 should be encouraged but you can’t leave the majority of your user base behind. The answer to this dilemma lies in the company introducing Skylake with both DDR3 and DDR4 support. Intel will favor the use of DDR4 memory but if this is correct than users will not need to be worry about buying new RAMs and instead be able to focus on the new micro-architecture and step up when they are ready. DDR4 not only offers faster RAM memory  with double the density but also offers a greatly lowered electrical foot print with reduced power requirements. DDR4 RAM can be clocked upto 3200Mhz and requires 1.2V of juice to run. CAS latency will vary from 9 to 24 (DDR3 wad 5-14) while density increases from 4GB at 8 banks to 8GB at 16 banks.

Source: http://wccftech.com/intel-skylake-dual-ddr3-ddr4-memory/#ixzz3DNb4ommz

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DDR4 Now Available for Pre-Order in Australia!!!!!!

You better hold on to your horse's as X99 is nearly here! We are now seeing DDR4 starting to show up. You better have a pretty penny saved up as the prices are going to be pretty expensive. Ranging from $469-$629, Corsair are the first ones to come up for Pre-Order in Australia so far. Check out a few of the specs below.

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AMD Toronto APU Will Feature Dual IMC Both DDR3 and DDR4 Will Be Supported

An interesting update on AMD’s Tornoto Platform has appeared. It would seem that AMD is going to allow DDR3 and DDR4 support simaltenously on this particular platform. The leak source is Bitsandchips.it and they detail AMD’s decision about including dual IMC support on Toronto APU.

AMD Toronto APU and CPUs will Include Dual IMCs for DDR3 and DDR4 Support

The Toronto APU and CPU are part of the AMD Opteron platform and are going to feature Excavator cores. A previously leaked roadmap showed that the Toronto SoCs will either support DDR3 or DDR4 memory, but now it would appear that they are going to support both thanks to Dual IMCs (Integrated Memory Controller). AMD has previously steered clear of DDR4 memory partly because the Industry hasn’t grown accustomed to it and partly because it costs an arm and a leg. However, they seemed to have reversed that decision. The Opteron platform currently houses the Berlin APU and Toronto is the successor of the same with the next revision of Bulldozer architecture. Both the APU and CPUs will have 4 x86 Excavator cores.

Carrizo was supposed to have DDR4 Memory but this was abandoned (according to latest reports) due to the high cost of the memory in question. So why has AMD decided to give Toronto processors this benefit? Well the reasoning is simple. Even though DDR4 is expensive, the expense only applies to consumer markets. Server markets exist on a very strict cost and value model and only the relative expense per performance increase matters to them. Simply put, the Server Market would be indifferent to the expense that DDR4 entails. Another factor is the fact that DDR4 memory can support higher memory densities while having lower power consumption than DDR3. These two factors are once again something very important for the server markets that operate on a Performance-Per-Watt model. Finally, this would make the Toronto APUs and CPUs future proof for when DDR4 does become cheaper than DDR3 (around 2016). The source is also hopeful that we will be seeing stacked DRAM on the Mobility platform of Carrizo APU as well, something which should have very positive effects on the performance of the next gen APU.

Source: http://wccftech.com/amd-toronto-apu-feature-dual-imc-ddr3-ddr4-supported/#ixzz39Nlr9tZF
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DDR4 at Computex 2104

At Computex 2014, memory and flash storage maker Crucial unveiled their latest Crucial DDR4 Ballistix Elite and Server grade memory sticks for dense memory platforms and Intel’s upcoming HEDT Haswell-E platform. Crucial’s DDR4 memory for next generation high-performance gaming, enthusiasts and server platforms is rated at speeds of up to 3000 MHz.

Crucial DDR4 Ballistix Elite Memory and Server Memory Unleashed

First up, we have the Crucial DDR4 Ballistix memory which is specifically aimed towards the X99 chipset platform which features Quad Channel memory support with the upcoming Haswell-E processors that include the flagship Core i7-5960X processor boasting 8 Cores and 16 threads. Designed for gamers, enthusiasts and overclockers of the X99 adopters, the Ballistix Elite memory would deliver introductory speeds of 2666 MHz and 3000 MHz and would gradually increase with the passage of time. It should be noted that DDR3 arrived in the market with its initial introductory speeds of just 1066 MHz – 1333 MHz and manufacturer’s now offer DDR3 memory clocked at 3000 MHz out-of-box. The DDR4 introductory speeds are rated at 2133 MHz – 2400 MHz but if memory makers are releasing 3000 MHz at debut of the new memory type, then we can easily see speeds of up to 4266 MHz in few years time.

As for the memory kit itself, the Crucial DDR4 Ballistix Elite would be available in 4 GB and 8 GB modules and also 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB memory kits. They feature a maximum bandwidth of 24 GB/s delivering improved system performance and responsiveness since the processor can access data faster and delivers up to 40 percent more efficiency compared to standard DDR3 memory type. The Ballistix Elite brand is designed with gamers in mind hence is optimized towards the Intel X99 platform with support for XMP 2.0 profile.

The memory modules feature an aggressively styled anodized aluminum heat spreader which helps dissipate heat more effectively while the memory stick uses a full black PCB which looks great from an aesthetic point of view. It even comes with the M.O.D (Memory Overview Display) utility that allows users to monitor thermals in real time.

“Gamers and enthusiasts push their systems to the limit and are always looking for ways to reduce bottlenecks,” said Jeremy Mortenson, product marketing manager, Crucial. “With the introduction of Ballistix DDR4, the fastest memory speeds and bandwidths are now more accessible. Along with making peak performance attainable, Ballistix DDR4 also sets up gamers and enthusiasts for the next wave of performance that will only be possible with newer platforms using DDR4.” via Crucial

The memory sticks will launch in August and would be backed by a limited lifetime warranty. As for the server memory, Crucial has now made available their DDR4 server memory for the enterprise market which will go in works with the upcoming Haswell-EP server platforms. The modules which come in capacities of 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB are optimized towards the Haswell-EP Xeon E5-2600 V3 family and will operate at 2133 MHz pumping out 17 GB/s bandwidth at voltage input of just 1.2V which is standard for DDR4 memory.

“The speed and efficiency benefits of DDR4 technology mark a significant advancement in server computing,” said Shannon Poulin, Vice President of Intel’s Data Center Group. “As a brand of Micron, Crucial not only understands the technology needed to support the evolution of computing ecosystems, but also how to best service the needs of our mutual channel customers. We’re thrilled to continue Intel’s collaboration with Crucial, as we reach yet another milestone in enabling next-generation server platforms together.”

“Data-intensive server applications continue to require higher densities of memory as they struggle to meet ever-increasing and more demanding workloads,” said Michael Moreland, worldwide product marketing manager, Crucial. “Crucial DDR4 memory modules, coupled with Intel’s next generation of Xeon processors, push speed and bandwidth capabilities to a new level to meet these needs and deliver increased performance and efficiency to the entire server infrastructure.”

Pricing of the sticks is not known at the moment but they’ll most likely be on the high side at launch and gradually fall with the advance of time.

DDR3 vs DDR4 Memory:

Feature/Option	DDR3	DDR4	DDR4 Advantage
Voltage (core and I/O)	1.5V	1.2V	Reduces memory power demand
Low voltage standard	Yes (DDR3L at 1.35V)	Anticipated (likely 1.05V)	Memory power reductions
Data rate (Mb/s)	800, 1066, 1333, 1600, 1866, 2133	1600, 1866, 2133, 2400, 2667, 3200	Migration to higher-speed I/O
Component Densities	512Mb-8Gb	2Gb-16Gb	Better enablement for large-capacity memory subsystems
Module Densities	512MB-64GB	2GB-128GB	Increased total module density for each system
Internal banks	8	16	More banks

Read more: http://wccftech.com/crucial-ddr4-ballistix-elite-memory-server-memory-unleashed-ballistix-elite-x99-rated-3000-mhz/#ixzz33XGz1Hgu