Innosilicon's low power LPDDR5X memory hits a stunning 10,000 Mbps

DRAM chips
(Image credit: Samsung)

Chinese DRAM manufacturer Innosilicon has achieved a milestone of 10,000Mbps transfer rate on its latest LPDDR5X memory chips. While this is just a demonstration for now, it gives us a glimpse into the future of DRAM technology. (via My Drivers)

LPDDR5X is an evolutionary improvement over LPDDR5. It features an official JEDEC approved speed of up to 8533Mbps or 4,267MT/s. The Innosilicon memory is even faster at an effective 5000 MT/s speed. This would deliver up to 80GB/s of bandwidth. High performance LPDDR5X will find its way into flagship smartphones and AR/VR devices.

AI and machine learning are applications that could really benefit from the use of faster memory. Using an autonomous car for example, 10,000Mbps memory would allow the system to access more data or process more simultaneous imagery. Not that I’m too keen to hand over control of my car. I just can’t get used to the thought of it!

It’s important to note that DDR5 and LPDDR5/X are substantially different from one another. LPDDR5X is designed for use in low power devices. DDR5 on the other hand, features a higher bit width, delivering much more bandwidth for a given ‘speed’. So while LPDDR5X is fast, when compared to a typical higher density DDR5 kit on the PC, the LPDDR5X is slower in reality.

Innosilicon 10,000 Mbps LPDDR5X demonstration

(Image credit: Innosilicon)

But all out performance is not what LPDDR5X is about. Its priority is low power consumption for use with mobile devices. Having said that, Apple’s M1 Pro SoC with LPDDR4X delivered up to 408GB/s of bandwidth thanks to a wide bus, so an M2 device with faster LPDDR5X doubling that isn’t outside the realm of possibility.  

10,000Mbps speeds like this are a great sign of things to come. You know this won't be the end though. Competitors like Samsung and Micron are surely hard at work developing their own faster LPDDR5X. And before you know it, LPDDR6 will be here.

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Chris Szewczyk
Hardware Writer

Chris' gaming experiences go back to the mid-nineties when he conned his parents into buying an 'educational PC' that was conveniently overpowered to play Doom and Tie Fighter. He developed a love of extreme overclocking that destroyed his savings despite the cheaper hardware on offer via his job at a PC store. To afford more LN2 he began moonlighting as a reviewer for VR-Zone before jumping the fence to work for MSI Australia. Since then, he's gone back to journalism, enthusiastically reviewing the latest and greatest components for PC & Tech Authority, PC Powerplay and currently Australian Personal Computer magazine and PC Gamer. Chris still puts far too many hours into Borderlands 3, always striving to become a more efficient killer.