The arrival of the next-generation low-power DRAM (LPDDR6) is progressing faster than initially anticipated. Driven by a sharp increase in demand for high-performance, high-efficiency DRAM in servers and artificial intelligence applications, the commercialization of this new standard is gaining momentum. Several leading semiconductor design firms are currently evaluating solutions that incorporate both LPDDR5X and LPDDR6 intellectual property (IP). Mobile application processor designers, including Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm, also plan to support LPDDR6 starting with their next-generation products.
The primary catalyst for this shift is the explosive growth in AI applications. Both smartphones equipped with on-device AI and data centers processing massive volumes of data continuously are demanding higher performance from DRAM. Global technology giants such as NVIDIA are actively advancing procurement of LPDDR products. According to industry sources cited by Zdnet, more than half of high-performance semiconductor design companies are considering integrating both LPDDR5X and LPDDR6 IP, with demand emerging more rapidly than expected, particularly in chips designed using 4-nanometer and more advanced processes.
AI applications are the main driver behind the surge in demand for LPDDR6. In smartphones, a traditional stronghold for LPDDR, the integration of on-device AI is creating an urgent need for higher-performance memory solutions. As a result, mobile AP developers like Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm intend to adopt LPDDR6 IP in their upcoming chips. At the same time, the rise of AI data centers, which require continuous processing of large-scale data, is fueling rapid growth in demand for high-performance LPDDR in the server sector. Companies such as NVIDIA are pushing forward with supply arrangements for LPDDR products.
LPDDR6 offers a significant performance leap over its predecessor. The new standard supports bandwidth ranging from 10.6 Gbps to 14.4 Gbps, compared to LPDDR5X's range of 8.5 Gbps to a maximum of 10.7 Gbps—representing an improvement of approximately 1.5 times. Although the basic standard has been established, full commercialization of LPDDR6 still requires additional preparation. Supporting components such as the physical layer (PHY), controller, and interface IP are not yet fully ready, with commercial availability expected as early as the second half of this year.
Currently, LPDDR6 is expected to achieve around 12.8 Gbps in initial implementations, with performance projected to reach 14.4 Gbps by next year. Major companies worldwide are accelerating IP development efforts to meet these targets.
LPDDR is a DRAM standard that prioritizes power efficiency compared to general-purpose DDR. While the seventh-generation LPDDR5X is already commercially available, LPDDR6 was finalized as the next-generation standard in July of last year. Despite incomplete supporting infrastructure, a considerable number of AI and high-performance computing semiconductor designers are moving forward with plans to incorporate LPDDR6. Their strategy involves initially adopting LPDDR5X, with upgrades to LPDDR6 planned once mass production is feasible.
According to Zdnet, citing industry insiders, over half of high-performance semiconductor design firms are evaluating simultaneous integration of LPDDR5X and LPDDR6 IP. Demand is materializing faster than anticipated, especially among companies designing chips using 4nm and more advanced process technologies.
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