Infineon samples 8 GByte DDR2 memory

Munich - Infineon takes its dual-die tall memory technology one step further: The company announced it is sampling DDR2-400 modules with a capacity of 8 GByte. Also new are DDR2-800 devices for enthusiast and performance PC.

32 GByte of DDR2 memory in a PC? No problem, says Infineon. The company just announced that it is sampling 8 GByte versions of its DDR2-400 tall registered DIMMs. The modules are based on Infineon's dual-die technology that was first shown in February.

The new devices stack two 1 Gbit DDR2 SDRAMs on top of each other to achieve a capacity of 2 Gbit per component. 36 such 2 Gbit DDR2 elements on one module create the 8 GByte device. Infineon said dual-die technology allows doubling the maximum memory density while increasing component height by only 0.1 mm. With a 4.1mm module thickness and 55mm height, the 8 GB DDR2-400 tall registered DIMMs are about 40 percent thinner than comparable solutions.

Of course, 8 GByte memory devices are far from being mainstream or affordable for the average user at this time. The simple fact that the modules are only available in sample numbers keeps prices at a level that is out of reach for most users. At this time, the devices only make sense in high-end server upgrades. Infineon did not provide any pricing information, but we assume the DDR2-400 8 GByte versions will be priced substantially above the 4 GByte dual-die memories that were launched in February for $3900 per unit.

While the technology provides a look into the future, Infineon also announced new high-performance PC memory for the near term. The company introduced DDR2-800 memory with 512 MByte capacity per module. The devices will be used as standard memory on Asus' P5WD2 motherboards that also served as platform for OCZ's 1000 MHz DDR2 memory (which in turn is based on Infineon technology).

According to Infineon, the new devices ship without an added heatspreader and offer a DIMM bandwidth of 6.4 GByte per second. Volume production of the modules is scheduled to start in June 2005. The 512 MByte DDR2-800 are priced at $93.