DDR4 memory, the successor to DDR3 DRAM, will be available in computers next year, Micron announced on Monday. The company says that it has already started shipping samples of the upcoming memory type, reports Techworld Australia.
DDR3, which is the type of memory that is currently found in most new computers that are built today, is less power-efficient and slower than the upcoming DDR4 standard. It is expected that DDR4 memory units will draw less power, starting at 1.2 volts instead of the 1.5 volts for DDR3. Bus speeds for DDR4 will start at 2133MHz, and the new memory is designed to process read, write and refresh more efficiently than its predecessors.
The Joint Electron Devices Engineering Council (JEDEC), the organization that defines memory standards, is expected to finalize the DDR4 specification in the next few months, after which Micron expects to start volume production of DDR4 memory at some point by the end of 2012.
DDR4 memory will first appear in servers and desktop computers, followed by laptop computers later. Micron in a statement also said that it hopes that DDR4 memory will reach tablets and other portable devices, which currently use low-power versions of DDR3 and DDR2 memory.