Recent findings indicate that China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is shipping DDR5 memory chips with a significantly larger die size than their competitors. This suggests the use of less advanced chipmaking technology, leading to higher production costs.
CXMT's DDR5 Die Size
A Chinese semiconductor researcher has revealed that CXMT's 16 Gb DDR5 memory IC has a die size of 68.06 mm², whereas a modern Samsung 16 Gb DDR5 chip measures only 48.90 mm². This makes CXMT's die nearly 40% larger.
This larger die size is comparable to the first-generation DDR5 chips from leading memory makers in 2021. While Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix have shrunk their DDR5 die sizes over time, CXMT appears to be behind in process technology.
Company | Die Size |
---|---|
CXMT | 68.06 mm² |
Samsung | 48.90 mm² |
Cost and Competition
The larger die size implies that CXMT's production costs are likely higher than those of its competitors. It remains to be seen whether CXMT will be able to compete on price or offer significant discounts to gain market share. Although their technology is less advanced, CXMT’s partners are producing DDR5-6000 memory, indicating reasonable performance potential.
Despite this potential, leading DRAM manufacturers maintain an advantage in performance, power efficiency, and cost efficiency.