Samsung Begins Production of 8GB DDR3 Modules for Laptops

Though some may think even 4GB of memory is enough for most applications, workstations and enthusiasts seem to disagree, to the point where Samsung decided it was time to start making SoDIMMs of 8GB each.

Since DDR4 memory is still a long way off, makers of memory modules are quite bent on boosting not just clock speeds, but raw capacity as well.

Samsung seems to be one of the more radical bunch, having issued a press release in which it announces that 8GB DDR3 will soon show up on the market.
These SoDIMMs (small outline dual inline memory modules) will be used in mobile computers and especially workstation.

For those interested in the specifications, the new memory is built using the 40nm manufacturing process technology.

It will have the DDR3 DRAMs set in a 1G x64 configurations and consume just 1.5V of power, which is the standard for DDR3. As for the clock speed, it will be of 1,333 MHz.

Samsung even made a point of mentioning that its new RAM has already been adopted by Dell in its 15-inch Precision M4500 mobile workstation.

“Dell, a leading workstation provider, quickly embraced the industry’s highest density DRAM by being the first to launch 32GB mobile workstations with the Samsung 8GB module,” said Jim Elliott, vice president, memory marketing and product planning, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc.

“These high speed modules provide faster data processing for design engineers and other professionals who want workstations that not only hum, but sing,” he added.

As of now, the maximum memory capacity for the Dell precision M4500 is 32 GB.
“By offering the highest density memory modules available from Samsung, CAD, CAM, Oil and Gas and other professionals can load and manage larger data sets in less time, making the possibilities for productivity and creativity almost limitless,” stated Greg Weir, Senior Manager, Dell Precision Workstations Product and ISV Marketing.

Samsung Launches 2TB Hard Disk Drive With Three Platters

Samsung has released a 2TB hard disk drive as part of its Ecogreen family with three platters rather than four, a change that will reduce the power consumption of the storage device while improving reliability.

The F4EG is available in 1.5TB or 2TB versions with the latter having 667GB platters. They come with 32MB cache, spin at 5400RPM, sport a STA interface and NCQ.
Samsung says that the new version will consume 23 per cent less power in standby mode compared to the current iteration while performing 19 percent better.
The F4EG is also better than the previous generation of hard drives when it comes to being environmental friendliness and audio properties.
The drive will go on sale in the US for $120 excluding taxes and we expect it to match the price of the existing generation, the SpinPoint F3 Ecogreen which cost around £81.
I.C. Park, Samsung vice president of storage sales, said in a statement that "The F4EG delivers all the benefits of a low-power drive yet features top performance quality and is environmentally friendly."

Samsung unleashes three-platter 2TB drive

Multifarious tech firm Samsung has just upped the ante in the whale-sized storage arena, introducing a new 2TB drive that spreads its capacity over just three platters.

While other 2TB drives split their collection of bytes over four 500GB platters, Samsung's new Spinpoint EcoGreen HD204UI F4EG features three 667GB disks. This, says Samsung, means the new platters boast the world's highest areal density at the moment.

The 3.5-inch F4EG is intended to replace Samsung's four-platter F3EG drive, and has otherwise similar specs. The drive is still bolstered by a 32MB buffer, and the platters spin at a comparatively pedestrian 5400rpm, rather than the 7200rpm rotational speed of other 2TB desktop drives, such as Hitachi's Deskstar 7K2000.

As well as granting Samsung a temporary spell of bragging rights, the new three-platter drive also cuts down on power consumption. According to Samsung, the F4EG eats 23 per cent less electricity in standby mode than its predecessor. The company also claims the drive will remain quiet while it's ticking away, taking advantage of the company's SilentSeek and NoiseGuard technologies.

Assuming the PC industry eventually irons out all the potential problems with the move to drives larger than 2TB, Samsung's high areal density should put the company in a good position to manufacture even larger drives. A four-platter drive that packs this many bytes onto a single disk would end up with around 2.7TB. As a point of comparison, Seagate's 3TB external FreeAgent drive has to split its capacity across five 600GB platters.

The new Spinpoint HD204UI F4EG also supports Native Command Queuing, and is lined up to start shipping in early September this year.

There's no word on UK pricing yet, but Samsung has said the recommended retail price at $119.99 (£75.33) across the pond. Once you've added the usual UK rip-off mark-up, we reckon the drive will come in at a similar price to the F3EG, which currently goes for £88.09 inc VAT.