A new report has indicated that each of the three big memory chip manufacturers has begun ramping up its development of DDR6. According to The Elec (via TechPowerUp), Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron are all working with JDEC on the next standard, which could see speeds as high as 17,600 MT/s or more. However, the first round of DDR6 is expected for commercial use in 2028. By comparison, there are consumer-grade DDR5 modules planned for 2026 with speeds around 8000 MT/s, and multiple overclock records have reached speeds above 13,000 MT/s since last fall. The Elec was told that “Memory companies and substrate manufacturers typically proceed with joint development more than two years before product launch,” and that “Initial development of DDR6 has recently begun.“
DDR6 is expected to utilize CAMM2 to incorporate new designs featuring 4×24-bit sub-channel architecture to achieve roughly double the speeds of DDR5, which uses a 2×32-bit sub-channel architecture. Delays with validation are believed to be the root cause for a 2028 commercial release, with no word of consumer product availability. This being said, DDR5, which reached final consumer validation in 2020 and began launching for consumers in late 2021, could remain the current top standard for at least two to three more years.
DDR4 is likely to be around a bit longer as well due to the current DRAM/NAND shortage, but that scenario will solely depend on how long manufacturers continue to produce the older chips. Also, by comparison, DDR4 first hit the consumer market in 2014, and so it is already twelve years old and still used by many PC enthusiasts. To top it off, there are a few out there still using DDR3, again, thanks to the insane prices of current products, and it is roughly nineteen years old. The good news in all of this is that it appears that users of current boards supporting DDR4 or DDR5 have a number of years to look forward to when it comes to continued support.