Rambus Delivers Industry-Leading Client Chipsets for Next-Generation AI PC Memory Modules

[GFreeman]

Rambus Inc., a premier chip and silicon IP provider making data faster and safer, today announced the availability of complete client chipsets for next-generation AI PC memory modules, featuring two new Power Management ICs (PMICs) for client computing. PMICs are critical to efficiently power memory modules providing breakthrough levels of performance for advanced computing applications. The two new Rambus industry-leading PMICs are the PMIC5200, for LPDDR5 CAMM2 (LPCAMM2) memory modules and the PMIC5120, which supports DDR5 CSODIMMs and CUDIMMs.

These PMICs, alongside the Client Clock Driver (CKD) and Serial Presence Detect Hub (SPD Hub), comprise a complete chipset offering to enable memory modules for AI PC notebooks, desktops and workstations. Further, with the addition of these new PMICs, Rambus now offers complete memory interface chipsets for all JEDEC standard DDR5 and LPDDR5 memory modules for both servers and clients.



"The proliferation of AI-enabled client systems is driving new memory subsystem requirements that demand modules delivering higher bandwidth and optimized power efficiency," said Rami Sethi, SVP and general manager of Memory Interface Chips at Rambus. "Having established a leadership position with the introduction of our DDR5 server PMIC family, we're now extending that leadership with two client PMICs that round out a complete DDR5 and LPDDR5 client memory module chipset, which also includes our Client Clock Driver and SPD Hub. Our memory interface chipsets, for LPCAMM2 and DDR5 CUDIMMs and CSODIMMs, enable our customers to address the broad range of form factor, capacity and bandwidth options required by this next wave of exciting AI PC platforms."

"Micron's first-to-market leadership in LPCAMM2 technology is advancing computing performance in AI PCs while disrupting the industry with unprecedented modularity and flexibility," said Ross Dermott, vice president of mobile product line management in Micron's Mobile and Client Business Unit. "Rambus' latest PMIC solutions are a critical component in our next-generation LPCAMM2 modules - allowing us to push the boundaries of memory performance and strengthen our gen-over-gen LPCAMM2 industry leadership."

"AI PCs powered by Intel processors ushers in a new era of productivity, creativity and entertainment experience. The latest Intel Core Ultra processors family features cutting-edge AI enhancements, increased efficiency and performance improvements," said Dimitrios Ziakas, VP of Memory & IO Technologies, Intel Corporation. "From ultra-thin notebooks to the most powerful workstations, Rambus memory interface chips can support the multitude of form factors both businesses and consumers will employ to harness the power of AI."

"As the rapid evolution of AI reshapes the PC market, the demands on memory bandwidth and capacity will only accelerate," said Brandon Hoff, executive analyst at IDC. "High-performance LPDDR5 and DDR5 memory modules, enabled by advanced memory interface chipsets, will be key to unlocking the tremendous possibilities of AI."

As data rates continue to rise to support the needs of AI and other advanced workloads, signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI) management become increasingly vital. With 35 years of high-performance memory experience, Rambus is renowned for its SI/PI expertise. This expertise helps enable DDR5 and LPDDR5 memory interface chips to deliver superior signal integrity and power efficiency at higher performance for server and client DIMMs.

To deliver the highest levels of performance and reliability, Rambus offers complete memory interface chipsets for all JEDEC standard DDR5 and LPDDR5 memory modules, including:

• LPCAMM2 Chipset: PMIC5200, SPD Hub
• DDR5 CSODIMM and CUDIMM Chipset: Client Clock Driver (CKD), PMIC5120, SPD Hub
• DDR5 RDIMM 4800 - 8000 Chipsets: Registering Clock Driver (RCD), PMIC, Serial Presence Detect Hub (SPD Hub), Temperature Sensor ICs (TS)
• DDR5 MRDIMM 12800 Chipset: Multiplexing Registering Clock Driver (MRCD), Multiplexing Data Buffer (MDB), PMIC, SPD Hub, TS

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[unwind-protect]

Uh-Oh...

 

[Wirko]

That's the only justified use of the word "chipset". A set of chips.

 

[ncrs]

That's the only justified use of the word "chipset". A set of chips.

Intel tried to change that when "chipsets" stopped being multiple chips with Platform Controller Hub as did AMD with Fusion Controller Hub. It didn't really stick and now even dictionaries allow the singular form for it:

From Cambridge dictionary:

a set of extremely small electronic circuits that performs a particular task in a computer or other piece of electronic equipment:
video/audio/motherboard chipset The logic circuit that controls the video card is referred to as the video chipset.
The new plant will make the chipsets that route signals between the "brain" of a personal computer, and other components such as disk drives.

Going further, in mathematics a singleton is a set with exactly one element
However I prefer to think of "motherboard chipset" as a set of logical elements contained physically on a single piece of silicon.

 

[Gigaherz]

However I prefer to think of "motherboard chipset" as a set of logical elements contained physically on a single piece of silicon.

Thats how I always saw it. "This chip has this set of functions" = its the Chipset

 

[L'Eliminateur]

Gotta give it to rambus, they're one of the worst bottom feeder IP patent trolls, but they're still around.

Sometimes they do good stuff when it's based on a standard so they're not trying to lawfare and shove their licensing down your throat like with RDRAM

 

[Rob_1]

A chipset can be a single chip that incorporates more than one function into a single chip or a set of chips (which usually incorporates more than one function into each of the chips in the set) that work together (only, they are unlikely to be used with other chips though one of the chips in the set may be replaceable with a different chip developed at the same time or a newer chip to upgrade the functionality of the set without having to upgrade the entire set).

Short version: One chip consolidating a set of functions that long ago were handled by discrete logic chips or a set of such chips that are used together and almost never paired with other chips than the ones that they most frequently connect to (and never with another chipset). [Note: So, not much shorter or much less confusing].

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipset
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/chipset-definition,37655.html

Discrete Logic Computer - WikiChip

A discrete logic computer is a computer system built primarily using discrete logic such as those found in the 7400 series. This term is usually reserved for more modern computers, such as those made by hobbyists and for prototyping purposes. Transistor computers specifically refer to computers...

en.wikichip.org

 

[Wirko]

Gotta give it to rambus, they're one of the worst bottom feeder IP patent trolls, but they're still around.

Sometimes they do good stuff when it's based on a standard so they're not trying to lawfare and shove their licensing down your throat like with RDRAM

Any examples (from the last decade and half)?

 

[L'Eliminateur]

Any examples (from the last decade and half)?

nothing specific comes to mind but they do products like this, all adjacent ICs based on industry standards for memory modules mostly, PMIC, SPDs, glue logic, i think i've seen some pcie bridges or muxes too.

I do wonder why at this stage no one has integrated the SPD hub on the PMIC