Samsung & MediaTek Unite: Dimensity 9400 Debuts LPDDR5X

On July 16, Samsung Semiconductor announced the successful validation of its fastest 10.7 gigabits per second (Gbps) LPDDR5X DRAM on MediaTek's upcoming Dimensity 9400 flagship mobile platform. This new speed surpasses the previous LPDDR5X's 8.5Gbps and LPDDR5T's 9.6Gbps, making it the fastest mobile memory available today. Samsung's validation used a 16GB module, with the product capable of scaling up to 32GB per package, significantly broadening its application range.

In April 2024, Samsung revealed the development of this 10.7Gbps memory chip, and within just three months, it has completed the validation process. This advanced memory will be launched in the latter half of this year, alongside MediaTek's next-generation Dimensity 9400 flagship mobile chip, promising to push the performance boundaries of smartphones.

According to Samsung, the new LPDDR5X offers a 25% performance boost and a 25% reduction in power consumption, which will extend battery life and significantly enhance on-device artificial intelligence (AI) performance, accelerating tasks like generative AI and speech-to-text processing. The LPDDR5X leverages advanced 12nm process technology and innovative circuit design, along with more sophisticated voltage variable optimization (FDVFS) and extended low-power operation techniques, to achieve these improvements.

As AI technology rapidly advances towards edge and endpoint applications, such as AI smartphones and AI PCs, there is increasing demand for high-performance, energy-efficient DRAM solutions. Samsung's close collaboration with MediaTek aims to continue this innovation, providing superior solutions for the AI era. The new 10.7Gbps LPDDR5X has also received AEC-Q100 automotive certification, suggesting its potential application beyond mobile devices to servers, PCs, and automotive systems.

MediaTek's Dimensity flagship SoCs have consistently supported the latest top-tier memory specifications. The Dimensity 9300+, launched in May, was the first to support LPDDR5T 9.6Gbps and included a massive 18MB cache. Rumors about the upcoming Dimensity 9400 indicate it will feature Arm's latest Cortex-X5 "Blackhawk" cores, TSMC's second-generation 3nm process technology, the world's fastest LPDDR5X memory, and an even larger cache, promising unparalleled performance for mobile devices.

With the peak season for smartphones approaching in Q4 2024, industry insiders expect the Dimensity 9400 to adopt an all-large-core design, including one upgraded X5 core and three X4 cores, setting new benchmarks for CPU and GPU performance. The Dimensity 9400 chip is expected to power numerous flagship smartphones, offering consumers enhanced experiences in imaging, gaming, energy efficiency, and AI functionalities.