SK hynix Completes CXL 2.0-Based DDR5 Module Validation

On April 23, SK hynix announced the successful completion of customer validation for its 96GB DDR5 CXL Memory Module (CMM), developed in alignment with the CXL** 2.0 standard. This next-generation DRAM solution is designed to significantly enhance memory capacity and bandwidth in server systems.

** Compute eXpress Link (CXL): A next-generation interface that efficiently connects CPU, GPU, memory, and other components in high-performance computing systems to support massive, ultra-fast computation. Based on PCIe interface, CXL allows fast data transfer and has pooling capability to efficiently utilize memory

According to SK hynix, integrating this module into server platforms delivers a 50% increase in memory capacity and a 30% boost in bandwidth compared to conventional DDR5 modules. It can handle up to 36GB of data per second, offering improved performance and the potential to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO)** in data center infrastructure.

** Total cost of ownership: Total cost of owning a product or service, from purchase to disposal. It also includes costs for deployment, maintenance, operations and upgrades

Building on the success of the 96GB module, SK hynix is now collaborating with customers on validating a 128GB variant. This product, equipped with 32Gb DDR5 DRAM using the 1bnm process, or the fifth-generation of the 10-nanometer technology, has high performance per watt**. SK hynix aims to complete validation swiftly to broaden its CXL memory portfolio and ensure timely availability.

** Performance per watt: Indicator of data capacity per second that can be processed per unit of power

Beyond hardware development, SK hynix is also advancing the CXL ecosystem through innovative software tools. The company has developed its own Heterogeneous Memory Software Development Kit (HMSDK)**, optimized specifically for CXL-based products. In September last year, HMSDK was successfully integrated into Linux—the world's largest open-source operating system—enhancing the overall performance of CXL-enabled systems.

** Heterogeneous Memory S/W Development Kit (HMSDK): SK hynix's unique development kit for heterogeneous memory software. It improves performance by expanding bandwidth through efficient crossbar array and rearranging data with appropriate memory device in accordance with data use frequency.

Vice President Kang Yuk-sung, Head of SK hynix's Next-Generation Product Planning, stated:
"We are developing various solution products to fulfill Optimal Innovation** in order to overcome the limitation of high cost and scalability of the existing system," said Uksong Kang, Head of Next Gen PP&E. "We will provide optimized value to customers by dramatically improving the scalability and the flexibility of memory while meeting customers' different needs."

** Optimal Innovation: One of the product orientations unveiled by SK hynix at the SK AI Summit 2024, meaning product innovation optimized for AI era systems such as CXL and PIM