Samsung ships first 16GB DDR3 modules

South Korean chipmaker Samsung said that it has shipped its first 16GB DDR3 memory modules.

The new modules use a 50 nanometer manufacturing process and operate at a 1.35 volt power level. The modules use the higher density and more efficient 2Gb process Samsung first announced last September.

Designed for use in servers, the new 16GB modules can allow for up to 192GB of memory to be installed in a typical 2-socket server. The company plans on offering 18 different configurations on its DDR3 server memory line.

While prices for DDR3 remain high, the modules are widely expected to take over the market in the coming years as prices fall and buyers opt for its higher data transfer rates and power savings.

Samsung cited data from research firm IDC in predicting that over the next 2 years DDR3 would account for 75 per cent of the SDRAM market, with 2Gb modules comprising a third of those sales.