Server DRAM to exceed cellular DRAM, as enterprises undertake rising tech

Semiconductor producers will reply to adjustments in demand by producing extra dynamic RAM (DRAM) for servers than for cellular gadgets this yr, a milestone that highlights growing enterprise use of rising know-how associated to cloud computing, AI and excessive efficiency computing (HPC) functions, based on market analysis agency TrendForce.

To deal with the emerging-tech workloads, the typical DRAM content material of servers will enhance by 12.1% year-over-year in 2023, in comparison with a rise of 6.7% for DRAM content material for smartphones, TrendForce forecasts. DRAM content material refers back to the quantity of DRAM reminiscence put in in a tool.

In a associated estimate, server reminiscence is predicted to make up 37.6% of what TrendForce determines to be the whole bit output of DRAM semiconductors, in comparison with cellular DRAM’s 36.8%, the corporate mentioned in its newest DRAM analysis report.

Whereas AI and HPC workloads contribute to growing want for server DRAM, the pandemic-fueled enlargement of cloud providers is also an element, TrendForce mentioned.

“Owing to the affect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the marketplace for cloud providers has expanded significantly and thereby brought on a pointy enhance in each server shipments and the typical reminiscence content material of servers,” TrendForce mentioned.  Due to this, demand for stable state drive (SSD) arrays with DRAM — usually thought of well-suited for HPC and large information workloads due to their quick pace — will develop, the corporate mentioned.

Market evaluation firm Market Analysis Future additionally factors out that over latest years, there was a constant enhance within the demand for server DRAM, which could be attributed to the speedy use of client electronics that use providers hosted on servers in information facilities.

Going ahead, extra DRAM reminiscence can be shipped for servers than for smartphones, based on TrendForce, although the corporate didn’t quantify how a lot DRAM can be shipped.

In the meantime server DRAM capability for smartphones has been stifled by provide chain points as a consequence of pandemic disruptions, TrendForce mentioned. “When growing gadgets slated for launch throughout 2022, manufacturers primarily stayed with the {hardware} specs that may very well be offered by the elements inside their present inventories. This strategy thus constrained the DRAM content material development,” based on the TrendForce report. This resulted in an oversupply of DRAM for cellular gadgets.

Whereas provide chain and stock issues are being resolved, TrendForce forecasts that the expansion price for DRAM content material for cell phones will keep beneath 10% for “the following a number of years” — beneath that for servers.

“Transferring into 2023, the projections on the expansion of smartphone shipments and the rise within the common DRAM content material of smartphones stay fairly conservative,” TrendForce famous.