During AMD’s ‘together we advance_PCs event, the company unveiled its latest Zen 4-based Ryzen 7000 processors to the world, as well as its AM5 platforms, including X670E, X670, B650E, and B650. AMD also announced what it calls AMD EXPO, a new technology for overclocking DDR5 memory. In conjunction with this announcement, AMD has partnered with memory manufacturers including ADATA, Corsair, G.Skill, GeIL, and Kingston Technology to bring AMD Ryzen 7000 optimized kits of DDR5 memory to the market, with 15 (or more) of these set to be available on launch day on September 27th.

AMD EXPO stands for EXtended Profiles for Overclocking and is designed to provide users with high-end memory overclocking when used in conjunction with AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series processors. Similar to Intel’s preexisting X.M.P (Extreme Memory Profile) technology found on most consumer-level memory kits designed for desktop Intel platforms, AMD’s EXPO technology aims to do the same, but as an open standard with an emphasis on providing the best settings for AMD platforms.

AMD EXPO Technology: Like X.M.P, but Optimized for Ryzen 7000

The premise of AMD EXPO is that it will be a one-click DDR5 overclocking function for AM5 motherboards, and AMD claims that EXPO overclocked memory kits will offer up to 11% higher gaming performance at 1080p, although it hasn’t quantified how it came to this figure. AMD did, however, state that it is expecting (at least) 15 kits of DDR5 memory with AMD EXPO at launch on September 27th, with rates of up to DDR5-6400.

AMD EXPO, on the surface, is essentially an X.M.P profile specifically designed for AMD’s Ryzen 7000 (Zen 4) processors. Although AMD hasn’t gone into finer details on how it differs from X.M.P, beyond the fact that it will be royalty and licensing fee free.

G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo DDR5 memory with AMD EXPO certification

It is worth noting that DDR5 memory with X.M.P profiles will be supported on Ryzen 7000 platforms. Still, AMD EXPO adds an additional layer of ‘compatibility’ with AMD systems, as EXPO DIMMs will be optimized for use on AMD platforms (as opposed to X.M.P. kits chiefly being optimized for Intel platforms).

AMD EXPO does have one caveat associated with it; AMD EXPO is classed as overclocking in AMD’s own eyes, and according to its footnotes, it does void the warranty.

The footnote on the AMD EXPO landing page states as follows:

Overclocking and/or undervolting AMD processors and memory, including without limitation, altering clock frequencies / multipliers or memory timing / voltage, to operate outside of AMD’s published specifications will void any applicable AMD product warranty, even when enabled via AMD hardware and/or software. This may also void warranties offered by the system manufacturer or retailer. Users assume all risks and liabilities that may arise out of overclocking and/or undervolting AMD processors, including, without limitation, failure of or damage to hardware, reduced system performance and/or data loss, corruption or vulnerability. GD-106

Similar to how Intel operates with X.M.P profiles being applied, using AMD EXPO will technically void the warranty, which seems odd given this is AMD’s technology designed to offer adopters of Ryzen 7000 and AM5 an additional boost to performance through certification. When overclocking, doing so is always at the user’s risk. Still, with a certification such as AMD EXPO offers, it seems a little odd that AMD is recommending optimized memory for its platform but also voids the processor’s warranty.

AMD EXPO: 15 Different DDR5 Kits Available At Launch

As we previously mentioned, AMD says that there should be 15 kits of DDR5 with support for AMD EXPO ready to launch when Ryzen 7000 is released on September 27th. Some of these kits include ADATA Caster RGB and Lancer RGB models, with GeiL EVO V models and Kingston Technology Fury Beast and RGB enabled models.

G.Skill Flare X5 Memory in black with AMD EXPO certification

Corsair and G.Skill sent us information on what it is launching alongside Ryzen 7000 on September 27th. Starting with G.Skill, it announced three new kits of DDR5 for Ryzen 7000, including its Trident Z5 Neo RGB, regular Trident Z5 Neo, and the Flare X5 series. The flagship for its AMD EXPO memory is the Trident Z Neo, with four different varieties of DDR5-6000 set for launch, each with different latencies and capacities, as outlined in the table below.

G.Skill AMD EXPO DDR5 Memory (as of 08/30)
Memory
Frequency
CL Timing
Capacity
Trident Z5 Neo + RGB Neo
DDR5-6000
30-38-38-96
2 x 16 GB
30-40-40-96
2 x 32 GB
32-38-38-96
2 x 16 / 2 x 32 GB
36-36-36-96
2 x 16 GB
Flare X5
DDR5-5600
28-34-34-89
2 x 16 / 2 x 32 GB
30-36-36-89
36-36-36-89

The Trident Z5 Neo and RGB Neo share the same specifications, but the RGB version includes a customizable LED lightbar. The top SKU from G.Skill with AMD EXPO at launch will be the DDR5-6000 CL30-38-38-96 kit, which is available in capacities of 2 x 16 GB (32 GB). The Flare X5 replaces the older Flare X series for DDR4 and features a lower profile heatsink at just 33 mm tall; this makes it more compatible for users with space restrictions of large tower coolers that restrict larger and more aggressive heatsink designs such as the Trident Z5 Neo.

New Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5 for AMD Ryzen 7000

Focusing on what Corsair has announced for its AMD EXPO certified memory, it has two new varieties of DDR5 memory. This includes new premium Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5, Vengeance DDR5, and non-RGB enabled Vengeance DDR5, all designed specifically for AMD and Ryzen 7000. The top SKU from Corsair is the Dominator Platinum RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) kit with speeds of DDR5-6000 and latencies of CL30-36-36-76. The Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5 memory for AMD EXPO will also be available in 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) kits, with speeds of DDR5-5600 CL36 and DDR5-5200 CL40 varieties. 

The Corsair Vengeance RGB with AMD EXPO profiles will reach up to DDR5-6000 CL30 but will also be available in DDR5-5600 CL36 and DDR5-5200 CL40. At the time of writing, the non-RGB enabled Vengeance for AM5 will max out at DDR5-5600 CL36, with options also available in DDR5-5200 CL40 in both 2 x 16 GB (32 GB) and 2 x 32 GB (64 GB) kits.

The AMD EXPO DDR5 memory kits will launch at the same time as AMD’s Ryzen 7000 desktop processors and AMD X670E and X670 motherboards: September 27th. None of the memory vendors have provided us with any pricing at the time of writing.

Source: AMD, Corsair, & G.Skill

Read MoreAnandTech

Intel this week introduced its new Semiconductor Co-Investment Program (SCIP) under which it will build new manufacturing facilities in collaboration with investment partners – a sharp departure from the company’s traditional stance of wholly owning its logic fabs. As part of its SCIP initiative, Intel has already signed a deal with Brookfield Asset Management, which will provide Intel about $15 billion to build its fab new fab in Arizona in exchange for a 49% stake in the project. Furthermore, similar co-investment models are set to be used for other fabs in the future.

New Fabs Are Getting Costlier

When Intel announced plans to produce chips for other companies last year (and to a large degree become a contract maker of semiconductors), it marked a significant shift in the company’s business strategy that required Intel to build new manufacturing capacity not only for itself, but for its future clients as well. But modern fabs are exceptionally expensive, as new manufacturing tools — such as contemporary extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography scanners — are prohibitively expensive, which makes it considerably harder for the company to execute on its IDM 2.0 strategy from capital point of view. 

To get sufficient capacity for its own products and for its fabless clients in the mid-term future, Intel had to engage into several capital-intensive projects: the $7.1 billion fab expansion in Ireland (which has probably been completed); two new fabs — Fab 52 and Fab 62 — at its Ocotillo site near Chandler, Arizona that were expected to cost $20 billion; an all-new semiconductor production campus in Ohio that will need $20 billion initially and will be a size of a small town as well as will cost up to $100 when fully built; and an all-new production facility near Magdeburg, Germany (which will require an investment of €17 billion).

Intel is set to get billions in incentives from local authorities as well as subsidies from federal governments of the U.S. and Germany to build these fabs. But modern EUV-capable semiconductor production facilities cost about $10 billion (large gigafabs with a capacity of 100,000 wafer starts per month cost north from $20 billion), so financing these projects is particularly challenging even for Intel. Therefore, in a bid to build its new facilities in Arizona the company decided to engage into its co-investment program with Brookfield. 

Intel to Maintain Majority Ownership

Under the terms of the deal, the two companies will co-invest $30 billion in the ongoing expansion of the site with Intel financing 51% and Brookfield backing 49% of the total project cost. Previously Intel planned to invest $20 billion in its Fab 52 and Fab 62, but together with Brookfield the sum has increased to $30 billion. In addition to getting access to additional funding, Intel could also take advantage of Brookfield’s experience in developing infrastructure assets.

By working together with Brookfield, Intel will get $15 billion in free cash flow and will be able to invest more into its new fabs without raising new debt. Also, this will allow Intel to invest more in other projects while “continuing to fund a healthy and growing dividend.” Meanwhile, the $15 billion benefit is “expected to be accretive to Intel’s earnings per share during the construction and ramp phase.”

Perhaps the key part of the announcement is the fact that Intel plans to sign similar deals with co-investors in the future, so expect its upcoming manufacturing capacity to be co-funded by others. Intel will retain majority ownership and operating control of its chip factories, but it will not own 100% of them. Previously the company rarely engaged into joint ventures, the most notable exceptions being IMFT, the company’s NAND flash joint-venture with Micron, and participating in ASML’s customer co-investment program from early 2010s. 

“This landmark arrangement is an important step forward for Intel’s Smart Capital approach and builds on the momentum from the recent passage of the CHIPS Act in the U.S.,” said David Zinsner, Intel CFO. “Semiconductor manufacturing is among the most capital-intensive industries in the world, and Intel’s bold IDM 2.0 strategy demands a unique funding approach. Our agreement with Brookfield is a first for our industry, and we expect it will allow us to increase flexibility while maintaining capacity on our balance sheet to create a more distributed and resilient supply chain.”

Co-ownership of semiconductor manufacturing facilities is not something unheard of the industry. China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co. (SMIC) invests in new fabs together with local authorities of Chinese provinces as well as various asset management companies and/or investment banks (many of which are controlled by China’s federal government). GlobalFoundries used to be co-owned by AMD and Mubadala before the latter acquired AMD’s stake as the chip developer badly needed money. Yet, a co-investment program is something particularly new for Intel, which has always owned 100% of its manufacturing facilities. Ultimately, as it looks like as the semiconductor production is getting more expensive, there is a first time for anything.

Read MoreAnandTech

Samsung on Friday broke ground for a new semiconductor research and development complex which will design new fabrication processes for memory and logic, as well as conduct fundamental research of next-generation technologies and materials. The company plans to invest KRW 20 trillion ($15 billion) in the new R&D facility by 2028.

To make more competitive logic and memory chips, companies like Samsung have to innovate across many directions, which includes new materials (for fins, for gates, for contacts, for dielectrics, just to name a few), transistor architecture, manufacturing technologies, and design of actual devices. In many cases, companies physically separate fundamental research and development of actual process technologies, but the new R&D center will conduct operations across virtually all fronts except device design.

The new facility will handle advanced research on next-generation transistors and fabrication processes for memory and logic chips as well as seek for new technologies to ‘overcome the limits of semiconductor scaling.’ Essentially, this means researching new materials and manufacturing techniques as well as developing actual production nodes. Given that all of these R&D operations require large scale nowadays, it is not particularly surprising that it will require Samsung to invest $15 billion in the center over the next six years.

Spreading fundamental research and applied development operations across different locations helps with bringing new talent onboard (e.g., people with academia background may be unwilling to relocate too far away from their current homes), but also creates discrepancy within one company as feedback from different departments gets slower. Ideally, scientists doing pathfinding and research, developers designing new production nodes, fab engineers, and device developers should work together on a site and get feedback from each other. But while Samsung’s new R&D hub is not meant for this, it will still bring scientists and node developers together, which is a big deal.

The new R&D center will be located at Samsung’s campus near Giheung, South Korea, and will be occupy around 109,000 m2 (~20 football fields). To put the number into a more relevant context, Apple’s corporate headquarters — Apple Park — occupies around 259,000 m2 and houses over 12,000 of employees that do everything from management to research to product development.

The new R&D facility will work in concert with Samsung’s existing R&D line in Hwaseong (which works on memory, system LSI, and foundry technologies) and the company’s production complex in Pyeongtaek that can produce both DRAM (using 10nm-class technologies) and logic chips (using 5nm-class and thinner nodes). It will also be Samsung’s 12th semiconductor R&D center. Meanwhile, this will be the company’s first semiconductor R&D facility of this scale.

Three years ago Samsung announced plans to spend KRW 133 trillion ($100 billion today, $115 billion in 2019) on semiconductor R&D by 2030. The company allocated KRW 73 trillion ($54.6 billion) on R&D operations in South Korea, so investing $15 billion in a single research and development facility aligns perfectly with this plan.

“Our new state-of-the-art R&D complex will become a hub for innovation where the best research talent from around the world can come and grow together,” said President Kye Hyun Kyung, who also heads the Device Solutions (DS) Division. “We expect this new beginning will lay the foundation for sustainable growth of our semiconductor business.”

Source: Samsung

Read MoreAnandTech