Rambus has introduced its fourth-generation registering clock driver (RCD) chip for server-grade DDR5 memory modules. The updated RCD chip brings support for higher clockspeeds on DDR5 RDIMMs, allowing for future RDIMMs to run as fast as DDR5-7200, a step ahead of their current third-generation/DDR5-6400 RCD. Faster DDR5 RDIMMs will eventually go hand-in-hand with upcoming server platforms, with AMD, Intel, and others all eyeing significantly higher memory speeds for their next round of products.
An RCD functions as a buffer between the memory controller and DRAM chips in RDIMMs, redistributing command and address signals across the module – and making up the "Registered" in "Registered DIMM". This enhances signal integrity and enables more memory devices to be connected to a single DRAM channel. To work properly. the RCD must support a specific data transfer rate, so the new RCD buffer from Rambus will enable memory vendors to build server-grade DDR5-7200 modules.
