Micron confirms that shortages of PMIC and VRM affect DDR5 memory shipments
Intel’s Alder Lake is the first mainstream platform to support DDR5 memory. Many consumers may still be wondering whether to use DDR4 or DDR5 memory if they buy a 12th-generation Core series processor. DDR4 is quite mature, high-frequency and low-latency products are affordable and reliable, and DDR5’s initial products not only have no advantages in performance but are also much more expensive.
This trouble may be relieved temporarily, because DDR5 memory is currently experiencing some difficult problems, and it is likely to continue for a long time. According to SeekingAlpha, recently, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra stated on the company’s earnings conference call, due to the shortage of power management IC (PMIC) and voltage regulation module (VRM) supply, the shipment of DDR5 memory is affected, as a result, restrictions on use are expected to continue until the second half of 2022 to ease.
In the past, the motherboard was responsible for the voltage regulation of the memory module, but in the DDR5 era, PMIC and VRM modules have been transferred to the memory. This makes it easy to adjust the voltage of the memory and simplifies the design and production of server motherboards equipped with multiple memory slots. The transformation of memory modules has increased its complexity, requiring DRAM manufacturers to purchase PMIC and VRM components. Unfortunately, it happened to be a serious shortage in the semiconductor industry. As Intel rolls out its 12th-generation Core series processors early next year, the purchase of DDR5 memory will inevitably increase.
This situation is not without warning. It was reported more than a month ago that with the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, logistics and transportation have been affected. In addition, the shortage of the supply chain has become more serious, and the production of DRAM has gradually been affected. Due to the lack of sufficient PMICs, DDR5 memory has become difficult to produce. Not only the price becomes higher, but the delivery cycle may also be longer.
