A man types on a computer keyboard in this illustration picture
A man types on a computer keyboard in this illustration picture February 28, 2013. (Representational picture)REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo

The Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC), the global leader in the development of standards for the microelectronics industry, has announced the next-generation DDR5.

DDR is an advanced version of synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), a type of computer memory, with a memory clock speed of at least 200MHz. It can transfer data double the speed of SDRAM, consumes less power and gives off less heat.

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The new DDR5 promises better performance and power efficiency over its predecessor. It claims to have double the bandwidth and density of DDR4, and improved channel efficiency. JEDEC said in a statement that "these enhancements, combined with a more user-friendly interface for server and client platforms, will enable high performance and improved power management in a wide variety of applications."

"Increasing server performance requirements are driving the need for more advanced technologies, and the standardization of next generation memory such as DDR5 and the new generation persistent modules NVDIMM-P will be essential to fulfilling those needs," said Chairman of the JEDEC Board of Directors Mian Quddus.

However, DDR5 will arrive in 2018 and more information will be provided at the upcoming JEDEC's Server Forum event in Santa Clara, CA on June 19, 2017.

"Work on both standards is progressing quickly, and we invite all interested engineers worldwide to visit the JEDEC website for more information about JEDEC membership and participation in JEDEC standards-setting activities," said Mian Quddus.

It takes new version of DDR a few years after the initial announcement to be finally ready for use, as designing it requires time. For instance, the DDR4 was announced in 2012 but was released only in 2015.