The commercial adoption of DDR5 started in 2021 as it slowly became the new standard, and now the industry is already working on what comes next. According to TheElec, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron have quietly kicked off early development of DDR6, the next generation of memory protocol.
The three companies have shared their designs with substrate manufacturers, who are now building initial prototypes and running verification tests.
“Memory companies and substrate manufacturers typically proceed with joint development more than two years before product launch,” an industry official told TheElec. “Initial development of DDR6 has recently begun.” It is still very early days, but the process has started.
Why does DDR6 matter?
DDR6 is expected to more than double the data transfer speeds of DDR5, which currently tops out at 8.4Gbps. That is a significant leap, which will vastly improve the performance.
However, it comes with its own set of challenges. At higher speeds, maintaining signal integrity and power efficiency gets a lot harder, which is why substrate manufacturers are brought in right at the start, instead of later in the process.
When can we expect it?
Not anytime soon. The JEDEC standards body has not finalized the DDR6 specification yet. A draft was released in late 2024, but key details like thickness, I/O port count, and signal standards are still being worked out. Mass production is not expected until 2028 or 2029, and only once end-customer demand becomes clearer.
The push to develop DDR6 comes partly from the AI boom. AI servers are hungry for faster memory and higher bandwidth, and DDR4, which has been around since 2014, is already on its way out. DDR5 now accounts for over 80% of server DRAM shipments, with DDR4 falling below 20% and possibly heading toward discontinuation.
Christian Cawley / Digital Trends
While DDR6 development news is good for the industry, its adoption will depend on the pricing. AI has already driven up RAM prices exponentially, and DDR6 will absolutely command a premium price.
With the start of April, Netflix is welcoming entertaining movies that will be available to stream for the foreseeable future. One of the new movies I’m ready to watch is Thrash, a new shark movie where the Jaws-like creatures wreak havoc on a coastal town during a hurricane. It might only be spring, but I’ll watch this type of survival thriller any time of the year.
Speaking of thrillers, there are several prominent movies featured on the genre page. My top pick for thrillers this week is a gritty punk-rock film, now streaming on Netflix in the U.S. The other two thrillers we want to spotlight are a twisty crime tale from the 1990s and an allegorical dystopian mystery set in prison.
3
The Platform
Maybe don’t watch on a full stomach
Read what I wrote under the title again. The Platformis not for viewers with queasy stomachs. I have a strong stomach, and yet there are several moments when certain prisoners chow down where I wanted to look away. Between that and the violence, watching before dinner might be the move.
In a dystopian future, there is a prison called the Vertical Self-Management Center. Two prisoners are stationed on each floor, and there is a giant hole in the center. Every day, a platform filled with food lowers to the floor. Prisoners can have as much food as they want when the platform is on their level. However, they can no longer eat when the platform lowers to the next floor. The higher you are in the building, the more food you’ll have at your disposal. The lower floors are left to eat the scraps.
The Platform has much to say about social inequality and greed. I did not expect the Spanish thriller to be as gory as it was. This movie reflects how society treats the rich and the poor, so I should have expected a few uprisings. Overall, it’s a surprisingly effective thriller.
2
Wild Things
A steamy thriller from the 1990s
The following phrase is meant as a compliment: Wild Thingsis sexy trash. It is unapologetically lustful. It’s like playing Mad Libs with an erotic thriller. Plus, its attractive cast—Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Kevin Bacon—adds to the appeal.
In Miami, high school counselor Sam Lombardo (Dillon) is accused of raping popular student Kelly Van Ryan (Richards) and outcast Suzie Toller (Campbell). Sam then hires sleazy lawyer Kenneth Bowden (Murray) to defend him at trial. As the case progresses, Detective Duquette (Bacon) remains suspicious of the girls’ motives and questions whether Sam is innocent.
I’m being intentionally vague in my synopsis because of the significant twists this movie takes. Even if you guess one of the twists, more will follow. It approaches parody with how ridiculous it is, but I’m a sucker for this movie. It’s a soap opera with scandal, murder, and sexual longing. Wild Things is a scripted version of your favorite reality TV show.
1
Caught Stealing
Austin Butler races around New York City
Austin Butler has the “it factor.” Ever since Elvis, Hollywood has been pushing Butler as one of its future stars. The 34-year-old has the looks and skills of an A-list talent. He has good taste, as evidenced by the directors he works with, a list that includes Quentin Tarantino, Jeff Nichols, Denis Villeneuve, Ari Aster, and Darren Aronofsky.
Butler headlined Aronofsky’s 2025 crime thriller Caught Stealing. In the late 1990s, Hank (Butler) is a bartender living in New York City. Hank had aspirations of playing in the MLB, but a car accident derailed his opportunity. One day, Hank’s neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to look after his cat. That small task somehow leads to Hank going on the run from Russian mobsters.
Butler is the perfect actor for this star-making performance that would have taken him to new heights had it come out in the 1990s. Caught Stealing was considered a box office flop—$32 million on an estimated budget of $40 million. I don’t necessarily blame Butler for the poor box office. I think the August 29 release date played a role in its poor performance. Butler’s inclusion in a project might not lead to significant financial gains. However, I appreciate that he made a grimy mid-budget crime thriller that has seemingly disappeared from today’s movie landscape. If Butler’s down to make more crime capers with breakneck action and frenetic pacing, sign me up.
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