DDR2 to DDR3

DDR2 to DDR3 Conversion

DDR3 – How Does It Compare to DDR2?

Next-generation, high-performance DDR3 pushes the envelope in key areas like power consumption, signaling speeds, and bandwidth and brings new levels of performance to desktop, notebook, and server computing applications. Below is a snapshot of how DDR3 stacks up against DDR2.

Feature/Option DDR2 DDR3 DDR3 Advantage
Voltage (core and I/O) 1.8V 1.5V Reduces memory system power demand
Standard Low Voltage Option No Yes (1.35V) Offers low-voltage DDR2 that matches standard DDR3 at 1.5V
Densities (Production) 256Mb to 4Gb 1Gb to 4Gb High-density components enable large memory subsystems with fewer chip counts
Prefetch (MIN WRITE burst) 4-bit 8-bit Reduced core speed dependency for better yield
tCK - DLL enabled 125 Mhz to 400 Mhz 300 Mhz to 800 Mhz Supports higher data rates
Data rate (MT/s per pin) 533, 667, 800 Mb/s 800,1066,1333,1600 Mb/s Migration to higher data bandwidth
Burst length (BL) BL4, BL8 BC4, BL8 BC4 provides relief from some "BL8" requirements
Burst type Fixed, via LMR (1) Fixed, via MRS 
(2) OTF, "on-the-fly"		 OTF allows switching between BC4 and BL8 without MRS command
Data strobes Differential or single-ended Differential only Improves system timing margin by reducing strobe crosstalk
ODT (On Die Termination) RTT: 50, 75, 150 ohm RTT: 20,30,40,60,120 Ohm More ODT options improves signal fidelity and supports higher data rates
Dynamic ODT None 120, 60 Ohm Improved signaling in multiple slots; pin reduction in point to point applications
DQ Driver Impedance 18 Ohm 34 Ohm Optimized for 2-slot and point to point systems
Drive / ODT Calibration None External resistor Improves accuracy over voltage and temperature
Multi-purpose register (MPR) None Four Registers - 1 defined 3 RFU Supports read calibration
Write Leveling None DQS captures CK, DQ
drives out CK's state		 De-skews fly-by layout used by modules
Modules 240-pin SODIMM (unbuffered, registered, fully buffered);
200-pin SODIMM		 240-pin UDIMM; RDIMM, FBDIMM tbd;
204-pin SODIMM		 Improved layout, more form factors, and power delivery design; DDR3 also uses fly-by architecture
Chipset support Legacy Latest Newer chipset features
Additive Latency Yes Yes Tracks with CAS latency

DRAM