LPDDR4 vs LPDDR5: Key Differences

This article compares LPDDR4 and LPDDR5, highlighting the differences between them.

What is LPDDR?

Introduction: LPDDR5 is a low-power volatile (DRAM) device memory standard designed for storing code, applications, and data. It’s a type of SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) engineered to consume less power, making it ideal for mobile devices like phones, tablets, and laptops.

LPDDR Generations Chart Image Courtesy: Synopsys

Figure 1, shown above, illustrates the evolution of LPDDR generations from LPDDR1 to LPDDR5.

Difference Between LPDDR4 and LPDDR5

The following table outlines the key differences between LPDDR4 and LPDDR5:

SpecificationsLPDDR4LPDDR5
I/O bus clock frequency (MHz)1600 MHz, 2133 (For LPDDR-4X)3200 MHz
Prefetch size16 bit32/16 bit
Data transfer rate or speed (Mbps)3200, 4267 (for LPDDR-4X)6400
Supply voltage1.1V core, 1.8 V DRAM array, 1.1V/0.6V I/O0.5V/0.3V I/O, 1.05V/0.9V Core, 1.8 V DRAM array
Command or address bus size6 bits, DDR?

Conclusion

In summary, LPDDR5 DRAM offers higher data rates and supports larger device sizes while operating at lower voltages compared to LPDDR4/4X DRAMs.