Samsung tonight pushed its DDR3 memory lineup forward with news of a new two-gigabit (256MB) module. Using a new 50 nanometer manufacturing process, the memory is twice as dense as before and enables RAM capacities that are still rare: a dual-die, error-corrected RAM stick can now hold as much as 16GB by stacking the chips. Notebooks should also see a boost with up to 4GB per stick in a thin package, while the regular unregistered memory used in most desktops should hold a similar amount.

In spite of the capacity increase, Samsung boasts a power consumption drop of 40 percent per module over earlier one-gigabit modules. The increased capacity also has the side benefit of letting the Korean electronics maker reduce power consumption further still by using fewer modules for the same density. Speed is also said to have increased by a full 60 percent thanks to more effective bandwidth.

Volume production of the new memory should start during the fall and should help the most recent Intel-based desktops and notebooks using DDR3 as their memory choice. Samsung also anticipates DDR3 forming the bulk of its RAM shipments in 2009 as more systems switch to the format.