Micron Technology is sharpening its competitive edge in AI infrastructure with the debut of its 192GB SOCAMM2 memory module, a compact, power-efficient innovation aimed squarely at the escalating energy demands of AI data centers. The Idaho-based chipmaker this week announced that customer sampling is underway, positioning SOCAMM2 as the highest-capacity low-power DRAM module yet available.
The new SOCAMM2 extends Micron’s existing small outline compression attached memory line, boosting capacity by 50% within the same physical footprint. Using the company’s most advanced 1-gamma DRAM process, the module improves power efficiency by more than 20%, a critical gain for facilities hosting racks of AI servers that can collectively consume tens of megawatts of energy.
“As AI workloads become more complex and demanding, data center servers must achieve increased efficiency, delivering more tokens for every watt of power,” said Raj Narasimhan, SVP and general manager of Micron’s Cloud Memory Business Unit. He touted that the new modules as providing “the data throughput, energy efficiency, and capacity” to drive today’s AI-intensive data centers.
Built for AI’s Expanding Appetite
Micron’s move underscores a core truth of today’s AI buildout: memory has become as central to performance as compute power.
Once considered a commodity, DRAM is now a premium element in system design. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang recently described Micron’s role in AI infrastructure as “invaluable to enabling the next generation of breakthroughs,” a comment that underscores the tight linkage between GPUs and memory subsystems.
With SOCAMM2, Micron brings the high bandwidth and low latency of its LPDDR5X memory chips, traditionally used in smartphones, into the data center. Among its advantages: the architecture’s compact form factor allows for greater density within each rack. Additionally, Micron reports that in testing, the new modules reduced time to first token by over 80% in AI inference workloads, a key performance improvement that speeds real-time response.
Modularity and Serviceability
Beyond raw performance, Micron emphasizes modularity and serviceability. SOCAMM2 modules use a stacked, replaceable design that facilitates upgrades as capacity expands in future iterations. The company also touts that the new modules achieve over two-thirds better power efficiency than equivalent RDIMMs (Registered Dual In-line Memory Module) while occupying one-third the physical size.
Micron’s participation in defining the JEDEC SOCAMM2 specification further suggests the company aims to lead, not merely follow, in setting industry standards for low-power server memory. Perhaps more significant, more adoption of SOCAMM2-class modules could meaningfully reduce power consumption across the AI sector.
Competing in a High-Stakes Memory Market
Micron’s new release comes amid intensifying competition in what some call the “memory oligarchy,” the group of leading memory chip vendors. Together with Samsung and SK Hynix, Micron controls nearly the entire market for high-performance DRAM, particularly the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) crucial to GPUs. In recent quarters, Micron has outpaced Samsung to become the second-largest HBM supplier, holding roughly 21% market share.
The introduction of SOCAMM2 places Micron in a stronger position as hyperscale customers and chip partners like NVIDIA work to optimize for efficiency per watt. With data center workloads continuing to surge, Micron’s latest advance isn’t just about memory, it’s clearly geared for the next phase of the AI buildout.
