DDR4 DRAM components are available in three variants: x4, x8, and x16. Factors such as cost, power, board space, and so on. often determine the choice of component. Here, performance impact is the only consideration. The following table compares various features of the DRAM components and their performance impact.
Note: Data shown is for 8 Gb
components, 3200 speed grade.
| Feature | x4 | x8 | x16 | Performance Implication |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Page size (x64) | 8 KB | 8 KB | 8 KB | None, all are the same. |
| Banks | 16 | 16 | 8 | Fewer banks reduces the performance of random and multi-thread linear traffic patterns. |
| Bank Groups | 4 | 4 | 2 | Fewer bank groups reduces the MC's ability to reorder and achieve "short" timing. |
| Data Mask | No | Yes | Yes | Without data mask, any partial write requires a read-modify-write operation, reducing overall performance. |
| tFAW | 13 ns | 21 ns | 30 ns | Shorter tFAW improves performance of short random traffic pattern. |
| tRRD_L | 4.9 ns | 4.9 ns | 6.4 ns | Shorter parameter improves overall performance. |
| tRRD_S | 3.3 ns | 3.3 ns | 5.3 ns | Shorter parameter improves overall performance. |