Samsung Electronics CXL DRAM supporting CXL 2.0 (Samsung Electronics) Samsung Electronics is preparing to mass-produce next-generation Compute Express Link (CXL) memory modules as early as the fourth quarter, to capture rising demand for flexible AI data center memory beyond DRAM and HBM.According to industry sources Wednesday, the chipmaker plans to supply samples of its CXL 3.1-based CMM-D memory modules to major server and hyperscale customers in the third quarter. Mass production could begin later this year if the products pass customer qualification tests.CXL is a PCIe-based standard that enables faster data sharing among CPUs, GPUs and memory. PCle refers to Peripheral Component Interconnect Express, a connection used for high-speed transmissions.Unlike conventional server memory, CXL allows multiple processors to share pooled memory resources more efficiently — a feature increasingly viewed as critical for AI infrastructure.“The core role of CXL is memory pooling,” a memory industry executive said. “It complements HBM rather than replacing it.”Customers were not disclosed, but Samsung has supplied earlier CXL 2.0 samples to more than 40 companies, including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, Dell and Supermicro, industry sources said.Samsung’s new CMM-D 3.1 module combines DRAM chips and a dedicated CXL controller on a single printed circuit board. The module supports up to 1 terabyte of capacity and bandwidth of up to 72 gigabytes per second based on PCIe 6.0, double the performance of CXL 2.0.The technology also allows memory expansion with greater flexibility, similar to adding SSD storage, without requiring major server redesigns.Samsung had initially aimed to launch the product last year, but booming demand for conventional DRAM and HBM appears to have pushed CXL commercialization down the priority list.Crosstown rival SK hynix has also stepped up its CXL push. In its earnings call last month, the company said it plans to strengthen its leadership in the emerging market with a second-generation CXL product supporting the CXL 3.0 standard, offering improved capacity and performance over its first-generation CXL 2.0 product.Market researcher Yole Group projects the global CXL market will expand from $2.1 billion this year to $16 billion by 2028 as AI data centers seek to overcome memory bottlenecks.