Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan hints at a memory comeback — stacking DRAM directly on the CPU “makes a lot of sense.”
Two pieces behind it:
XBM — patent drops HBM’s silicon interposer for UCIe links. Commercialization after 2030.
ZAM — 8 DRAM dies + logic controller, lower power/heat/cost than HBM. Built via Saimemory, Intel’s JV with SoftBank.
The catch: DRAM on hot logic brings thermal and yield problems, and NVIDIA’s 80%+ share of AI accelerators is already built around HBM.