Samsung is gearing up for graphics memory with a speed of 37 GB/s, utilizing GDDR7 technology. The 2024 ISSCC program details high-speed memory plans, including 37 Gb/s and 35.4 Gb/s variants based on Samsung and SK Hynix’s GDDR7 specifications. These companies aim to explore graphics memory advancements with PAM3 and NRZ signaling technologies.
Despite the official announcement of GDDR7 memory with speeds up to 32 Gb/s, Samsung and Hynix are pushing for faster developments. Micron is also committed to the race, planning to release 36 Gb/s GDDR7 memory around 2026. In this competitive environment, Samsung and Hynix are poised to unveil initial modules with slightly lower speeds, likely introducing 35 Gb/s modules in subsequent stages.
Samsung took the lead by introducing GDDR6 memory clocked at 24 Gb/s, a speed unprecedented in discrete desktop GPUs. The top GPU in this category, the RTX 4080 SUPER, utilizes 23 Gb/s memory on a 256-bit memory bus, and even the high-end RTX 4090 employs slower 21 Gb/s memory.
The speeds detailed in the ISSCC program are unlikely to be immediately incorporated into the RTX 50 or RX 8000 series. While ISSCC may reveal details and a roadmap, considering Micron’s GDDR7 timeline, it’s reasonable to anticipate such speeds in the generation succeeding the upcoming one.
In a prior announcement, Samsung emphasized GDDR7 memory, pledging a 20% boost in power efficiency and facilitating a bandwidth of 1.5 TB/s. This represents a significant 1.4 times increase compared to the 1.1 TB/s provided by GDDR6. Crucially, these speeds have not been observed in any currently available RTX 40 GPU or RX 7000 card on the market.
Via TechRadar