Samsung has announced that it has successfully developed the industry’s first Graphics Double Data Rate 7 (GDDR7) DRAM. The new memory technology will undergo verification in next-generation systems of key customers this year, contributing to the growth of the graphics market and reinforcing Samsung’s technological leadership.
Unprecedented Speed and Efficiency
Building on their achievement of introducing the 24Gbps GDDR6 DRAM in 2022, Samsung now presents a 16-gigabit (Gb) GDDR7 offering with even higher speeds. Leveraging advancements in integrated circuit (IC) design and packaging, the GDDR7 technology ensures stable performance at exceptional speeds.
Impressive Bandwidth and Enhanced Speed
Samsung’s GDDR7 sets a new standard with an impressive bandwidth of 1.5 terabytes-per-second (TBps), surpassing the 1.1TBps achieved by GDDR6. It boasts a boosted speed per pin of up to 32Gbps, made possible by adopting the Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM3) signaling method. PAM3 allows for a 50% increase in data transmission compared to previous generations, providing enhanced performance.
Energy Efficiency and Power Optimization
In addition to its outstanding performance, Samsung’s GDDR7 design excels in energy efficiency, offering a 20% improvement over GDDR6. The memory technology incorporates power-saving design techniques optimized for high-speed operations. For power-conscious applications like laptops, Samsung provides a low-operating voltage option.
Samsung addresses heat generation concerns by using a high thermal conductivity epoxy molding compound (EMC) for the packaging material, along with IC architecture optimization.
These enhancements result in a 70% reduction in thermal resistance compared to GDDR6, ensuring stable performance even during high-speed operations.
Mass production?
The GDDR7 DRAM is expected to hit mass production sometime in 2024, and is expected to be used first in networking products and high-performance accelerators before being used by graphic card makers AMD and NVIDIA.
Commenting on the announcement, Yongcheol Bae, Executive Vice President of Memory Product Planning Team at Samsung Electronics, said:
Our GDDR7 DRAM will enhance user experiences in areas requiring exceptional graphics performance, including workstations, PCs, and game consoles. We anticipate its expansion into future applications such as AI, HPC, and automotive vehicles. We will bring this next-generation graphics DRAM to market in line with industry demand and remain committed to maintaining our leadership in the space.