SK hynix is the latest memory manufacturer to announce that it is commencing mass production of GDDR7 modules in Q3 2024.
SK Hynix To Offer GDDR7 Memory For Next-Gen GPUs With Up To 32 Gbps Speeds, Lower Temps & Mass Production In Q3 2024
All three major memory manufacturers, SK Hynix, Micron, and Samsung have now unveiled their next-gen GDDR7 memory solutions for next-generation GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD. The latest memory standard offers a big improvement in transfer speeds and bandwidth.
SK Hynix says that its GDDR7 memory solution will offer a 60% improvement in speed, and 50% higher power efficiency and will be mass-produced in Q3 2024 which gives GPU makers ample time to integrate it within their upcoming products for Q4 2024 or Q1 2025.
Ever since JEDEC made the GDDR7 memory standard official in March 2024, memory makers have fast-forwarded their roadmaps to meet production deadlines and it looks like everyone is now on track for mass production within 2024. As per SK Hynix, its GDDR7 memory will feature speeds of up to 32 Gbps, a 60% improvement versus GDDR6 (20 Gbps). There are faster GDDR6 solutions available too in the form of GDDR6X which can hit up to 24 Gbps or GDDR6W which offers double the channels and some nice power reductions.
The memory maker also confirms that GDDR7 can grow up to 40 Gbps speeds in the future, offering more than 1.5 TB/s bandwidth on high-end graphics cards. A 1.5 TB/s bandwidth can be achieved using a 384-bit bus interface GPU and we are hearing rumors of up to 512-bit solutions from NVIDIA in the works.
Memory speeds aren't the only area where GDDR7 offers improvements over GDDR6, the new standard will also come with 50% higher power efficiency using brand-new packaging technologies that also address some of the heat issues encountered on the last-gen modules. The number of layers of the heat-dissipating substrates has also been increased from 4 to 6 which helps reduce thermal resistance by 74% without changing the dimensions or package size.
This can lead to lower temperatures which can allow for additional overclocking headroom on the next-generation GDDR7-based GPU offerings from NVIDIA and AMD.
GDDR Graphics Memory Evolution:
| GRAPHICS MEMORY | GDDR7 | GDDR6X | GDDR6 | GDDR5X |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workload | Gaming / AI | Gaming / AI | Gaming / AI | Gaming |
| Platform (Example) | GeForce RTX 5090 | GeForce RTX 4090 | GeForce RTX 2080 Ti | GeForce GTX 1080 Ti |
| Die Capacity (Gb) | 16-64 | 8-32 | 8-32 | 8-16 |
| Number of Placements | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Gb/s/pin | 28-48 | 19-24 | 14-16 | 11.4 |
| GB/s/placement | 112-192 | 76-96 | 56-64 | 45 |
| GB/s/system | 1536-2304 | 912-1152 | 672-768 | 547 |
| Configuration (Example) | 384 IO (12pcs x 32 IO package)? | 384 IO (12pcs x 32 IO package) | 384 IO (12pcs x 32 IO package) | 384 IO (12pcs x 32 IO package) |
| Frame Buffer of Typical System | 24 GB (16 Gb) 36 GB (24 Gb) | 24 GB | 12GB | 12GB |
| Module Package | 266 (BGA) | 180 (BGA) | 180 (BGA) | 190 (BGA) |
| Average Device Power (pJ/bit) | TBD | 7.25 | 7.5 | 8.0 |
| Typical IO Channel | PCB (P2P SM) | PCB (P2P SM) | PCB (P2P SM) | PCB (P2P SM) |
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
