Samsung’s GDDR7 Module Takes the Lead in Next-Gen VRAM Race
As the race for next-gen GDDR7 VRAM heats up, Samsung has seemingly grabbed the lead with the industry’s first GDDR7 module, putting the company in a strong position as the battle for faster graphics memory continues. Following on from the announcement of GDDR6X, Micron’s next-generation graphics memory, Samsung has pushed its GDDR7 prototype to reach speeds of 36Gbps, with the company boasting potential applications in areas such as AI.
In terms of specifications, Samsung’s GDDR7 prototype hit maximum boost speeds of 32Gbps per pin, falling short of its intended 36Gbps ceiling but still achieving impressive results. Using PAM-3 signalling in its GDDR7 DRAM, the new chip boasts a 1.4-times increase in bandwidth, a 20% boost in power efficiency, and a staggering 70% reduction in thermal resistance compared to the company’s previous generation GDDR6 solution.
“Graphics memory is one of the fastest growing segments of the semiconductor industry,” says Young-Hyun Jun, Samsung SDS’s president and chief executive officer. “Our new GDDR7 product line-up is designed to meet the growing demand for memory-intensive computing applications, and will help our customers enhance the performance of their cutting-edge systems.”
With the potential for applications such as artificial intelligence, it’s easy to see why Samsung has pushed hard to develop GDDR7, but the technology will also benefit gamers as well. With the company planning to release its first GDDR7 products in late 2023, we’ll hopefully see more competition in the graphics memory space, with Micron expected to follow up its GDDR6X announcement with its own next-gen G7 products in the first half of 2024.
It remains to be seen whether Samsung’s announcement will offer the sort of push that Micron needs to expedite its release, but with both companies looking to improve upon the specifications of their predecessors it’ll be exciting to see which one can come out on top.
