Samsung unveils world's first GDDR7 memory chip
The first Samsung GDDR7 memory chip has arrived, with the Korean tech giant announcing the arrival of a new graphics memory standard that promises to elevate user experiences in areas that require outstanding graphic performance. The development of GDDR7 aligns with the demands of the industry, and Samsung’s commitment to innovation.
“The introduction of GDDR7 represents a significant step forward in memory technology,” Samsung says. “It boasts a bandwidth of 128 GB/s, significantly higher than the 89.6 GB/s provided by GDDR6X.”
Samsung’s new GDDR7 chip uses pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM3) signaling, which allows it to transfer three bits of data within a pair of memory chip cycles. This approach means that the memory chip can boast a significantly higher data transfer rate than GDDR6, which uses a simpler method known as PAM2.
While PAM3 signals are more complex to generate and decode, the benefits they offer outweigh the challenges. As Samsung puts it, “the complexity of PAM3 encoding/decoding is balanced by the higher data transfer rate achieved with GDDR7’s higher bandwidth”.
However, this approach does mean that GDDR7 memory chips and their controllers will consume more power overall, because of the complexity required to generate and decode PAM3 signals. Keeping all of this in check is a high thermal conductivity epoxy molding compound (EMC) with 70% lower thermal resistance for GDDR7 packaging, to help prevent overheating.
Samsung also says it plans to offer a low operating voltage option for GDDR7 components, particularly for applications like laptops, where power efficiency is a priority. It hasn’t announced when it will begin mass production of GDDR7 components, or which process technology it will use.
In the meantime, the introduction of GDDR7 is expected to coincide with the release of next-generation graphics processors in 2024. Artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and automotive applications are also likely to benefit from the new memory standard.
“With the introduction of GDDR7, we will continue our leadership in the graphics DRAM space,” Samsung says. “We will continue to deliver innovative memory solutions that support the needs of our customers across all segments, from workstations to PCs, game consoles, and future applications such as AI and automotive vehicles.”
Pricing and availability for Samsung’s new GDDR7 memory chips are yet to be announced.
Featured image credit: Samsung.
