Samsung Electronics has completed development of the industry’s first Graphics Double Data Rate 7 (GDDR7) DRAM, which runs at 1.5-terabytes-per-second (TBps), that is 1.4 times that of previous generation GDDR6.
It also features a boosted speed per pin of up to 32Gbps. The speed bump is thanks to innovations in integrated circuit (IC) design and packaging.
The enhancements are made possible by the Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM3) signaling method adopted for the new memory standard instead of the Non Return to Zero (NRZ) from previous generations. PAM3 allows 50 percent more data to be transmitted than NRZ within the same signaling cycle.
Significantly, in comparison with GDDR6, the latest design is 20% more energy efficient with power-saving design technology optimized for high-speed operations. For applications especially mindful of power usage, such as laptops, Samsung offers a low-operating voltage option.
To minimise heat generation, an epoxy molding compound (EMC) with high thermal conductivity is used for the packaging material in addition to IC architecture optimization. These improvements dramatically reduce thermal resistance by 70 percent in comparison to GDDR6, aiding in stable product performance even in conditions with high-speed operations.
“Our GDDR7 DRAM will help elevate user experiences in areas that require outstanding graphics performance, such as workstations, PCs and game consoles, and is expected to expand into future applications such as AI, high-performance computing (HPC) and automotive vehicles,” said Yongcheol Bae, Executive Vice President of Memory Product Planning Team at Samsung Electronics.
The new memory chip will first be installed in next-generation systems of key customers for verification this year.
Entelechy Asia 