SK hynix GDDR7 Next-Gen Graphics Memory

SK hynix Inc. introduced an industry’s performing GDDR7 ⁽¹⁾, a next-gen graphics memory product.

The development of GDDR7 in March comes amid growing interest by global customers in the AI space in the DRAM product that meets both specialized performance for graphics processing and fast speed. The company said that it will start volume production in 3Q24.

This product comes with the operating speed of 32Gb/s, a 60% improvement from the previous-gen and the speed can grow up to 40Gb/s depending on the circumstances. When adopted for the high-end graphics cards, the product can also process data of more than 1.5TB/s, equivalent to 300 Full-HD movies (5GB each), in a second.

SK hynix also improved power efficiency by more than 50% compared with the previous-gen by adopting the new packaging technology that addresses the heat issue as a result of the fast processing of data.

The company increased the layer number of the heat-dissipating substrates from 4 to 6, while applying the EMC ⁽²⁾ for the packaging material in a bid to reduce thermal resistance ⁽³⁾ by 74%, compared with the previous-gen, while maintaining the size of the product unchanged.

Sangkwon Lee, head, DRAM product planning and enablement, SK hynix, said that GDDR7 is expected to be adopted by a wider range of applications such as high-spec 3D graphics, AI, high-performance computing and autonomous driving.

“We will continue to work towards enhancing our position as the most trusted AI memory solution provider by strengthening the premium memory lineup further,” Lee said.

⁽¹⁾ Graphics DDR(GDDR): a standard specification of graphics DRAM defined by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) and specialized for processing graphics more quickly. Its generation has shifted from GDDR3, GDDR5, GDDR5X, GDDR6 to GDDR7. With the newer generation promising faster speed and higher power efficiency, GDDR has now become one of the most popular memory chips for AI.
⁽²⁾ Epoxy Molding Compound (EMC): an essential material for semiconductor packaging that protects chips from various external conditions such as water, heat, shock and charge by sealing them.
⁽³⁾ Thermal Resistance: a measurement of a material’s resistance to heat transfer that is expressed in the temperature generated by a watt. A lower thermal resistance means better heat-dissipation efficiency as heat is dissipated more easily when a different temperature is applied.