Samsung has officially introduced its next-gen memory technologies including HBM3E, GDDR7, LPDDR5x CAMM2, and more during its Memory Tech Day 2023.
We have already reported the developments on the Samsung HBM3E memory codenamed "Shine Bolt" and GDDR7 for next-generation AI, Gaming, and data center applications. These can be seen as the two biggest highlights of the Memory Tech Day 2023 but Samsung sure has a lot more action going on.
Samsung HBM3E "Shinebolt" Memory For AI & Data Centers
Building on Samsung’s expertise in commercializing the industry’s first HBM2 and opening the HBM market for high-performance computing (HPC) in 2016, the company today revealed its next-generation HBM3E DRAM, named Shinebolt. Samsung’s Shinebolt will power next-generation AI applications, improving total cost of ownership (TCO) and speeding up AI-model training and inference in the data center.
The HBM3E boasts an impressive speed of 9.8 gigabits-per-second (Gbps) per pin speed, meaning it can achieve transfer rates exceeding more than 1.2 terabytes-per-second (TBps). In order to enable higher-layer stacks and improve thermal characteristics, Samsung has optimized its non-conductive film (NCF) technology to eliminate gaps between chip layers and maximize thermal conductivity. Samsung’s 8H and 12H HBM3 products are currently in mass production and samples for Shinebolt are shipping to customers.
Leaning into its strength as a total semiconductor solutions provider, the company also plans to offer a custom turnkey service that combines next-generation HBM, advanced packaging technologies, and foundry offerings together.
Samsung GDDR7 - 32 Gbps & 32 Gb DRAM For Next-Gen Gaming Graphics
Other products highlighted at the event include the 32Gb DDR5 DRAM with the industry’s highest capacity, the industry’s first 32Gbps GDDR7, and the petabyte-scale PBSSD, which offers a significant boost to storage capabilities for server applications.
According to Samsung, the GDDR7 memory will offer a 40% performance boost and 20% power efficiency improvement compared to the current fastest 24 Gbps GDDR6 DRAM offering up to 16 Gb die capacities. The first products will be rated at transfer speeds of up to 32 Gbps which marks a 33% improvement over GDDR6 memory while achieving up to 1.5 TB/s of bandwidth which will be achieved on a 384-bit bus interface solution.
Following is the bandwidth the 32 Gbps pin speeds would offer across multiple bus configurations:
- 512-bit - 2048 GB/s (2.0 TB/s)
- 384-bit - 1536 GB/s (1.5 TB/s)
- 320-bit - 1280 GB/s (1.3 TB/s)
- 256-bit - 1024 GB/s (1.0 TB/s)
- 192-bit - 768 GB/s
- 128-bit - 512 GB/s
The company has also tested early samples running at speeds of up to 36 Gbps though we doubt those will be ready in enough mass-produced quantities to fulfill the next-gen gaming and AI GPU lineups.
GDDR7 memory will also offer 20% higher efficiency and that's great considering memory consumes a huge amount of power for high-end GPUs. It is said that the Samsung GDDR7 DRAM will include technology specifically optimized for high-speed workloads and there will also be a low-operating voltage option designed for applications with mindful power usage such as laptops. For thermals, the new memory standard will utilize an epoxy molding compound (EMC) with high thermal conductivity which reduces thermal resistance by up to 70%. It was reported back in August that Samsung was sampling its GDDR7 DRAM to NVIDIA for early evaluation of its next-gen gaming graphics cards.
Samsung LPDDR5x For Next-Gen CAMM2 Modules, Slimming Down Mobile Designs
In order to process data-intensive tasks, today’s AI technologies are moving toward a hybrid model that allocates and distributes workload among cloud and edge devices. Accordingly, Samsung introduced a range of memory solutions that support high-performance, high-capacity, low-power, and small form factors at the edge.
In addition to the industry’s first 7.5Gbps LPDDR5X CAMM2 which is expected to be a true game changer in the next-generation PC and laptop DRAM market the company also showcased its 9.6Gbps LPDDR5X DRAM, LLW DRAM specialized for on-device AI, next-generation Universal Flash Storage (UFS), and the high-capacity Quad-Level Cell (QLC) SSD BM9C1 for PCs.