Samsung reveals GDDR7 GPU VRAM specs but SK Hynix and Micron are ahead?

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Samsung has officially revealed the final specifications of its next-gen GDDR7 GPU VRAM for graphics cards. The company appears to have opted for the reliability and performance of its graphics memory modules instead of boasting higher numbers.

Companies including NVIDIA, AMD, and others would soon begin testing Samsung’s GDDR7 VRAM for their upcoming graphics cards. The South Korean tech giant competes with SK Hynix and Micron in the memory game, but the latter may have beaten Samsung in the numbers game.

What are the final specs of Samsung GDDR7 VRAM chips for GPUs?

Samsung has announced two types of GDDR7 VRAM modules: K4VAF325ZC-SC28 and K4VAF325ZC-SC32. As the names indicate, K4VAF325ZC-SC28 memory chips boast 28Gbps speeds. The K4VAF325ZC-SC32 VRAM chips can go up to 32Gbps.

The Samsung K4VAF325ZC-SC32 has a standard-voltage 32 Gbps die, while the K4VAF325ZC-SC28 is optimized for low voltage. What this essentially means is that the majority of upcoming low and mid-tier graphics cards will be featuring low-voltage optimized 28Gbps VRAM chips.  Only the top-tier, power-hungry, GPUs from NVIDIA may pack the 32Gbps chips from Samsung.

According to WCCFTech, “each module will feature a 32-bit wide bus interface and a refresh rate of 16K/32ms”. Samsung has confirmed it will offer the GDDR7 memory modules in a 266 FBGA package.

Each GDDR7 VRAM module will feature a 32-bit wide bus interface and a 16K/32 ms refresh rate. It is interesting to note that Samsung has confirmed its upcoming GDDR7 GPU memory will only feature 16GB chips, which translates to 2GB VRAM per module. Incidentally, the current generation GDDR6 chips too have 16GB modules.

How does the Samsung memory stack up against the competition?

Samsung’s current generation GDDR6 VRAM modules max out at 24Gbps. Moreover, only a few rare top-end GPUs such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER have been able to hit 22.5Gbps.

Simple mathematics indicates, in terms of raw speed, the upcoming GDDR7 memory promises to be 24.5% better in the lower-end 28Gbps variant, and a whopping 42% better in the 32Gbps line-up.

Samsung recently revealed its GDDR7 VRAM chips at GTC, and the company has now moved the production line to “sampling”. What this means is that GPU makers can request Samsung for a trial batch and incorporate these new GDDR7 VRAM chips into their graphics cards.

If Samsung and GPU makers scale up manufacturing quickly, graphics cards with the new GDDR7 memory modules may arrive in the third or fourth quarter of the current year.

While these swanky new chips are attractive, Samsung’s main competition may have beaten the company in the numbers game. SK Hynix and Micron had recently hinted their upcoming VRAM chips could hit 40Gbps speeds. Moreover, these companies have also promised 64GB memory modules. It is, however, important to note that these manufacturers haven’t yet handed over their products to graphics card manufacturers.



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