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Why it matters: SK Hynix has introduced what it claims is the industry's best performing GDDR7 graphics memory, boasting significantly improved operating speeds and power efficiency compared to the previous generation. The memory maker said its new GDDR7 offers an operating speed of 32Gbps – a 60 percent improvement over GDDR6 – with the potential to reach up to 40Gbps under the right circumstances.
When paired with a high-end GPU, SK Hynix says the memory can process more than 1.5 TB of data per second.
A new packaging technology, meanwhile, is said to enhance power efficiency by more than 50 percent over its predecessor. By increasing the number of heat-dissipating substrate layers from four to six, SK Hynix was able to reduce thermal resistance by 74 percent – all without increasing the memory's footprint.
SK Hynix is one of several memory makers working on GDDR7.
Samsung was the first to announce a GDDR7 memory product, doing so in July 2023. At the time, the company said its offering be able to hit speeds of up to 32Gbps and would be 20 percent more power efficient than existing GDDR6. Samsung also claimed a 70 percent reduction in thermal resistance thanks to a new epoxy molding compound.
Just last month, Micron started sampling its GDDR7 chips to industry partners. Like the other offerings, Micron's tech offers 32Gbps and over 1.5 TB/s of bandwidth.
Select Nvidia GeForce RTX 5000 graphics cards are expected to ship with GDDR7 memory, but not all models. According to a June report, the RTX 5060 and / or the RTX 5050 will only support GDDR6. All other cards in the consumer lineup are expected to include GDDR7.
SK Hynix said it expects to start mass production of its GDDR7 in the third quarter of this year. Nvidia's RTX series is due out sometime in the fourth quarter, but it won't be the only platform to get faster GDDR7 chips. AI applications will also benefit from the faster memory in due time.