Samsung starts sampling ultra-fast 24 Gbps GDDR6 memory for next-gen GPUs
Samsung’s got faster GDDR6 memory modules on the horizon
Memory bandwidth is a critical factor for modern CPU and GPU designs, so much so that almost every new generation of graphics cards demands new GDDR iterations for its high-end products. The GTX 10 series needed GDDR5X, the RTX 20 series needed GDDR6, and the RTX 30 series needed GDDR6X. Now Samsung is answering the call for boosted memory bandwidth, not with a GDDR6X competitor, but with upgraded GDDR6 memory offerings.
On the company’s website, Samsung has confirmed that they are now sampling 20 Gbps and 24 Gbps GDDR6 memory products under the part numbers “K4ZAF325BC-SC20” and “K4ZAF325BC-SC24”.
Most of AMD’s RX 6000 series uses 16 Gbps GDDR6 memory modules, making Samsung’s new 24 Gbps modules a full 50% faster. That’s enough to shoot Samsung’s GDDR6 memory past the 21 Gbps performance levels of Micron’s GDDR6X memory.
Both AMD and Nvidia are working on next-generation GPU designs, and the bandwidth offered by Samsung’s new 20 Gbps and 24 Gbps GDDR6 memory modules could help enable a new generational leap in graphics performance. That said, it is unknown when these new memory modules will enter mass production.
Samsung’s new 20Gbps and 24 Gbps GDDR6 memory modules appear to only be available with 16 Gb (2 GB) per chip memory capacities, suggesting that Samsung has no plans to make smaller 8Gb (1 GB) GDDR6 memory modules with these speeds. This shift will help normalise graphics cards with larger frame buffers, as larger per chip DRAM capacities make it easier to create GPUs that feature large banks of VRAM.Â
Samsung’s newest GDDR6 memory modules could allow Samsung to power the next generational lap in GPU performance. These new GDDR6 memory modules could be what powered AMD’s RX 7000 series GPUs and Nvidia’s RTX 40 series, assuming that Samsung’s competitors don’t have something even faster on the horizon.Â
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