SK Hynix aims for graphics chip supremacy with GDDR7 in Q3

SK Hynix Inc., the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker after Samsung Electronics Co., said on Tuesday it plans to begin volume production of the industry’s best-performing graphics memory chip, GDDR7, in the third quarter.

GDDR7, short for graphics double data rate 7, is the next-generation DRAM specialized for quick graphics data processing.

With the latest-generation chip boasting a faster speed and higher power efficiency, GDDR has become one of the most popular memory chips for artificial intelligence (AI) devices, the company said.

Developed in March, SK Hynix’s GDDR7 boasts a data transfer speed of 32 gigabits per second (Gbps) — the industry’s fastest — and a 60% improvement from the previous generation chip, GDDR6.

The operating speed goes up to 40 Gbps, it said.

300 FULL-HD MOVIES IN A SECOND

When installed on high-end graphics cards, the GDDR7 product can process 1.5 terabytes (TB) of data per second, equivalent to 300 full-HD movies in one second, it said,

SK Hynix said the GDDR7 consumes 50% less power than the previous model, making it optimal for high-speed operations.

With an innovative integrated circuit design and packaging, the latest chip also minimizes heat generation.

The company raised the number of layers of the heat-dissipating substrates from four to six. As a result, the new chip’s thermal resistance has been reduced by 74%, compared with GDDR6, allowing for stable product performance even in high-speed operating conditions, it said.

KEEN INTEREST FROM AI CLIENTS

Lee Sang-kwon, head of DRAM Product Planning & Enablement at SK Hynix, said GDDR7 is soon expected to be adopted by a wider range of applications, including high-specification 3D graphics, AI, high-performance computing (HPC) and autonomous driving.

“By strengthening our premium memory lineup, we aim to enhance our position as the most trusted AI memory solution provider,” he said.

Graphics processing unit makers such as Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) and Nvidia Corp. have bought advanced graphics chips from Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron Technology Inc.

As AI becomes more advanced, technology competition for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and GDDR is intensifying.

In July 2023, Samsung said it developed a GDDR7 chip for the first time in the industry and was in the middle of verifying its products on customer systems.

Micron also developed its version of the GDDR7 product last year and is preparing for mass production.

Write to Chae-Yeon Kim at why29@hankyung.com

In-Soo Nam edited this article.