X-bit labs

Samsung Plans 2GHz GDDR3 Memory by Year End.

Category: Memory

by Anton Shilov

[ 04/20/2004 | 11:39 PM ]

Being the only memory maker on the planet capable of producing GDDR3 DRAMs now, Samsung Electronics is ramping up production of high-end GDDR3 memory components to fulfill demand from its customers NVIDIA and ATI.

The GDDR3 256Mb graphics memory devices manufactured by Samsung are clocked at 500MHz, 600MHz, 700MHz and 800MHz speeds effectively providing 1000Mb/s, 1200Mb/s, 1400Mb/s and 1600Mb/s per pin bandwidth. Such memory will enable high speed 256MB and 512MB graphics cards as well as power efficient 128MB notebook solutions.

To allow speeds beyond 1.0GHz Samsung used a number of technologies developed for DDR-II and GDDR2 memories, such as On-Die Termination (ODT), Output Driver Strength adjustment by EMRS, Calibrated output drive, Pseudo Open drain compatible inputs/outputs and some other. Samsung’s GDDR3 memory chips are packaged in 144-ball FBGA package and require 1.9V power supply for device operation and 1.9V power supply for I/O interface.

Samsung’s high-speed GDDR3 memory chips are used on the latest graphics cards powered by the GeForce 6800 Ultra graphics processors from NVIDIA and are supposed to be installed on the forthcoming RADEON X800-series products from ATI Technologies.

There are no other memory makers to produce memory chips with effective speeds beyond 1000MHz today, but to cement its leadership position in future Samsung Electronics is to unveil GDDR3 products at speeds of about 2.0GHz (1.0GHz physical speed) by the end of the year, Korea Times web-site reports.