Micron has published its latest roadmap which details its upcoming memory technologies including GDDR7 for next-gen NVIDIA GPUs.
Micron To Be A Primary Supplier of DRAM For Next-Gen NVIDIA GPUs, GDDR7 In 2H 2024 & GDDR7+ In 1H 2026
NVIDIA has been selecting Micron’s GDDR solutions for its graphics cards for quite some time. The green team first co-developed the GDDR5X standard with Micron with its GeForce 10 series cards & currently uses the fastest GDDR6X modules for its latest RTX 40 graphics cards. The company also uses standard GDDR6 chips in its budget-friendly & mainstream designs. Now, Micron has released its latest roadmap which gives us a glimpse of what to expect in the future.
Starting with the initial GDDR7 Graphics DRAM from Micron, we are looking at 16Gb & 24Gb DRAM dies. A 24 Gb module will give us 3 GB VRAM capacity per die versus the 2 GB VRAM capacity on a single 16Gb die. The memory modules will also operate at higher clock speeds of 32 Gbps, offering up to 128 GB/s bandwidth per module. A lowly 128-bit solution will be able to output 512 GB/s of bandwidth. For comparison, the GeForce RTX 4060 with a 128-bit bus GDDR6 interface outputs 272 GB/s of bandwidth so GDDR7 offers nearly twice as much bandwidth.
The first generation GDDR7 memory modules are expected by the mid of 2024 which also hints that we can expect NVIDIA’s next-generation lineup around the same time. The company plans on refreshing its GeForce RTX 40 portfolio with the new “SUPER” family with an unveiling planned for CES 2024. Those could also benefit from the higher speeds offered by the existing GDDR6X DRAM (up to 24 Gbps).
Following is the bandwidth the 32 Gbps pin speeds would offer across multiple bus configurations:
- 128-bit @ 32 Gbps: 512 GB/s
- 192-bit @ 32 Gbps: 768 GB/s
- 256-bit @ 32 Gbps: 1024 GB/s
- 320-bit @ 32 Gbps: 1280 GB/s
- 384-bit @ 32 Gbps: 1536 GB/s
- 512-bit @ 32 Gbps: 2048 GB/s
Moving forward, Micron will further upgrade its GDDR7 memory with even higher speeds and more capacities. This will be made possible with 24Gb+ memory dies so 32 Gb solutions are a possibility. That would enable 4 GB of VRAM capacities on a single DRAM module. Plus, the pin speeds will also get a boost to 36 Gbps, offering up to 144 GB/s bandwidth per module. The memory is expected by early 2026 and may even launch under the “GDDR7X” guise.
- 128-bit @ 36 Gbps: 576 GB/s
- 192-bit @ 36 Gbps: 846 GB/s
- 256-bit @ 36 Gbps: 1152 GB/s
- 320-bit @ 36 Gbps: 1440 GB/s
- 384-bit @ 36 Gbps: 1728 GB/s
- 512-bit @ 36 Gbps: 2304 GB/s
The VRAM capacities using 24 Gb modules will look as follows:
- 128-bit 24 Gb (4 ICs) = 12 GB VRAM
- 192-bit 24 Gb (6 ICs) = 18 GB VRAM
- 256-bit 24 Gb (8 ICs) = 24 GB VRAM
- 320-bit 24 Gb (10 ICs) = 30 GB VRAM
- 384-bit 24 Gb (12 ICs) = 36 GB VRAM
- 512-bit 24 Gb (16 ICs) = 48 GB VRAM
The VRAM capacities using 32 Gb modules will look as follows:
- 128-bit 32 Gb (4 ICs) = 16 GB VRAM
- 192-bit 32 Gb (6 ICs) = 24 GB VRAM
- 256-bit 32 Gb (8 ICs) = 32 GB VRAM
- 320-bit 32 Gb(10 ICs) = 40 GB VRAM
- 384-bit 32 Gb (12 ICs) = 48 GB VRAM
- 512-bit 32 Gb (16 ICs) = 64 GB VRAM
Micron is in the race with Samsung and SK hynix to offer the world’s first GDDR7 memory. Reports have stated that Samsung has already sampled its GDDR7 memory to NVIDIA for its next-gen GPUs & SK hynix is also next in line. Although NVIDIA has mentioned 2025 as a formal launch of its next-gen gaming lineup, they might fast-track it to the end of 2024 which will mark two years since the RTX 40 introduction. Meanwhile, AMD’s next-gen RDNA 4 GPUs are also in line to utilize the next-gen DRAM standard when they debut next year.
Besides GDDR, the Micron roadmap also lists down HBM4 in 2025 and 2027, respectively. The HBM4 memory is expected to feature 12/16-Hi dies with up to 36/48 GB capacities and offer 1.5 TB/s bandwidth while HBM4E will offer up to 48/64 GB capacities with bandwidth of up to 2.0 TB/s.
The company is also expecting LPCAMM2 with up to 128 GB capacities and 8533 MT/s speeds in 2024 followed by an advanced version featuring 192 GB+ capacities and 9600 MT/s speeds. The traditional DDR memory will also see a boost with up to 256 GB+ modules and DDR5-12800 MT/s speeds by 2025.
GDDR Graphics Memory Evolution:
| GRAPHICS MEMORY | GDDR5X | GDDR6 | GDDR6X | GDDR7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workload | Gaming | Gaming / AI | Gaming / AI | Gaming / AI |
| Platform (Example) | GeForce GTX 1080 Ti | GeForce RTX 2080 Ti | GeForce RTX 4090 | GeForce RTX 5090? |
| Number of Placements | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12? |
| Gb/s/pin | 11.4 | 14-16 | 19-24 | 32-36 |
| GB/s/placement | 45 | 56-64 | 76-96 | 128-144 |
| GB/s/system | 547 | 672-768 | 912-1152 | 1536-1728 |
| Configuration (Example) | 384 IO (12pcs x 32 IO package) | 384 IO (12pcs x 32 IO package) | 384 IO (12pcs x 32 IO package) | 384 IO (12pcs x 32 IO package)? |
| Frame Buffer of Typical System | 12GB | 12GB | 24 GB | 24 GB? |
| Average Device Power (pJ/bit) | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.25 | TBD |
| Typical IO Channel | PCB (P2P SM) | PCB (P2P SM) | PCB (P2P SM) | PCB (P2P SM) |