Samsung announces world's fastest memory: GDDR5

Gadzooks gamers, Samsung just announced what they are calling the world's fastest memory: GDDR5. The new series five, double-data rate memory chip transfers data at a lickity quick 6Gbps -- about 4x faster while using 20% less power than the GDDR3 memory found in modern GPUs and the PS3. Compare that to their 4Gbps GDDR4 chips and you'll understand the fuss. The chips have already been delivered in samples to the likes of NVIDIA and ATI. Samsung expects the series five chips to capture more than 50 percent of the high-end PC graphics market by 2010.

[via DigiTimes]

[Dave @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:08AM]

"The chips have been already been delivered in samples to the likes of NVIDIA and ATI with mass production expected in the first half of 2007."

Might want to recheck the date on that...

[podphreak @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:10AM]

No... that's how FAST it is!!!!

[space_man3000 @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:21AM]

yup, it is so fast that it turns the world backwards and makes it December 2006.

[Blackstar @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:26AM]

When we get this RAM up to 88 miles per hour... you're going to see some serious S*%T!

[Altaf W @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:47AM]

haha

[Scott @ Dec 3rd 2007 4:07AM]

Fixed to say 2010 now...

[ColonelSmith @ Dec 3rd 2007 10:53AM]

The Xbox 360 also uses 512MB GDDR3

[iii @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:09AM]

" ...production expected in the first half of 2007 "


i know you guys didn't get paid enough but, come on

[erhan @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:11AM]

I cant wait to see some benchmarks. This is awsome, I hope its on the new nVidia 9xxx series. :)

[williamparwani @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:13AM]

don't you mean first half of 2008?

[Sam @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:16AM]

no, this year is only 2006 part 2.

[speedingticket @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:18AM]

Can it play Doom? ROFL

[dashavoo @ Dec 3rd 2007 5:54AM]

Screw doom! Can it play nethack?

[Mr. Vage @ Dec 3rd 2007 6:21AM]

Can it play Crysis...at 30 fps?

[jitty @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:19AM]

It's official. The PS4 and xbox720 will either be using this or GDDR6 memory...

[ark_v2 @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:19AM]

Huh? aren't we in the end of 2007?

[Nick Gallinger @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:47AM]

I was gunna say the same thing!

[kismet I @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:44AM]

Comeon guys, grow up. ENGADGET IS HUMAN @ 2 in the morning.

[Josh @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:49AM]

Why is it that even though the first, second, third, etc. person comments on the date mistake, every after STILL makes the exact same comment! You're not even making the comment humorous like the first few.

[ryan10ad @ Dec 3rd 2007 3:08AM]

Who works days and nights and doesn't get a date wrong?

[kamandriat @ Dec 3rd 2007 3:22AM]

OMG EVERYONE SAW THE 2007 MISTAKE I BETTER NOT BE IMMATURE AND POST ABOUT IT LOL0OLOLOLOLOL0O0O0OL0O0O!!!!

[Brennan @ Dec 3rd 2007 3:33AM]

oh, they fixed the date!

[Mark @ Dec 3rd 2007 3:33AM]

Don't like to be picky, but PS3 has 256GDDR3 and 256Mb of very fast XDR memory. Your usual sloppy reporting missed that.

[saintchuck @ Dec 3rd 2007 3:56AM]

They didn't miss anything. Their story is correct as stated. The PS3 contains GDDR3 memory and Samsungs new GDDR5 memory is 50% faster.

[saintchuck @ Dec 3rd 2007 3:58AM]

Apparently my reading is poor as well. Make that 4x faster.

[Carl @ Dec 3rd 2007 4:18AM]

XDR actually isn't that fast, Rambus just publishes it's performance numbers based on the combination of all the chips lanes, whereas GDDR speeds are based per pin meaning GDDR5 is much faster than XDR when taken as a whole package. Also gb2/SonyDefenceForce just because Engadget compared the ram to the PS3's GDDR dosn't mean they were attacking the PS3.

[Temple @ Dec 3rd 2007 9:44AM]

@ Carl

XDR is faster then GDDR5 depending on the speed. XDR has improved in speed since its introduction in the PS3.

Samsung also produces XDR memory for Rambus; here is a very detailed comparison measured by multiple parameters from Samsung themselves (which also produce this GDDR5)

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/products/dram/Products_XDRDRAM.html

[anonymous @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:06PM]

and just because Engadget says something doesn't make it true....

ok, in some cases it might but not everyone is perfect!

[NightBlade @ Dec 3rd 2007 3:39AM]

"The chips have -been- already -been- delivered"?
Mistake numero duo.

[apw76006 @ Dec 3rd 2007 3:42AM]

GDDR5 is Borg technology. Beware.

[xilviu @ Dec 3rd 2007 4:03AM]

maybe its 2009 there, but they're just playing with our minds with an evil plan to dominate the world. take that, mister world domination blog editor. woof woof

[Jasper @ Dec 3rd 2007 6:39AM]

but Qimonda sampled out GDDR5 chips more than a month ago. Samsung is playing catch-up.

i figured engadget would actually check the sources of a story, i guess i was wrong.

[Thomas Ricker @ Dec 3rd 2007 8:55AM]

Qimonda's GDDR5 announement was 5Gbps, Samsung's is 6Gbps.

Thomas

[Matt @ Dec 3rd 2007 6:48AM]

Didn't Qimonda (Dresden, Germany) announce their GDDR5 memory shipments (actual shipments) a few months ago (with similar speeds)?

Samsung's not the first....(again).

[Sean @ Dec 3rd 2007 9:11AM]

They skipped 4 and went right to 5? Awesome.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33930

[Andir3.0 @ Dec 3rd 2007 9:44AM]

They did? : http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=GDDR4&x=0&y=0

[anonymous @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:04PM]

I almost pee'd my pants laughing at that!

[Sean @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:06PM]

Yeah turns out my reading comprehension skills are not so good. But I'll take any excuse to read that brilliant piece of satire.

[anonymous @ Dec 3rd 2007 1:59PM]

I wish companies would fall under Murphys law and quit creating stuff faster than we can make money to buy it. instead of developing in baby steps, they should develop in large steps and thereby eliminate alot of the incremental stuff that falls through the cracks.

[Mike @ Dec 3rd 2007 3:21PM]

Damn. Does this mean 2 ghz ram??? Or is 2 ghz already available??? If so, does this mean 20 ghz ram??? If so, I, for one, welcome......nevermind.

[Mike @ Dec 3rd 2007 3:32PM]

(Replying to myself here)

I read a bit of the Qimonda White Paper. Very interesting. Looks like 2.5 ghz will the top-end. Crazy. Also, now that I think about, doesn't GDDR4 get over 2 ghz? I think so. At any rate, VOC'ers rejoice.

[Bill_Gates @ Dec 24th 2007 10:18PM]

nice!