Faster Graphic Cards Again, Samsung Confirms Production of New HBM2 Memory 2nd-gen

Samsung’s Mass Production of New HBM2 Memory 2nd-gen Started

Samsung’s 2nd-generation 8 GB HBM2 memory delivering a data transfer speed per pin of 2.4 Gbps. This memory is branded Aquabolt.

New samsung HBM2 Memory 2nd-gen

New samsung HBM2 Memory 2nd-gen – credit by samsung

If you dont know how HBM2 affects you, it will make stronger and faster graphic cards, and Samsung Just announced that the 2nd-generation of 8 GB High Bandwidth Memory-2 (HBM2) is now officially entered the mass production phase. It is known as Aquabolt, this premium memory solution is the direct successor of the first HBM2, known as Flarebolt. Samsung mentioned that it is the first HBM2 capable of delivering a 2.4 Gbps data transfer speed per pin. This results to a performance increase of almost 50 percent over the 1st-generation 8 GB HBM2 package. Samsung’s figures for the Aquabolt shows: 307 GBps data bandwidth for a single package and 1.2 TBps in a system that uses four 2nd-generation HBM2 packages. New chip design includes an increase in thermal bums for stronger thermal control, as well as an additional protective layer at the bottom for increased physical strength. Samsung did not say who will use the new technology, but it is not hard to guess that we will see high-end graphics cards like Vega and Volta are some of main users. Micron is also working on Gddr6 and is one of the main Samasung rivals in memory market. Some interesting parts of Samsung statements:

The new HBM2, Aquabolt, features today’s highest DRAM performance levels, for use in next-generation supercomputers, AI solutions and graphics systems

“With our production of the first 2.4Gbps 8GB HBM2, we are further strengthening our technology leadership and market competitiveness,” said Jaesoo Han, executive vice president, Memory Sales & Marketing team at Samsung Electronics.

“We will continue to reinforce our command of the DRAM market by assuring a stable supply of HBM2 worldwide, in accordance with the timing of anticipated next-generation system launches by our customers.”

To achieve Aquabolt’s unprecedented performance, Samsung has applied new technologies related to TSV design and thermal control. A single 8GB HBM2 package consists of eight 8Gb HBM2 dies, which are vertically interconnected using over 5,000 TSVs (Through Silicon Via’s) per die. While using so many TSVs can cause collateral clock skew, Samsung succeeded in minimizing the skew to a very modest level and significantly enhancing chip performance in the process.

Tags: Technology, samsung, hbm2 memory technology, Samsung’s 2nd-generation 8 GB HBM2 memory, Mass Production of New HBM2 Memory

Mohsen Daemi
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