Nvidia Reportedly Requested Sample of HBM3E DRAM For Future GPUs

Nvidia has reportedly requested SK Hynix to sample its next-generation HBM3E DRAM to use on its future hardware, including Artificial Intelligence and High-Performance Computing sector.

SK Hynix recently announced its new 5th generation high bandwidth memory, also known as HBM3E offering faster data transfer rates compared to its predecessor. The new 5th generation HBM3E DRAM can achieve a transfer rate of 8.0 Gbps.

HBM3E samples will go into production this year. At the same time, mass production of SK Hynix’s new 5th-generation DRAM will continue at the start of 2024. This also makes it a viable option for Nvidia since the graphics card manufacturer plans to implement it in its upcoming hardware aimed at AI and HPC.

According to an article on Business Korea, Nvidia has requested a sample from SK Hynix for its 5th generation HBM3E DRAM for the evaluation process. At the same time, an initial batch of the new HBM3E memory will be shipped to Nvidia this week.

The relationship between Nvidia and Sk Hynix has been fruitful as this new joint alliance has helped Nvidia to compete against other tough competitors in the market. The Nvidia H100 Hopper Tensor Core graphics card utilizes the current SK Hynix HBM3 DRAM generation.

SK Hynix plans to remain the best in the HBM market and wants to lead the market with its 5th-generation HBM3E memory. According to the head of the DRAM market at Sk Hynix Park Myung-soo,

“We are preparing 8 Gbps HBM3E product samples for the second half of this year and are preparing for mass production in the first half of next year.”

The only other manufactures besides Sk Hynic for HBM memory is Samsung. The Koren giant is also working on the next generation of DRAM known as Snowblot HBM3P memory with a bandwidth of 5 TB/s per stack. Sk Hynic will benefit significantly if Nvidia decides to go with its 5th generation HBM3E DRAM. The green team is most dominant when offering AI-based and High-Performance Computing hardware.

Furthermore, two manufacturers for HBM memory are also beneficial for Nvidia because the company can rely on Samsung if supply is an issue from Sk Hynix.