During the 2025 Korea Tech Festival in Seoul, Samsung's 40 Gbps GDDR7 memory received a presidential recognition medal. This next-generation memory chip is built on Samsung's 12 nm (10 nm class) DRAM node and operates at 40 Gbps with a 3 GB (24 Gb) capacity. This announcement follows Samsung's recent sampling of its fastest-ever GDDR7 memory, which runs at
36 Gbps. With a 24 Gb capacity per chip, this translates to 3 GB of capacity, designed for the next generation of graphics cards. These are not Samsung's only 3 GB modules. The South Korean company is also producing 28 Gbps 3 GB modules, which are now in mass production, likely for NVIDIA's upcoming mid-cycle SUPER refresh.
As 3 GB modules are uncommon, the confirmation of mass production, especially starting at 28 Gbps, is a welcome addition to faster VRAM options. However, with Samsung already testing 40 Gbps GDDR7 memory modules with 3 GB capacity, it will be interesting to see where these modules will be used. For NVIDIA's mid-cycle SUPER refresh of the GeForce RTX 50-series GPUs, the company is likely to use chips that are already in mass production, as the sampling stage alone is not sufficient for a product rollout. Ensuring a proper supply is crucial, so a proper stock of GDDR7 chips must pile up first.
Samsung's competitors are not standing still.
SK Hynix is preparing to showcase its next wave of high-speed DRAM at ISSCC 2026, featuring a 24 Gb GDDR7 chip rated for 48 Gbps. This module utilizes a symmetric dual-channel design and updated internal interfaces to exceed the previously expected 32 to 37 Gbps speeds for GDDR7. The per-pin rate represents more than a 70% increase over today's 28 Gbps parts, boosting per-chip bandwidth from 112 GB/s to 192 GB/s. The rapid GDDR7 advancement comes as the
industry is requiring more bandwidth on 3 GB chip modules, so memory makers must keep up with the demand.
