[Hardware] HBM2e Incoming: SK Hynix Kicks off Volume Production

[XZoro™]

Premium memory for HPC applications.

 

 

If you're interested in premium memory products, you'll be glad to hear that SK Hynix is, at last, kicking off mass production of its HBM2e memory modules.

SK Hynix' HBM2e modules operate over a 1024-bit memory interface, which at a frequency of 3.6 GHz translates to an aggregate total bandwidth of 460 GB/s.

Of course, it's important to note that these are the figures per stack of HBM2e memory, and coupling multiple units into each device will lead to further increases in performance.

SK's HBM2e modules are based on eight-layer tall DRAM stacks. Each layer has a capacity of 16 Gb, and thus the total capacity per HBM2e stack tallies up to 16 GB. 

"SK hynix has been in the forefront of technology innovation that contributes to human civilization with achievements including the world's first development of HBM products," said Jonghoon Oh, Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at SK hynix. "With the full-scale mass-production of HBM2E, we will continue to strengthen our presence in the premium memory market and lead the fourth industrial revolution."

Naturally, we can't expect to be seeing this new memory in consumer graphics cards anytime soon. HBM2e is a premium memory product, catering to a very specific audience. Specifically, we can expect HBM2e products to land in HPC, AI, server, and research-oriented GPUs.

Among the benefits of HBM2e are, as its name implies, higher bandwidth than the more commonplace GDDR6 memory featured in most products, as well as more efficient operation, higher capacities, and a more compact total package. HBM allows manufacturers to place the memory on the same silicon interposer as the GPU, saving valuable PCB space in tight places.