Memory

Micron delivers GDDR6 production performance as NVIDIA’s launch partner on GeForce RTX graphics platforms

By Ralf Ebert - 2018-09-05

Later this year and moving into 2019 will be when where the sensation of gaming and graphics will spread beyond the traditional gamers as the euphoria of what high end hardware capability extends to broader users and markets.

Imagine. You open up your favorite Battle Royale game you have been playing forever, except this time it is on the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ graphics card. The action is faster, the characters are more real, the backgrounds now have depth so that 4K looks like your backyard—you are in fact, transported to another world. Gaming is no longer for players, but it is real for everyone and is now a sport. Yes, you have now stepped into the future. But little is known is the collaboration of experts to develop the capability that delivers this infinite power and gaming capability.

Developing high bandwidth gaming capability is not easy. It takes the understanding of the systems which means integrating the best GPUs in a connected network with the highest appropriate and affordable memory. These have to be married to enable the applications to be effortlessly implemented. The biggest challenge continues to be offering a cost optimized DRAM solution that meets high bandwidth requirements. For that reason, GDDR6 continues the successful path of discrete component packaging, further pushing the device performance, now to 14Gbps in mass production.

Collaboration of market and technology experts is required to craft and create gaming solutions; to discuss and align roadmap plans, to mediate and work through the development cycle through testing and validation. This takes time, patience, coordination.

The GDDR6 execution and timeline of perfectly orchestrated development, beginning with the GDDR6 announcement in October 2017; ecosystem enablement in January 2018, to the mass production readiness in June 2018, came to glorious light this past week with the launch of the new generation of graphics—the GeForce RTX™ 20-series, the world’s first consumer GPUs to feature real world ray tracing along with high speed GDDR6 memory.

"It has been a great journey to work with Micron across several generations of graphics solutions," stated Justin Walker, director of GeForce desktop at NVIDIA. "Early efforts with GDDR5 and GDDR5X helped to strengthen the relationship and build a highly collaborative effort between NVIDIA and Micron to deliver GDDR6 in lock step."

"From the Micron perspective, we see markets and applications adopting the capability and value which NVIDIA and Micron have created leading to the adoption and deployment beyond graphics," replied Ralf Ebert, Director of Graphics segment for Micron compute and networking business unit. "The capability of our joint effort to bring to market the next generation gaming solutions has created a demand. When gamers see what the new GeForce RTX™ GPUs will do for gaming, there will be many astounded users!"

Micron being NVIDIA’s launch partner supplying 8Gb GDDR6 into their new GeForce RTX™ GPU line-up is a great proof of this close partnership. And we will continue further pushing memory performance to continue establishing GDDR6 memory as the DRAM solution for other high-performance applications other than gaming too. But in the meantime, who wants to join our squad and get their game on?

Ralf Ebert

Ralf Ebert

Ralf Ebert is the director for GDDR Product Architecture. He is responsible for developing the Micron’s GDDR architecture strategy, defining high-speed memory solutions that serve the game console and high-end graphics market as well as emerging segments like crypto and AI. Previously, Ralf held various positions including director of Micron’s global Graphics Memory Business, senior manager for SDD Business Development, senior manager of marketing, and roles in supply chain and business process excellence.

Ralf has worked in the semiconductor industry since 1997 and spent the last 17 years focusing on memory products in roles at Infineon, Samsung and Qimonda. In 2009, he set up and developed the graphics business for Elpida, which he continued after Micron’s acquisition in 2013.

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