Wednesday, March 20th 2024
NVIDIA to Implement GDDR7 Memory on Top-3 "Blackwell" GPUs
NVIDIA is confirmed to implement the GDDR7 memory standard with the top three GPU ASICs powering the next-generation "Blackwell" GeForce RTX 50-series, Tweaktown reports, citing XpeaGPU. By this, we mean the top three physical silicon types from which NVIDIA will carve out the majority of its SKUs. This would include the GB202, the GB203, and GB205; which will power successors to everything from the current RTX 4070 to the RTX 4090. NVIDIA is expected to build these chips on the TSMC 4N foundry node.
There will be certain GPU ASIC types in the "Blackwell" generation that will stick to older memory standards such as GDDR6 or even the GDDR6X. These would be successors to the current AD106 and AD107 ASICs, powering SKUs such as the RTX 4060 Ti, and below. NVIDIA co-developed the GDDR6X standard with Micron Technology, which is the chip's exclusive supplier to NVIDIA. GDDR6X scales up to 23 Gbps and 16 Gbit, which means NVIDIA can avail plenty of performance for the lower-end of its product stack using GDDR6X; especially considering that its GDDR7 implementation will only run at 28 Gbps, despite chips being available in the market for 32 Gbps, or even 36 Gbps. Even if NVIDIA chooses the regular GDDR6 standard for its entry-mainstream chips, the tech scales up to 20 Gbps.
Source:
Tweaktown
There will be certain GPU ASIC types in the "Blackwell" generation that will stick to older memory standards such as GDDR6 or even the GDDR6X. These would be successors to the current AD106 and AD107 ASICs, powering SKUs such as the RTX 4060 Ti, and below. NVIDIA co-developed the GDDR6X standard with Micron Technology, which is the chip's exclusive supplier to NVIDIA. GDDR6X scales up to 23 Gbps and 16 Gbit, which means NVIDIA can avail plenty of performance for the lower-end of its product stack using GDDR6X; especially considering that its GDDR7 implementation will only run at 28 Gbps, despite chips being available in the market for 32 Gbps, or even 36 Gbps. Even if NVIDIA chooses the regular GDDR6 standard for its entry-mainstream chips, the tech scales up to 20 Gbps.
21 Comments on NVIDIA to Implement GDDR7 Memory on Top-3 "Blackwell" GPUs
2) The top Blackwell GPUs are going to use "4NP" according to Kopite7kimi, which is a different node than 4N.
Better buy RTX 5070 if it has 16-20 GB VRAM, and skip RTX 6000 series altogether.
the price points should remain the same with 20-25% gen on gen performance uplift, 5090 will shoot up to the stratosphere
For the most part RTX 50 is more like a refresh. using the N4P nodelet provides only a minor clock speed bump 5-10%.
more L1 cache is good but more shaders crammed in each GPC is a step back and means less ROPs.
Skip skip skip until the N1 node.
The problem is, price increase was even bigger, so some RTX 40x0 cards had worse price / performance than the previous generation - and I don't think we will get any better deal in next generation.
We've lost bus width with several previous consumer GPU jumps to newer GDDR generations.
[INDENT]512-bit cards were abandoned by Nvidia in the switch from GDDR3 to GDDR5[/INDENT]
[INDENT]Consumer cards were relegated to 256-bits when GDDR5X came along, with 384-bit prosumer Titans being the only, eye-wateringly expensive way to get more than 256-bits for over a year.[/INDENT]
[INDENT]The pattern repeated with GDDR6/6X with the entry cost of 384-bit memory buses rising to $1500MSRP, and $2000 on the street, while mainstream cards losing bus-width at almost every tier, as well as PCIe lanes.[/INDENT]
[INDENT][/INDENT]
Hopefully, we don't see GDDR7 used as a way to make 192-bit buses compete with the same tier of 256-bit GDDR6 card from this generation, but my cynicism is justified by plenty of historic data. It's what Nvidia do, all the damn time.
"In October 2021, TSMC introduced a new member of its "5 nm" process family: N4P. Compared to N5, the node offered 11% higher performance (6% higher vs N4), 22% higher power efficiency, 6% higher transistor density and lower mask count. TSMC expected first tapeouts by the second half of 2022."
I don't share the optimistic view that 12 GB is good. Not, it is not.
Sooner or later you will see this message:
AMD works better with the game developers to determine the minimum system requirements, and releases its products accordingly.
There's such limited capacity left once Apple has placed its order anyway, so from a technical perspective I understand this strategy.
Intel with its own fabs hopefully coming out swinging with 15th gen Core and Battlemage.
I had an GTX 1080 with 8GB of VRAM, and never, ever received that message or even had any issues on any game.
I now run an RTX 3080 with 10GB of VRAM and is the same thing. I play all games maximized and with 4K or Ultra Res textures and my VRAM is always around 8GB at tops.
I'm very curious what games do you think require more than 12GB of VRAM?? The ones that have engines caching all VRAM do not count ;)
Only the top 3? So the 5070 isn't going to get it...#%^&ing pricks.EDIT: Never mind, I need more coffee.
GB202, the GB203, and GB205
5070 will be GB203/GB205.
I honestly don't even know what to expect anymore. A slightly more efficient 5070 with 12 GB? It seems surreal.
Nvidia has no reason to make 5070 any faster than a 4070 SUper. and with GB205 that's what we get. a minor refresh and early adopters get 12GB as opposed to the anticipated 18GB much later.
5080 is barely as fast as 4090 in raster, 25% faster than 4080 that is, even the bandwidth shaders point to 22.5 ->28GBps, 9728 -> 12160 likely 25%
Nvidia renamed 5070 to 5080 and for 1199 very likely. and even bigger gap between 80/90 that leaves room for the 5080 Ti. yeah.