Micron to Launch HBM2 Memory This Year

[AleksandarK]

Micron Technologies, in the latest earnings report, announced that they will start shipping High-Bandwidth Memory 2 (HBM2) DRAM. Used for high-performance graphics cards, server processors and all kinds of processors, HBM2 memory is wanted and relatively expensive solution, however, when Micron enters the market of its manufacturing, prices, and the market should adjust for the new player. Previously, only SK-Hynix and Samsung were manufacturing the HBM2 DRAM, however, Micron will join them and they will again form a "big-three" pact that dominates the memory market.

Up until now, Micron used to lay all hopes on its proprietary Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC) DRAM type, which didn't gain much traction from customers and it never really took off. Only a few rare products used it, as Fujitsu SPARC64 XIfx CPU used in Fujitsu PRIMEHPC FX100 supercomputer introduced in 2015. Micron announced to suspend works on HMC in 2018 and decided to devote their efforts to GDDR6 and HBM development. So, as a result, we are seeing that they will launch HBM2 DRAM products sometime this year.


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[Space Lynx]

@R-T-B

Do you think we will see Ryzen 4000 chips in July or sooner? Is that way AMD is discounting all these current chips you think?

 

[R-T-B]

I think COVID-19 has everything in such slowdown that i can't predict anything right now.

 

[Tomorrow]

@R-T-B

Do you think we will see Ryzen 4000 chips in July or sooner? Is that way AMD is discounting all these current chips you think?

Not before October. RDNA2/Navi 2X too. A far more intresting question is if Navi 2X will use only GDDR6 or a mix of GDDR6 and HMB2(e)?

 

[Assimilator]

The HBM market is so tiny that I don't understand why Micron would even try to enter it, especially considering how far behind their competitors they are. Unless of course AMD is going to go full retard and put this memory type on their consumer GPUs again.

 

[eidairaman1]

Not before October. RDNA2/Navi 2X too. A far more intresting question is if Navi 2X will use only GDDR6 or a mix of GDDR6 and HMB2(e)?

Navi 2 i believe is a gddr6 arch and the enterprise cards are hbm (instinct)

 

[Xajel]

The HBM market is so tiny that I don't understand why Micron would even try to enter it, especially considering how far behind their competitors they are. Unless of course AMD is going to go full retard and put this memory type on their consumer GPUs again.

It's tiny on the consumer market, not HPC market where profits are higher...

 

[bug]

The first paragraph seems to be an auto translation or something.

 

[_JP_]

The HBM market is so tiny that I don't understand why Micron would even try to enter it, especially considering how far behind their competitors they are. Unless of course AMD is going to go full retard and put this memory type on their consumer GPUs again.

Unless you first create the product and then create the need. Also, Micron does have a good foothold in the RAM market and I see them selling NAND well.
Heck, if they start packaging it in ZIF-FCPGA/LGA with a relatively small footprint and cooling requirements, we have a winner for really slim boards, along with M.2 SSDs.

Micron will join them and they will again form a "big-three" pact that dominates the memory market.

I'm just with low hype about this because...well, it's the usual ol'pricing "fluctuations" as "market demands" it will create...once more...for the Nth time...so affordability will be anyone's guess.

 

[delshay]

It's tiny on the consumer market, not HPC market where profits are higher...

Thank you.

You also can't do a powerful Nano GFX card without HBM.

 

[Assimilator]

Thank you.

You also can't do a powerful Nano GFX card without HBM.

Nano isn't a defined form factor. And various manufacturers have managed to fit very powerful GPUs into really small packages without cheating via HBM, e.g. https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/gainward-rtx-2060-pegasus-oc.b6741

 

[delshay]

Nano isn't a defined form factor. And various manufacturers have managed to fit very powerful GPUs into really small packages without cheating via HBM, e.g. https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/gainward-rtx-2060-pegasus-oc.b6741

Have to be careful what is classed as Nano or Mini, even thou there is no defined standard.

The above card looks like it has a Nano PCB, same for Vega 56 Nano which I have here. Vega 56 Nano does not fit into a tight space like the original R9 Nano as the heatsink/shroud is too long. I had to cut the back of the card so it can fit.

So no, the above card along with Vega 56 Nano are not true Nano cards, their "mini cards" because of overall length of the card.

Another example of this is the Vega 56 Sapphire Pulse, Nano PCB but big heatsink/shroud.