Nvidia Fast-Tracks Next-Gen GPU Launch with HBM3e on the Horizon

Nvidia, the leading company in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), has made the decision to expedite the release of its next-generation Blackwell architecture GB100 GPU. Initially planned for the fourth quarter of 2024, the launch has been moved up to the end of the second quarter of 2024. This decision is in response to the growing demand for more powerful AI solutions in the market. Additionally, Nvidia has entered into an agreement with SK Hynix, the world's second-largest memory chip maker, to incorporate their ultra-high-performance DRAM product, HBM3E, specifically designed for AI applications, into Nvidia's new B100 computing card.

According to BusinessKorea, Samsung Electronics, another major player in the memory chip industry, is also accelerating the development and sales of its fifth-generation HBM3e, codenamed "Shinebolt." It is expected to follow SK Hynix's release soon. "Shinebolt" has undergone preliminary testing and boasts a higher maximum data transfer speed compared to the previous generation, reaching 1.228TB/s. This speed surpasses SK Hynix's HBM3e, which has a maximum transfer speed of 1.15TB/s. Samsung Electronics' "Shinebolt" also adopts the latest 12-layer vertical stacking scheme, enabling a single HBM3e package to achieve up to 36GB of capacity. In contrast, the prototype version utilizing an 8-layer stacking scheme only achieved 24GB of capacity. Although Samsung Electronics' HBM development and production speed lags behind SK Hynix, the company is formulating a strategy to regain its leading position in the production of advanced memory chips. Micron has also provided test samples of its comparable HBM3 Gen2 to customers.

HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) is a high-value-added, high-performance product that vertically connects multiple DRAMs, significantly enhancing data processing speed compared to traditional DRAM. The evolution of HBM DRAM products has progressed from HBM (first generation) to HBM2 (second generation), HBM2E (third generation), HBM3 (fourth generation), and now HBM3E (fifth generation), which is an extended version of HBM3. HBM is regarded as the next generation of DRAM for the AI era.