Micron's graphics design team has achieved 16Gbps data rates for GDDR5X graphics memory in a test environment, paving the way for the commercialization of faster graphics memory next year.

Micron launched 11.4 Gbps G5X just over a year ago and delivered the world's fastest discrete memory for NVIDIA's highest performance gaming and workstation-class graphics cards, such as the Titan Xp.

Now Micron's graphics design team in Munich has achieved 16Gbps data rates in a test environment. As a note, when we talk about memory speeds, there are generally two conditions generally referenced: mass production and the engineering environment. While the former is important to the here and now, the latter is equally material, as it unveils the potential headroom on the memory core and what capabilities there areto increase speeds going forward.

The left picture shows the data eye opening at 16Gbps based on a critical PRBS pattern sequence, with great timing and voltage margin. The right image below shows stable data timing margin (horizontally) versus data rate (vertically), from Micron's base sort speed of 10Gbps up to an unprecedented 16Gbps. This result is based on measurements on a meaningful sampling size of Micron's mass production G5X silicon - not theoretical simulation data.

Micron believes that the experience running ultra-high data rates on G5X is going to be a big advantage for driving performance in GDDR6.

According to Micron, GDDR6 will continue down the path of G5X high speed signaling based on conventional DRAM packaging. Some differences do exist between G5X and G6, the most notable of which are:

• The introduction of an FBGA180 ball package with increased pitch
• A dual channel architecture

With regards to the status of Micron's G6 program, which the company first announced in February, Micron says that its product development efforts are on-track and expects to have functional silicon "very soon," with mass production to follow by early 2018.