Samsung is readying up some fairly groundbreaking tech: stacking reminiscence on a CPU or a GPU to doubtlessly drastically enhance efficiency. Switching to this system might have an effect on efficiency, energy effectivity, and capability. Sadly, many people won’t ever straight expertise the advantages of this, as Samsung goes to make use of its high-bandwidth reminiscence (HBM), that means we received’t discover it even in the very best graphics playing cards accessible.
The tech in query entails a brand new 3D packaging methodology that belongs to Samsung’s Superior Interconnect Know-how (SAINT) platform, with this newest iteration being dubbed SAINT-D. Every variant entails a special 3D stacking expertise, with SAINT-S stacking the SRAM die on prime of the logic die; SAINT-L stacking logic; and eventually, SAINT-D stacking HBM reminiscence on prime of logic chips, that means both CPUs or GPUs.
SAINT-D introduces stacking HBM vertically on prime of the processor and connecting it by a substrate between the 2 chips. It is a enormous change from Samsung’s present 2.5D packaging strategy, which connects the HBM chips to the GPU horizontally with a silicon interposer.
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The introduction of 3D packaging could possibly be step one towards launching Samsung’s next-gen HBM4. Samsung itself refers to SAINT-D as a “DRAM breakthrough for HPC and AI.” The corporate additionally described the advantages of utilizing this system, as cited by The Korea Financial Each day: “3D packaging reduces energy consumption and processing delays, bettering the standard {of electrical} alerts of semiconductor chips.”
As introduced throughout the Samsung Foundry Discussion board 2024, the corporate will provide its new 3D HBM packaging as a part of a turnkey service. This implies an end-to-end resolution the place Samsung will each produce the HBM chips and combine them onto GPUs for fabless firms. As SAINT-D is alleged to be making its debut this 12 months, and the next-gen HBM4 mannequin is ready to reach in 2025, this new methodology might make fairly the splash in HPC use instances very quickly, together with varied AI makes use of.
Samsung’s breakthrough doesn’t imply a lot for shoppers — not but. HBM reminiscence is, because the title itself implies, utilized in high-performance environments, and to prime all of it off, this 3D packaging expertise is reportedly much more costly to supply than its predecessors. Nonetheless, 3D VRAM is an fascinating idea. Maybe if it really works out properly in information facilities, it could someday make its approach to our PCs.
