HBM, the revolutionary stacked memory for graphics has been pictured for this first time. Coming with AMD Radeon R9 390X and Nvidia Pascal. Yes, it's finally here folks. The next chapter in memory technology for computer graphics.

Just as a quick reminder, HBM stands for "High Bandwidth Memory". It's a brand new JEDEC memory spec co-developed by SK Hynix and AMD. HBM is made by stacking multiple DRAM cells on-top of each other to make a 3D strucutre. These DRAM cells are then connected vercially with each other through what's called Through Silicon VIAs or TSVs. This vertical connection enables the memory to transfer significantly more data per cycle. So while the memory itself is clocked at a significantly lower frequency than GDDR5, it can actually be up to 9 times faster.

AMD Fiji, Nvidia Pascal HBM Stacked VRAM Pictured

We've learned that AMD handled the research and development of the memory interface / memory bus for HBM that goes on the host processor such as a GPU or APU. AMD also developed the technique by which the HBM cubes are connected to the host chip via an interposer. Now without any further delay let's take a look at the new memory chips.





AMD will be the first company ever to use this new memory technology as we have told you exclusively over 6 months ago. And the first generation of HBM will debut with the company's upcoming flagship graphics card, the R9 390X. The company will later on move to the second generation HBM once that technology becomes available next year. The recent slide leak which revealed the performance of AMD's Fiji XT also served to confirm the information which we have exclusively brought to you over the past and current year.

Nvidia has announced that it too will use HBM for its GPUs. However unlike AMD, Nvidia will only use the second generation of the technology. Which will debut on the green side next year with the company's promising new Pascal graphics architecture. In fact Pascal will feature 4X the mixed precision performance, 2X the performance per watt, 2.7X memory capacity & 3X the bandwidth of Maxwell as revealed by Nvidia's CEO Jen-Hsun Huang at the latest GTC.

Pascal and AMD's Arctic Islands GPUs will be the first to feature the second generation of HBM. As well as the first ever from either company to be manufactured on an advanced 14/16nm FinFET manufacturing process. But before that happens, we're still waiting for the fabled Fiji to show-up. In the meantime we'll have to endure teases of the new monster, because as it turns out XFX is excited for the new card too and decided to tell everyone about it, "secretly"