Micron has released 3GB GDDR7 chips with increased density and bandwidth for future graphics cards
Micron Technology has officially unveiled 24 Gb (3 GB) GDDR7 memory modules, expanding its high-density graphics memory portfolio. With this move, all three major DRAM manufacturers—Micron, Samsung, and SK hynix—now offer 3 GB GDDR7 chips, marking the industry’s shift to higher-capacity solutions.
The new Micron memory is available in two speed variants: production chips operate at 28 Gb/s, while engineering samples at 32 Gb/s are also available. The company previously claimed to be able to achieve 36 Gb/s, but these modules have not yet appeared in the public catalog. Currently, Micron lags behind its competitors—Samsung and SK hynix already offer chips with speeds of up to 42.5 Gb/s and 40 Gb/s, respectively.
The increased density allows each chip to store more data, which is especially important for modern GPUs, where memory bus expansion is limited by physical and power constraints. Thanks to 3-gigabyte modules, manufacturers will be able to increase the amount of video memory without increasing the bus width: 12 GB can be obtained on a 128-bit bus, 18 GB on a 192-bit bus, 24 GB on a 256-bit bus, and up to 96 GB on a 512-bit bus.
The new chips are particularly in demand for tasks that require large memory arrays, such as AI processing, machine learning, and high-resolution rendering. NVIDIA is already using 3GB modules in the laptop RTX 5090 and the professional RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell. However, mass adoption in gaming graphics cards is still being delayed—the long-awaited RTX 50 SUPER models with these chips are rumored to be delayed this year due to memory shortages and high prices.
The emergence of a third supplier of 3GB GDDR7 chips expands the choice for NVIDIA and other GPU manufacturers, reducing their dependence on the two Korean giants. This is especially important given the current crisis in the DRAM market.
