Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) may yet be readying an ace in their sleeve, as rumors surface that NVIDIA's competition in the graphics processing unit (GPU) market is now working on graphics double data rate 6 (GDDR6) memory for their next generation video cards.
An AMD technical engineer has mentioned on his LinkedIn page that the company is now working on a GDDR6 memory controller, which will pave way for the memory modules itself, allowing the GPU to utilize the newer video memory model. The video memory allows how much performance the GPU can deliver and is often crucial in video games as it will dictate what resolution or textures detail the GPU can handle.
The rumor began circulating on Reddit where eagle-eyed GPU enthusiasts have spotted the alleged AMD technical engineer's account. This was quite an exciting prospect for GPUs and gamers since the new GDDR6 video memory will allow GPUs an increased memory bandwidth of 16 gigabytes per second (Gbps), which is nearly 50 percent more compared to the largest allowed bandwidth of 11Gbps from NVIDIA's GTX 1080 Ti which has GDDR5X memory.
Still, Tweaktown suggests that GDDR6 would also be included in NVIDIA's next generation Volta or Ampere GPUs, meaning AMD might not get its much-needed lead over NVIDIA just yet. On the other hand, GDDR6 memory can be expected in AMD's RX 600 series cards, while its upcoming Vega GPUs, as well as Navi GPUs, may only be getting the lesser high bandwidth memory (HBM2), so those waiting on AMD may want to wait for the RX 600 series instead of a Vega refresh.
These rumors are to be taken with a grain of salt, however, as there have been no announcements or response from AMD yet. With the current advantage NVIDIA has over them right now, AMD will need to keep up in the memory front of GPU development. The next generation of AMD GPUs and their rumored GDDR6 memories are expected to arrive somewhere between July and August of next year.
