Samsung Develops Fastest GDDR5 Memory at Six Gigabits per Second — World’s Fastest Memory

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology and the leading producer of high-end graphics memory, announced today that it has developed the world’s fastest memory, a GDDR5 (series five, graphics double-data-rate memory) chip that can transfer data at six gigabits per second, which is more than four times faster than that of memories in state-of-the-art game consoles today. Graphics memory is installed in desktop PCs, notebooks, workstations and game consoles to move huge volumes of video or animated images simultaneously.

Samsung’s GDDR5, which will be introduced at a density of 512 Mbit (16Mb x 32) chips, is capable of transmitting moving images and associated data at 24 gigabytes per second.

“We’re pushing image enhancement to a limit never before realized, enabling the smoothest, clearest animation that gamers have yet to experience,” said Mueez Deen, Marketing Director, Graphics Memory, Samsung Semiconductor. “Samsung’s 512Mb GDDR5 will enable the kind of graphics hardware performance that will spur software developers to deliver a new level of eye-popping games.”

The new Samsung graphics memory operates at 1.5 volts, representing an approximate 20 percent improvement in power consumption over today’s most popular graphics chip – the GDDR3.

Samples of Samsung’s new GDDR5 chip have been delivered to major graphic processor companies last month and mass production is expected in the first half of 2007.

Samsung expects that GDDR5 memory chips will become the de facto standard in the top performing segment of the market by capturing more than 50 percent of the high-end PC graphics market by 2010.

A technical paper on Samsung’s new 6Gbps graphics chip is the only one on GDDR5 technology to be selected for presentation at ISSCC 2008.

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA) markets a broad range of award-winning consumer electronics, information systems, and home appliance products; and oversees Samsung’s North American operations, including Samsung Telecommunications America, LP, Samsung Semiconductor Inc., Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Mexico, Inc.

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2005 parent company sales of US$56.7 billion and net income of US$7.5 billion. Employing approximately 128,000 people in 120 offices in 57 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Appliance Business, Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business and Telecommunication Network Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs.

Its parent company, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., ranks #5 in the 2006 Consumer Electronics segment of the Fortune Magazine “America’s Most Admired Companies,” and ranks # 20 in the BusinessWeek “The Best Global Brand 100 2006.” Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. is a top patent holder, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2006. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com