Future AMD GPUs could finally break free from the shackles of GDDR6 VRAM, as a recent driver update has specifically added “GDDR7” to the list of video memory types. AMD has been using GDDR6 memory for most of its gaming GPUs since it released the original RDNA lineup back in 2019, while Nvidia has been making use of faster GDDR6X and now GDDR7 chips.
The high-speed memory standard was spotted by Linux-focused tech site Phoronix, after AMD dropped an update patch called “drm/amdgpu: add GDDR7 vram name” for its Linux kernel graphics driver. GDDR7 now sits below HBM4 in the list of memory standards, although there’s no mention of GDDR6X, suggesting AMD is going to skip this tech.
GDDR7 effectively doubles the data rate of a graphics card’s memory compared to last-gen GDDR6 chips, massively improving memory bandwidth. Accordingly, it also enables a GPU maker to cut down the size of its memory bus while still maintaining high bandwidth, potentially saving costs.
For example, Nvidia’s RTX 5070 only has a 192-bit bus, compared to the Radeon RX 9070 XT’s wider 256-bit interface. However, the faster speed of the Nvidia GPU’s memory means its bandwidth tops out at 672GB/s, while AMD’s 9070 XT tops out at a slower 640GB/s, despite ostensibly having a wider bus, as its GDDR6 VRAM holds it back.
That’s all the information we have to go on at the moment, but, unlike Nvidia, AMD is rumoured to be launching an RDNA 5 GPU in 2027. Could this card use GDDR7 VRAM?
It’s about time AMD caught up with Nvidia when it comes to memory speeds, but current market conditions could make this difficult. Memory makers have shifted most of their capacity to churning out HBM chips for AI datacentre hardware, as that’s where all the profit is at the moment.
That means there aren’t many GDDR7 chips being made for graphics cards right now, and GDDR6 appears to be in better supply. After all the 12GB Radeon RX 9070 GRE is based on GDDR6 VRAM, and you can still buy it for a reasonable price, while the GDDR7-based RTX 5070 now costs around $250 more than its MSRP.
Hopefully all will become clear in the future, but this update does provide a strong hint that GDDR7 is coming to future AMD GPUs of at least some flavour.
