Samsung speeds up GDDR4 graphics memory

Samsung Electronics is using a more advanced production method to push graphics memory chips to a higher speed.

The company, which is one of the world's biggest chip makers, said Friday it has managed to make GDDR4 (graphics double data rate 4) memory chips that work at 4Gbps. That's two-thirds faster than the current fastest GDDR4 chips generally available, which operate at 2.4Gbps, Samsung said.

It managed to make the higher speed chips by using 80 nanometer production technology. A nanometer is a millionth of a millimeter and the measurement refers to the size of the smallest feature on a chip's surface. As these sizes get smaller, chips can be made more compact, use less energy and work at higher speeds.

Samsung's first 4Gbps GDDR4 memory will be a 512Mb (64MB) chip. The South Korean company will begin offering sample chips to customers this month and mass production will come later this year.