Graphics Card Memory Types Explained, GDDR5 Vs GDDR6 Vs GDDR5x Vs HBM Vs HBM2 Vs DDR3.

Getting the right graphics card for your computer gaming functions can be a task on its own and this task can be exhausting and cost-effective if you opt to try card options, to see what works.

Whether you are on budget, mid-range, or you seek a high-end graphics card, the line remains that, it must be fit for purpose and give you the results you crave for right? This is it!

DDR4 and GDDR5 have done great, holding the graphics memory space for a long time, however, technology and time have fast moved past these cards, with more secured innovations in the bags now. While this is the case, the DDR4 and GDDR5 memory are still in use today, and they work great.

For the novice seeking to build a computer or trying to guess around the memory options for graphics cards, this article will do your curiosity a world of good. Furthermore, for the expert seeking more knowledge on this subject, this article is put together to serve your need. So let us begin with the GDDR5 Graphics memory card options.

Types Explained

GDDR5 Memory

The successor of the GDDR3, DDR4, and GDDR4 cards. GDDR5 ruled the industry as the next big thing and served as the major card option for several years. The emergence of GDDR5 cards saw GDDR3 and DDR3 phasing out and finding solace as cards for entry-level graphics, while the GDDR4 cards are almost completely out of the market.

Whether you are on a budget, mid-range to High-end, GDDR5 is a get-go for your graphics needs. Used in graphics cards such as GTX 1060, GTX 1070, Radeon RX 480, and mid-range graphics cards like GT 730, GT 740, RX 460, GTX 750 TI, and a host of others.

When it comes to high bandwidth memory, which gives you impressively low power consumption, with a good enough data transfer speed. This graphics memory is an awesome Delight. While the memory bandwidth is 32-bit wide, it comes in a range of 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and clocks at 8GB. Samsung, Hynix, Micron, and others produce it.

Pros And Cons

Pros

• Available for budget, mid-range, and high-end users
• 32-bits wide bandwidth
• 8GB highest memory capacity

Cons

• 8GB memory Benchmark
• 32-bits wide bandwidth

GDDR5X

There are no permeant friends and enemies in the computer world and this what the GDDR5x memory brings on board, it succeeded the GDDR5 as it is twice as fast, with speed in the range of 10-14GBP/s. This is not all, it comes with future expandability to accommodate a speed of 16GBP/s and it is manufactured by Micron.

With less power consumption, when compared with GDDR5, the memory support is available in the ranges of 4GB, 6GB, 8GB, and 16GB. It runs perfectly well on GEFORCE GTX 1080 and NVIDIA Titan X (Pascal), it poses no compatibility issues with high-end graphics cards like NVIDIA Quadro P500 and Quadro P6000.

If you seek to replace your GDDR5 with GDDR5X, you may encounter some difficulties, as the GDDR5X uses 190 pins per chip, against the 170 pins used by the GDDR5.

Pros And Cons

Pros

• 10-14 GBP/S speed
• Less power consumption
• 16GB maximum memory

Cons

• 16GB memory benchmark
• Cost

GDDR6 Memory

Successor to both GDDR5X and GDDR5, this memory chipset is a bomb, it will not explode but its features are just over the moon. It comes with a 16-18GBP/s speed, with an interesting upgradable feature of up to 72GBP/s. It is built on a 10nm technology, with higher density, up to 32GB perdie.

The memory supports high-end gaming, virtual reality, cryptocurrency mining, and artificial intelligence, making it an all-rounder, capable of performing all of your computing functions. It is available in workstations and gaming graphics like Quadro RTX 8000, Quadro RTX 5000, GEFORCE GTX 1660 TI, Radeon RX 6800, and others.

Pros And Cons

Pros

• Upgrade on GDDR5X AND GDDR5
• 72GBP/s memory bandwidth
• 32GB per die

Cons

• Cost
• Available for high end computing only

HBM Memory

If high bandwidth memory is your final icing on the cake for graphics memory, then the HBM Memory is your take home. With breathtaking improvements, this memory is way ahead of its time.

With the HBM Memory, multiple memories are stacked over one another in form of a case or cuboid. Interestingly, each stock is independent of the other and works together, giving you up to 4-DRAM dies. The bandwidth here can go as high as 128GBP/s per stack and gives support up to 4GB per package. It is used on AMD Radeon R9 Fury X and Radeon Pro duo.

It offers lower power consumption, higher bandwidth, less heating, and advanced Performance.

Pros And Cons

Pros

• Higher bandwidth
• Low power consumption
• Advance Performance

Cons

• For high-end use only
• Cost

HBM2 Memory

Unlike the HBM that offers the only 4DRAM, you get 8DRAM on the HBM2, it is bigger and better. You get a transfer speed of 2GBP/s, a memory bandwidth of 256GB per stack, with 1024-bit memory bandwidth. Improved Performance and great speed are some of the salient features of this memory support.

It works great on NVIDIA Quadro GP100 and NVIDIA Telsa P100. For VR & AR gaming, plus room for other heavy-duty applications you have it all on the HBM2.

Pros And Cons

Pros

• Advance Performance
• Higher bandwidth
• Low power consumption

Cons

• Availability
• Cost

DDR4 Memory

Made available since 2007, DDR4 has been in the market for years and earns a place of honor on this list. Successor to the DDR and DDR2, it is, however, the predecessor of DDR4.

It is a 3^rd generation memory and comes with a clock rate of 400-1066MHz; it accommodates as much as 8GB, with the memory benchmark clocked at 16G. While it is old, this memory chipset is still valued and much in use, it can be argued that it commands a better usage than GDDR5.

Pros And Cons

Pros

• 16GB memory bandwidth
• 400-1066MHz memory speed
• Budget memory

Cons

• Not much in the market
• Outdated specifications

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Conclusion

Choosing memory support for your graphics function is one you should deal with care. While the preference will range from budget to choice, performance and speed should guide the choice.