Memory Wars: Hynix and Samsung Gear Up with Next-Gen Tech at ISSCC 2026

While Samsung transitions to producing 3GB GDDR7 memory chips with a frequency of 28 GHz and tests samples at 36 GHz, Hynix is preparing to showcase much faster memory. WCCF Tech Photo. It has been revealed that the ISSCC conference in February 2026 will unveil a host of innovations in the memory market. One of the novelties will be Hynix’s GDDR7 memory. This will be a 3GB chip with an effective frequency of 48 GHz. The current generation of RTX 50 cards uses memory clocked at 28-30 GHz. Naturally, this will only be a demonstration. When such chips will hit the market remains unknown. Possibly within the RTX 60 lineup. It should be noted that with such chips, a card with a 128-bit memory bus can boast bandwidth comparable to a 256-bit bus card with a frequency of 24 GHz, which is currently quite a normal figure.

Also, the event will showcase LPDDR6-14400 RAM, which will also be much faster than what is currently on the market. Samsung will present its research work on HBM4 memory. A 36GB stack will provide bandwidth up to 3.3 TB/s per stack.

The ISSCC 2026 is expected to highlight strategic advancements in the memory sector, setting the stage for next-generation technologies. GDDR7 and LPDDR6 improvements represent significant strides for both gaming and mobile devices, promising to reduce latency and increase throughput. As high-performance computing evolves, Samsung’s developments in HBM4 technology will likely influence the sector substantially, driving forward industries reliant on rapid data processing capabilities.