Details about SK hynix products: release of SSD with PCIe 7.0, GDDR7-Next, and HBM5

At the SK AI Summit 2025, memory manufacturer SK hynix presented a new strategy for developing its technologies. The next generation of GDDR7-Next memory and PCIe 7.0 storage devices are likely to appear in 2029-2031. The company plans to release standard products and solutions for AI workload projects.

2026-2028: SSDs with PCIe Gen6, HBM4, and LPDDR6

Over the next three years, the company plans to focus on HBM4 with 16-Hi and HBM4E designs in 12, 8, and 16-Hi variants. In addition, SK hynix will focus on a custom version of HBM4E for a specific group of customers.

The standard RAM module line will be led by LPDDR6, which will be targeted at ultra-thin laptops and mobile devices. The AI-D series for AI tasks will include:

• LPDDR5R,
• LPDDR5X SOCAMM2,
• MRDIMM Gen2,
• CXL LPDDR6-PIM 2nd generation.

As for the NAND segment, there are plans to release PCIe Gen5 eSSD up to 245 TB for the corporate market and cSSD for consumer needs. In addition, the mobile segment will have the release of UFS 5.0 versions and AI-N products.

2029-2031: GDDR7-Next, DDR6, and 400-layer NAND

Between 2029 and 2031, a new generation of GDDR7-Next graphics memory will appear with top-of-the-line characteristics and higher speeds than the current version. Most likely, CPU manufacturers will continue to use GDDR7 for some time. DDR6 and 3D DRAM are also planned for release.

As for the HBM series, HBM5 and HBM5E are planned to be released along with specialized modifications. The new versions are expected to free up space on ASICs or GPUs and minimize power consumption by moving part of the logic to the base layer of the chip. The production of such chips is already being developed in collaboration with TSMC.

NAND will offer a new level of performance, and 4D NAND with 400 layers will be available. New products are being developed for AI systems to ensure high throughput: AI-N B and AI-N P “Storage Next”.