Munich - Infineon extends its memory product line with 256 Mbit Graphic Double Data Rate 3 (GDDR3) Synchronous Graphics RAM (SGRAM). The company believes its memory will allow higher resolution, lifelike realization and more details in applications such as 3D graphics and games.

Infineon joins a group of firms already manufacturing GDDR3 memory, including Elpida, Hynix and Micron. The memory currently is clocked at 500 MHz with room to scale up to 800 MHz and enables data bandwidths of up to four GByte per second using a 32-bit interface.

GDDR3 is very similar to DDR memory, but is designed to reach higher clock rates and to improve high-speed signaling for graphics processing. Compared to the preceding GDDR1, GDDR3 operates at a lower voltage of 1.8V (GDDR1: 2.5V), integrates on-chip signal termination and a dynamically controlled impedance output driver, a 4-bit prefetch and a unidirectional, single-ended data strobe.

Infineon's 256 Mbit GDDR3 SGRAM is organized in 8Mx32 and targets 32, 64, 128 and 256-bit bus applications on standalone graphics cards. According to Infineon, the memory is shipping in volume.