Though previously leaked details already revealed AMD would be using GDDR5 memory in at least one of its forthcoming next-gen ATI Radeon graphics card products, it wasn't until today that the company confirmed it is working with a number of leading memory providers, including Samsung, Hynix and Qimonda, to bring GDDR5 to market.
It is the German-based Qimonda, however, who will be supplying the GDDR5 modules to be used with the first R700 chips that hit the market. According to AMD's internal testing, GDDR5 has been found to support data rates at up to five times that of GDDR3 and four times that of GDDR4, enabling more bandwidth over a narrower memory interface.
Qimonda said its GDDR5 chips are already being produced in volume and started shipping to AMD, hinting that the launch of the Radeon HD 4800 series is indeed not far off. There will be GDDR3 variants of the 4800 line too, so it should be interesting put these cards on the bench to see the difference performance-wise.