Hynix je najavio dostupnost 2-bank DIMM memorijskih modula kapaciteta 16 GB, a uskoro će ponuditi i 8-gigabajtne module

Ovo je moguće zahvaljujući tehnologiji kompanije MetaRAM (http://www.metaram.com/) koju vodi Fred Weber, bivši tehnički direktor AMD-a. Tvrtka je tehnologiju najavila u februaru ove godine, a radi se o posebnom čispetu za DIMM-ove koji stoji između memorijskog kontrolera (na ploči ili integrisanog u procesor) i DRAM-a, a koji omogućava stavljanje četiri puta više memorije na jedan DIMM nego je to inače slučaj.

Tehnologija se zove "MetaSDRAM" (samo jedno slovo razlike od imena kompanije), i omogućava povećanje kapaciteta bez ikakvih posljedica za radni takt memorije i jedina je dostupna tehnologija koja može na jednom kanala agregirati do 24 GB memorije na 1.066 miliona transakcija u sekundi.

Ukupno se korištenjem 16-gigabajtnih modula (ovisno o matičnoj ploči) može dobiti do 48 GB RAM-a po memorijskom kanalu, dok druge tehnologije uglavnom daju najviše 16 GB po kanalu.
Hynix, koji licencirano koristi MetaRAM-ovu tehnologiju već je najavio servere sa 144 i 288 GB RAM-a po serveru.

 

 MetaSDRAM Technology

DDR3 MetaSDRAM is similar to MetaRAM’s DDR2 technology in that it enables significantly more memory in a server. The major benefit of DDR3 MetaSDRAM technology is that it enables this larger memory capacity without negatively impacting the operating frequency of the DDR3 memory channel like standard R-DIMMs. It is the only technology that has been shown publicly to run over 16GB of DDR3 SDRAM in a channel at 1066 million transactions per second (MT/s). Using three 16GB DIMM modules, users can achieve 48GB per channel, while other cost-effective solutions max out at 16GB per channel.

MetaSDRAM Chipset

The MetaSDRAM chipset, which sits between the memory controller and the DRAM, solves the memory capacity problem cost effectively by enabling up to four times more mainstream DRAMs to be integrated into existing DIMMs without the need for any hardware, or software changes. The chipset makes multiple DRAMs look like a larger capacity DRAM to the memory controller. The result is “stealth” high-capacity memory that circumvents the normal limitations set by the memory controller. This new technology has accelerated memory technology development by 2-4 years.

MetaSDRAM R-DIMM

DDR3 MetaSDRAM R-DIMMs use 36, 72 or 144 mainstream 1Gb SDRAMs to provide a cost effective 4GB, 8GB or 16GB DIMM that is compatible with industry standards and future Intel server and workstation platforms.

Memory Drivers

MetaSDRAM R-DIMMs are designed for high performance rack-mount servers and workstations that run compute-intensive applications such as CAD/EDA simulations, database transaction processing (OLTP), digital content creation, and virtualization. These and other heavy workload applications are the backbone of industries like aerospace, automotive, financial services, animation, oil and gas exploration, and semiconductor design and simulation. Virtualization software and server consolidation is an emerging technology that IT managers are pursuing in order to save energy and costs. The number of virtual machines that can be run on one processor is exploding as the number of cores, processing power, and frequencies on a processor grow in relation to Moore’s law. At the same time, the number of loads which can be put on the memory bus is falling as speeds increase from DDR2-533 to DDR3-1600 and beyond. MetaSDRAM is the key to solving these challenges and others.