[OPLIN 4cast] OPLIN 4cast #453: Some memories are better than others

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OPLIN 4cast #453: Some memories are better than others
September 2nd, 2015

[image: memories]About a month ago, Intel Corporation and Micron
Technology, Inc. announced a "breakthrough in memory technology." 3D
XPoint™ is said to be the largest advance in computer memory in decades,
and while precise details about the design and materials are not being
widely shared, the general description in the announcement still caught the
attention of the tech media. Will this new memory start showing up in
library computers? That's hard to say, but there is some speculation that
this memory may be affordable enough to find its way into all kinds of
computers.

   - 3D Xpoint memory: Faster-than-flash storage unveiled
   <http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33675734> (BBC News | Leo Kelion)
   "Intel is marketing it as the first new class of 'mainstream memory' since
   1989. 3D XPoint retains data when the power is switched off - one of its
   key advantages over RAM (random access memory), which remains faster.
   Rather than pitch it as a replacement for either flash storage or RAM, the
   company suggests it will be used alongside them to hold certain data
   'closer' to a processor so that it can be accessed more quickly than
   before."
   - Micron: 3D XPoint in IMDB
   <http://seekingalpha.com/article/3477026-micron-3d-xpoint-in-imdb>
   (Seeking Alpha | "Overbet For Value") "Unsurprisingly, opinions of the
   impact of XPoint vary greatly. The most pessimistic opinions center around
   the idea that there is no market for XPoint as its endurance isn't good
   enough to take the place of DRAM and isn't cheap enough to replace NAND in
   SSDs (Solid State Drives). The most optimistic view is that XPoint is the
   most revolutionary technology in semiconductors in many years and will
   eventually replace DRAM, NAND and completely kill hard disk drives."
   - This new 3D XPoint memory could last forever
   <http://www.computerworld.com/article/2954492/computer-hardware/that-new-3d-xpoint-memory-could-last-forever.html>
   (Computerworld | Lucas Mearian) "The new memory, however, is bound to make
   a splash in data centers for applications such as in-memory computing and
   high-performance computing, [Gartner Vice President Joseph] Unsworth said.
   Today, data centers use DRAM for high performance computing and other I/O
   intensive applications and capacitors to ensure that if power is lost, the
   DRAM modules have a few seconds of power to transfer the data to
   non-volatile memory. With XPoint memory, more high-performance processing
   could be done without the need for as much DRAM, eliminating the super
   capacitors and some NAND flash."
   - Intel and Micron unveil 3D XPoint, a brand new memory technology
   <http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/07/intel-and-micron-unveil-3d-xpoint-a-brand-new-memory-technology/>
   (Ars Technica | Sebastian Anthony) "Performance-wise, Intel and Micron make
   very bold claims: 3D XPoint is apparently 'up to 1,000 times faster' and
   'has up to 1,000 times greater endurance' than commercial NAND chips. If 3D
   XPoint isn't using electrical charge to store data, and is instead using a
   material that changes state, then the endurance figure is believable. The
   performance figure is a bit trickier: when Intel and Micron say 'faster,'
   what do they actually mean? If the access time is 1,000 times faster than
   NAND, then that's actually quite believable. By way of comparison, DRAM
   latency is currently about 1,000 times faster than NAND. If 3D XPoint has
   1,000 times more bandwidth than NAND, then we're probably back into
   fantastical-PR-claim territory."

*Articles from Ohio Web Library <http://ohioweblibrary.org>:*

   - 3D Xpoint: The next, best memory standard?
   <http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.oplin.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=109038618&site=ehost-live>
   (*PC Magazine*, Sept. 2015, p.14-16 | Joel Hruska)
   - Micron plans $200 million expansion in Boise.
   <http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.oplin.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cmh&AN=2W63160742483&site=chc-live>
   (*The Idaho Statesman*, 8/19/2015 | Bill Roberts)
   - Memory upgrade: The demands of modern computing call for a seismic
   shift in data storage and retrieval.
   <http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.oplin.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cmh&AN=90634347&site=chc-live>
   (*Science News*, 10/19/2013, p.28-31 | Andrew Grant)

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