16GB DIMMs on the way

Posted at: 4:39am 27th February 2008 by Ben Hardwidge

The new MetaRAM chipset makes several DRAM chips appear as one to the memory controller

You probably think that a 4GB dual-channel memory kit is about as big as it gets, but a new technology has now been developed that allows memory makers to pile up to 16GB of RAM on to a single DDR2 DIMM.

Founded by AMD's former chief technology officer (CTO), Fred Weber, MetaRAM has developed a new chipset that mediates between the memory controller and the RAM. The chipset allows you to stack up four 1Gb DRAM chips together, while fooling the memory controller into thinking that it's looking at a single 4Gb chip. The end result is that this overcomes the limitations of your memory controller, making it think that it's just controlling a high-capacity DIMM using a standard array of DRAM chips.

MetaRAM claims that the technology 'accelerates DRAM density by 2-4 years,' meaning that you no longer have to wait for high-capacity DRAM chips to be developed and drop in price before they become practical. If used with smaller DRAM chips, the technology could also have the effect of bringing down the price of 2GB DIMMs too, as they could use a stack of smaller and cheaper DRAM chips, rather than expensive high-capacity chips.

The company says that it basically bridges the' persistent gap between memory and processing improvements - processor computing power doubles doubles every 18 months, while memory capacity lags, doubling only every 36 months - a gap that is limiting system performance.'

It's not just about adding extra memory to a DIMM, though, MetaRAM also claims that its chipset will help memory makers to push clock speeds higher. 'Because the MetaSDRAM chipset acts as a buffer between the SDRAM and memory controller,' says the company, 'it reduces the electrical loading on the memory bus, and the variance in I/O timing thereby improving the signal integrity in the channel.'

Both Hynix and SMART Modules have already announced new 8GB DIMMs that will use the technology. MetaRAM is currently targeting servers and workstations, as a standard desktop computer can't really use this amount of RAM at the moment. However, this is certainly a technology that's worth keeping an eye on as 64-bit operating systems become commonplace.