Computex 2015 - Day 3

Computex 2015 - Crucial

The main development in Crucial's memory division is 16GB DDR4 modules (and 32GB RDIMM server ones), thanks to the use of new 8Gb DDR4 dies. Such modules will be available in the standard JEDEC range as well as the higher-end Ballistix one, and they can be combined for a whopping 128GB of DRAM in an eight-slot system (e.g. X99). That said, one 16GB module costs about the same as three 8GB ones, so it's important you actually have a need for so much memory e.g. multiple virtual machines, heavy video rendering or RAM disk use.


In terms of DDR4 adoption, Crucial said it expects Skylake to help significantly with bringing the cost of DDR4 down, as well as with the uptake of 8Gb-based, higher capacity modules. DDR3 1600MHz and DDR4 2133MHz modules should also line up in price by the end of the year; previously, DDR4 had a very high cost of entry, but this is now falling.

As for the Storage division, Crucial/Micron announced the availability of its 16nm TLC NAND for its partners (it supplies NAND to many SSD manufacturers), with drives based on this expected to enter the market in the fall, including a Crucial branded one. Crucial already has a number of successful low cost SSDs like the MX200 and BX100, and the higher density of TLC NAND will help drive costs even lower.


The company also spoke briefly about its plans for 3D NAND, which is the next true evolution of NAND. Micron's process will be very different to Samsung's and much denser with a different layer configuration. As usual, Micron's 3D NAND is being developed with Intel, and the company says we can expect to see its debut next year. We asked also about NVMe and PCI-E solutions, but Crucial was only able to say that it's aware of its importance and has some solutions cooking.


Lastly, Crucial also made note of its SSD software, Storage Executive, which offers firmware updates, SMART monitoring, encryption key reset and a dynamic DRAM cache that's similar to Samsung's RAPID Mode and can use up to one quarter of system memory (it only uses what's idle and otherwise unused). Crucial now also bundles Acronis data migration software with every drive.