Intel and Micron Produce Breakthrough Memory Technology

Exciting times ahead it seems.


www.businesswire.com...


Intel and Micron begin production on new class of non-volatile memory, creating the first new memory category in more than 25 years.

New 3D XPoint™ technology brings non-volatile memory speeds up to 1,000 times faster1 than NAND, the most popular non-volatile memory in the marketplace today.

The companies invented unique material compounds and a cross point architecture for a memory technology that is 10 times denser than conventional memory2.

New technology makes new innovations possible in applications ranging from machine learning to real-time tracking of diseases and immersive 8K gaming.


It's all pretty self explanatory.

a reply to: EA006

Can you or someone explain the impact of this in more layman's terms, like talking to a kid in eight grade (which I may be, jabbering at you in-between classes and after the softball game). This sounds very important and tech changing, so I'd like to understand it further, thank you for this thread, and get Sallie Anne's phone number before next week's dance.

From your source:

“For decades, the industry has searched for ways to reduce the lag time between the processor and data to allow much faster analysis,” said Rob Crooke, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group. “This new class of non-volatile memory achieves this goal and brings game-changing performance to memory and storage solutions.”

“One of the most significant hurdles in modern computing is the time it takes the processor to reach data on long-term storage,” said Mark Adams, president of Micron. “This new class of non-volatile memory is a revolutionary technology that allows for quick access to enormous data sets and enables entirely new applications.”

a reply to: Aleister

Bascially: you double click, and it happens instantly rather than having to load.

Kinda cool for the daily user. Beyond that...i'd need to see what novel uses come about.

a reply to: EA006

100GB/sec sounds good to me. Of course, it will actually only be 50 times better but 5GB/sec ain't bad for NVRAM.

a reply to: EA006

In short, what does it mean to the average computer user?

a reply to: Aleister

It means information that doesn't go away after you press the off button will now be about as fast as the memory sticks that directly interact with your CPU.

The line between memory and hard drive just got blurred

a reply to: Aliensun

Initial applications would seem to be for tiny devices, like military bite-sized drones and smart phones with next-gen SOC (system on chip) devices.

Perhaps could be implemented with smart dust or something radical in 10 years time.

Laymens:

tinier, more powerful devices with less parts to run

originally posted by: Aliensun
a reply to: EA006

In short, what does it mean to the average computer user?

1 cent per gigabyte.

a reply to: pl3bscheese

It means information that doesn't go away after you press the off button will now be about as fast as the memory sticks that directly interact with your CPU.

I think you made it even more complicated!

a reply to: combatmaster

People keep saying this. All I do is speak and I keep hearing "I can't do complex right now".

It's becoming a nuisance.

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
a reply to: combatmaster

People keep saying this. All I do is speak and I keep hearing "I can't do complex right now".

It's becoming a nuisance.

Could you explain this in more detail?

a reply to: Xeven

why bother, i'd rather compliment your avatar.

kudos



S for the humor

a reply to: pl3bscheese

That makes sense to me... but I have a computer science minor.

What it means is less loading screen/less waiting and a more compact solid state hard drive.

I bet it's alien technology...

LOL

In all seriousness, where are the holographic hard drives we heard about years ago?

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
I bet it's alien technology...

LOL

In all seriousness, where are the holographic hard drives we heard about years ago?

There were some.

a reply to: Bedlam

Yeah and I thought they'd be super fast with insane storage. There were CNET articles and and startup companies making prototypes and now...

Huh, maybe the goverment and he NSA orchestrated InPhase's bankruptcy (the front running company developing it) -- in order to funnel the tech into a shell company. Holographic storage would be great for archiving vast amounts of information...something the NSA might be interested in doing...

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: Bedlam

Yeah and I thought they'd be super fast with insane storage. There were CNET articles and and startup companies making prototypes and now...

Gosh, I'm not sure why. Must not have worked out.

a reply to: Bedlam

You'd think if "they" wanted it, they would have co-opted it earlier in the development before public prototypes were made.

*shakes fist* You guys never let us have the good toys! I hate microfilm!

This, the three way transistor, and graphene technology are going to make for some minblowingly awesome machines in the near future.

Aleister
Xven

Memory on a computer is (often) stored in a capacitor. A capacitor can hold an charge electric charge and the array in which the charge is arranged represents the data (programs, videos, etc) on your computer. Nonvolatile memory means that when you turn off the computer the array of charge is not dissipated (not really but close enough for you to get it I hope).

A search on wikipedia for Flip-Flop will show you a representation of the circuit which is used to store 10101's/

If you can read this memory up to 1000x faster you can get a hold of the data 1000x faster . . . you are reducing the duration of the critical path between this data and any process (thing you want to do with the datas).

It is kind off awesome.

Oh and NAND stands for Not AND (a*b)'=a + b which is a useful circuit structure in that can be used in various configurations to produce all arithmetic calculations.

Hope that helps a bit.

-FBB

//EDIT
Or in even greater laymen terms;

Imagine you are trying to read a book but light only travels at 186 miles per second . . . basically taking forever to reach your eyes, then your brain (processor) to interpret the letters.

Now it travels at the REAL speed of light.

APPLAUSE!