Intel Optane DIMM Comes to Unify RAM and Storage

Intel has released its first persistent Optane DIMM memory modules which are intended to unify the storage and RAM of a computer into a single high-capacity memory pool.

first Optane DIMM memory modules

Intel takes a new step forward with the advent of Optane technology in a DIMM module format, bringing X-Point memory closer to the CPU than ever before. The new Optane DIMMs are designed to be used as an extension and accelerator of DRAM memory. These modules come in capacities of 128GB, 256GB and 512GB per DIMM, offering storage densities that are light years away from today’s DDR4 DRAMs.

Moving to a DIMM form factor also significantly reduces the latency of Optane memory, making it much more viable as a DRAM replacement or extension, as PCIe based solutions require more steps before accessing CPU resources. When information about Optane is required, systems can access it exceptionally quickly thanks to its DIMM design, which offers significant latency and performance benefits over a PCIe SSD storage medium.

Intel is currently showing its Optane DIMMs to customers and has promised drives with 192GB of DRAM and 1TB of Optane persistent memory in early 2019. Optane DC memory will support the next generation of Intel Xeon Server processors, although it is not known at this time whether or not this functionality will be limited to select high-end platforms.