3D Xpoint memory: Faster-than-flash storage unveiled
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3D Xpoint memory: Faster-than-flash storage unveiled
A new kind of memory technology is going into production, which is up to 1,000 times faster than the Nand flash storage used in memory cards and computers’ solid state drives (SSDs).
The innovation is called 3D XPoint, and is the invention of Intel and Micron.
The two US companies predict a wide range of benefits, from speeding up scientific research to making more elaborate video games.
One expert described it as a “huge step forward”.
“There are other companies who have talked about new types of memory technology, but this is about being able to manufacture the stuff – that’s why they are making such a big deal out of it,” says Bob O’Donnell, from the consultancy Technalysis.
The 3D Xpoint chips will be manufactured at Intel and Micron’s joint venture in Utah
If all goes to plan, the first products to feature 3D XPoint (pronounced cross-point) will go on sale next year. Its price has yet to be announced.
Intel is marketing it as the first new class of “mainstream memory” since 1989.
Rather than pitch it as a replacement for either flash storage or RAM (random access memory), 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.
Until now, Intel and Micron have focused on the production and development of flash memory chips
Why do we need faster storage? The flash storage in my smartphone and PC seems more than fast enough to view and record the photos and videos I want.
Because there are other situations where using today’s storage slows things down or introduces constraints.
So-called “big data” tasks are a particular issue.
For example, efforts to sequence and analyse our genes/DNA hold the potential for new and personalised medical treatments.
But copying the huge amounts of information involved backwards and forwards makes this an extremely time-intensive activity at present.
Faster storage would also help cloud services better handle big files.
That could be helpful in the future, for example, if we wanted to stream 8K ultra-high definition video clips without experiencing lags at their start.
Modern consoles have 8GB of RAM, helping games developers create large levels, but 3D Xpoint could give them further freedom
And it would also prove a boon to video game-makers.
At present, level designs are limited by how much data can be stored in the RAM – or, strictly, a type of RAM chip called dynamic RAM (DRAM).
That’s why players sometimes have to halt their play while they wait for the machine to load a new section.
But if the data can be loaded more quickly from 3D XPoint, the developers should, in theory, be able to deliver them bigger, open worlds and a more seamless experience.
