{"id":114553,"date":"2017-01-11T18:03:25","date_gmt":"2017-01-11T16:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/?p=114553"},"modified":"2017-01-11T18:04:27","modified_gmt":"2017-01-11T16:04:27","slug":"intels-new-memory-technology-could-change-desktop-storage-as-we-know-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/hardware\/114553-intels-new-memory-technology-could-change-desktop-storage-as-we-know-it","title":{"rendered":"Intel’s new memory technology could change desktop storage as we know it"},"content":{"rendered":"

While a number of new hardware technologies have been revealed recently, 3D XPoint memory is one to watch out for.<\/p>\n

3D XPoint is a non-volatile memory technology which was announced in 2015 and is being developed by Intel and Micron.<\/p>\n

Intel refers to its 3D XPoint storage devices under the name Optane, while Micron\u2019s 3D XPoint-based brand is QuantX.<\/p>\n

The technology has been in development for several years, but Intel\u2019s 7th-gen\u00a0processors and their support for Optane memory points towards the expected arrival of completed products.<\/p>\n

Below is an overview of 3D XPoint and why it is an important technology.<\/p>\n

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Architecture and Design<\/h3>\n

3D XPoint is designed to be the first major memory design overhaul since the implementation of NAND flash.<\/p>\n

The premise of 3D XPoint involves stacking thin layers of memory in a cross point structure to optimise density.<\/p>\n

The amount of voltage sent to each memory cell means data can be written or read without a transistor, decreasing both the size and price of the memory.<\/p>\n

The memory is non-volatile and its lifespan does not degrade due to continuous operation, like conventional SSDs.<\/p>\n

3D XPoint is also extremely fast and cheap, meaning it may replace both conventional storage (HDDs and SSDs) and even DRAM memory.<\/p>\n

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Performance<\/h3>\n

Intel outlined the performance improvements of 3D XPoint over conventional storage in its initial announcement.<\/p>\n

While the hardware was not fully-developed or tested at the time, information released so far gives users an idea of what to expect.<\/p>\n

3D XPoint storage is only slightly slower than DRAM, and much faster than SSDs and hard drives.<\/p>\n

Intel\u00a0describes the speed of the memory as up to 1,000-times faster than NAND, with extremely low latency.<\/p>\n

The memory will also be as cheap as conventional storage, although this may only be true\u00a0later in the production cycle.<\/p>\n