A Memory Solution for High-performance Computing
Samsung Electronics announced on May 11 that it has developed a new memory module supporting the new Compute Express Link (CXL) interconnect standard, which is designed to overcome the physical limitations of DRAM modules. Industry watchers say Samsung has made another quantum leap in memory semiconductor technology.
The center of the computer is its CPU. Computers can function properly only when DRAMs and solid state drives (SSDs) are combined with CPUs. The problem is the DDR DRAM module, a previous standard. Due to design limitations, only four DRAM modules can be attached to a home desktop PC and only 16 DRAM modules to a server used in data centers.
Only a few years ago, 16 DRAM modules were not a problem. But the situation has changed because new technologies such as 5G mobile communication and artificial intelligence (AI) have emerged. As data flooded, a DRAM bottleneck problem began to arise. The performance of newly released DRAMs has failed to keep up with the speed of data growth.
Samsung Electronics has resolved this problem by embracing the CXL interconnect standard. It has developed the industry’s first CXL-based memory module that enables server systems to significantly scale memory capacity and bandwidth. The Korean semiconductor giant said memory capacity of a CPU can be scaled to the terabyte level.
Samsung’s new module has been successfully validated on next-generation server platforms from Intel, signaling the beginning of an era for high-bandwidth, low latency CXL-based memory using the latest DDR5 standard.
Debendra Das Sharma, Intel fellow and director of I/O Technology and Standards at Intel said, “Data center architecture is rapidly evolving to support the growing demand and workloads for AI and ML, and CXL memory is expected to expand the use of memory to a new level. We continue to work with industry companies such as Samsung to develop a robust memory ecosystem around CXL.”
As the DDR5-based CXL memory module becomes commercialized, Samsung intends to lead the industry in meeting the demand for next-generation high-performance computing technologies that rely on expanded memory capacity and bandwidth.
"The semiconductor industry is starting to compete in the realm of design and solution instead of integration," said an industry insider. "The industry will change depending on which technology will become a standard."