Intel and Micron have debuted a new memory chip that can be used as non volatile memory as well as system memory. Dubbed as 3D XPoint, the technology is 1,000 times faster than the current-generation NAND flash chips upon which modern solid-state drives are built.
Nonvolatile memory means data is saved even when power is turned off. The 3D XPoint will have higher endurance than existing NAND Flash memory currently being used in SSDs. The companies said that in addition to being 1,000 times faster, the new memory-chip technology is also 10 times as dense as what is typically used in machines when it comes to packing in data.
“For decades, the industry has searched for ways to reduce the lag time between the processor and data to allow much faster analysis. This new class of non-volatile memory achieves this goal and brings game-changing performance to memory and storage solutions.”
said Rob Crooke, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group.
The new memory is aimed at making it faster for computers to access and work with the enormous amount of data created by an increasing number of devices connected to one another and the Internet. It will also help to improve data-intensive tasks such as real-time tracking of diseases and immersive realistic gaming, the companies said. Intel and Micron are developing individual products based on the technology that are forecast to be available sometime next year.