DRAM chip density continues to climb. But the hunger for more memory seems insatiable, especially with virtual systems running on multicore processors. One way to get more memory in a system is to support more memory sockets, though this requires more motherboard space and more drivers. Another is to use higher-density chips, yet this can be more costly.
MetaRAM puts a DDR3 cont rol ler between the memory socket and memor y chips (see the figure). This allows a reduction of memory loads because the controller presents one load while handling multiple SDRAM chips. It also permits the creation of higher-density dualinline memory modules (DIMMs) using lowerdensity memory chips.
And, it’s possible to build a bigger DIMM, essentially doubling the capacity, using existing memory chips. The approach is applicable regardless of the memory chip capacity. Using higher-density chips simply increases the capacity of the resulting DIMM. The controllers support x4 and x8 DIMM interfaces.
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