Faster memory: FB-DIMM from Rambus

Rambus plans to see the future of memory, like the interface of hard drives, in the principle of serial operation.

Nowadays, more and more memory is needed in various IT devices. We’ve been saving more and more pictures to mobile phones, storing music on them, and maybe running more programs that take up more RAM on our computer - and the list isn’t even near here. The problem with current modules is that they work in parallel. This raises more and more manufacturing problems as capacity and speed increase, and the design of the associated inserts is not too easy.

The big advantage of the FB-DIMM (Fully Buffered - Dual Inline Memory Module) shown in the picture is that the capacity and speed can be increased in one step by keeping the current number of connectors, all you need to do is redesign the chipsets. The technology has been around for some time, but isn't used elsewhere except for high-end servers, and the current desktop PC segment doesn't require as much storage capacity as the FB-DIMM.

However, recorders and gaming fanatics can benefit from the extra performance, which is why manufacturers trying to meet extreme demands, such as OCZ, are already thinking about mass production in small batches.