Opportunities to Upgrade Main Memory

Abstract

Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC), in production by Micron Technology, is a new DRAM component that has multiple advantages over current parts including higher bandwidth, lower energy, abstract and more pin efficient interface and other benefits. The memory technology can be used as a base for even further improvements, including upgrading memory scalability to multiple terabytes and terabyte per second bandwidths per processor and resilience such that even large supercomputers with 100s of petabytes of memory will have reliable memory systems. Future systems, from desktops up, will have memory systems of multiple levels, including DRAM and non-volatile (NAND?) components that are both first-level memory capabilities, along with DRAM or SRAM scratch memory such that total data motion is greatly reduced. The result can be improved system performance and reduced system power.