Intel Corp. and Micron Technology Inc. are starting production of a new, faster type of memory chip, which they say will change how computers access large amounts of data.
The companies said in a statement Tuesday that 3D XPoint technology is the first new mainstream memory chip to come to market in 25 years. The chipmakers will send samples of the product, which was described as being 1,000 times faster than what’s currently in use, to potential customers this year.
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 also will help to improve data-intensive tasks such as real-time tracking of diseases and immersive realistic gaming, the companies said. Existing types of memory are too expensive or aren’t fast enough for such tasks.
“One of the most significant hurdles in modern computing is the time it takes the processor to reach data on long-term storage,” said Mark Adams, Micron’s president. “This new class of non-volatile memory is a revolutionary technology that allows for quick access to enormous data sets and enables entirely new applications.”
The new technology is initially most likely to be used by operators of large data centers such as Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. to help boost performance of their servers, said Martin Reynolds, an analyst for Gartner Inc.
“This to them has got to be a fabulous opportunity because they can significantly increase the amount of memory they have in their servers,” he said.
While Intel and Micron didn’t give details of the materials they’ve used for 3D XPoint, the new memory uses a different structure that’s not based on transistors, the building blocks of integrated circuits for more than four decades. Production will begin at Micron’s Lehi, Utah, plant next year.
