The Intel Developers Forum is naturally focused on processor related topics, but the close tie between the processor performance and the memory configuration means that there are always some important memory topics that are presented. The memory topic of highest interest this year was the resolution of fully buffered DIMM for DDR3.
Power consumption related to both the processing function as well as for the cooling of the semiconductor components are both becoming more important. In the overall scheme of a processor’s architecture, the way in which the processor uses the various memory elements as well as the coordination between the memory and the processor is critical to the overall cost and performance of the system design. The system-level design objectives impact many of those architectural considerations.
One of Intel’s design objectives relative to DRAM memory features was the ability to extend the capacity of the memory for high-performance applications with as little disruption to the architecture as possible. In order to support that objective, Intel supported Fully Buffered DIMM (FBDIMM) and the Advanced Memory Buffer (AMB) that was required on each of the modules.
