Intel and Micron Debut Blazing Fast Memory Chips

A new memory chip, capable of working 1,000 times faster than current NAND flash chips, is due for release next year from a joint partnership between Intel and Micron.

While the two tech firms didn’t give out too many details regarding the new 3D XPoint technology, they said in a news release that their discovery is a departure from the integrated circuit technology that’s been in use from the 1970s.

“For decades, the industry has searched for ways to reduce the lag time between the processor and data to allow much faster analysis,” said Rob Crooke, an Intel senior vice president. “This new class of non-volatile memory achieves this goal and brings game-changing performance to memory and storage solutions.”

The transistor-less design resembles a three-dimensional checkerboard where memory cells can be packed up to 10 times denser than current technology allows. The result: much faster and more efficient read and write functions.

3D XPoint will most likely be used for long-term storage, which is ready-made for large data centers. It could also be used in advanced gaming systems and other applications where large datasets need to be accessed at high speeds.

For more detailed information, here’s the link to the Intel/Micron news release and a fun interactive image of the new design below.