Micron Unveils Innovative MRDIMM Technology to Boost AI and HPC Performance

Micron MRDIMM Innovations Deliver Highest Performance and Lowest Latency Main Memory to Accelerate Data Center Workloads - Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU)

BOISE, Idaho, July 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Micron Technology, Inc. MU, today announced it is now sampling its multiplexed rank dual inline memory module (MRDIMMs). The MRDIMMs will enable Micron customers to run increasingly demanding workloads and obtain maximum value out of their compute infrastructure. For applications requiring more than 128GB of memory per DIMM slot, Micron MRDIMMs outperform current TSV RDIMMs by enabling the highest bandwidth, largest capacity with the lowest latency and improved performance per watt to accelerate memory-intensive virtualized multi-tenant, HPC and AI data center workloads.1 The new memory offering is the first generation in the Micron MRDIMM family and will be compatible with Intel® Xeon® 6 processors. "Micron's latest innovative main memory solution, MRDIMM, delivers the much-needed bandwidth and capacity at lower latency to scale AI inference and HPC applications on next-generation server platforms," said Praveen Vaidyanathan, vice president and general manager of Micron's Compute Products Group. "MRDIMMs significantly lower the amount of energy used per task while offering the same reliability, availability and serviceability capabilities and interface as RDIMMs, thus providing customers a flexible solution that scales performance. Micron's close industry collaborations ensure seamless integration into existing server infrastructures and smooth transitions to future compute platforms." By implementing DDR5 physical and electrical standards, MRDIMM technology delivers a memory advancement that allows scaling of both bandwidth and capacity per core to future-proof compute systems and meets the expanding demands of data center workloads. MRDIMMs provide the following advantages over RDIMMs: 2 Up to 39% increase in effective memory bandwidth2Greater than 15% better bus efficiency2Up to 40% latency improvements compared to RDIMMs3 MRDIMMs support a wide capacity range from 32GB to 256GB in standard and tall form factors (TFF), which are suitable for high-performance 1U and 2U servers. The improved thermal design of TFF modules reduces DRAM temperatures by up to 20 degrees Celsius at the same power and airflow,4 enabling more efficient cooling capabilities in data centers and optimizing total system task energy for memory-intensive workloads. Micron's industry-leading memory design and process technology using 32Gb DRAM die enables 256GB TFF MRDIMMs to have the same power envelope as 128GB TFF MRDIMMs using 16Gb die. A 256GB TFF MRDIMM provides a 35% improvement in performance over similar-capacity TSV RDIMMs at the maximum data rate.5 With 256GB TFF MRDIMMs, data centers can drive unprecedented TCO benefits over TSV RDIMMs. "By leveraging DDR5 interfaces and technology, MRDIMMs provide seamless compatibility with existing Xeon 6 CPU platforms, giving customers flexibility and choice," said Matt Langman, vice president and general manager of Datacenter Product Management, Intel Xeon 6 at Intel. "MRDIMMs provide customers a full choice of higher bandwidth, lower latencies and capacity points for HPC, AI and a plethora of workloads, all on the same Xeon 6 CPU platforms that also support standard DIMMs. Our customers will benefit from Micron's broad portfolio of MRDIMMs ranging from 32GB to 256GB densities and in standard and tall form factors that will be validated with Intel Xeon 6 platforms." "As processor and GPU vendors have given us exponentially more cores, the memory bandwidth required to deliver balanced system performance has lagged. Micron MRDIMMs will help close the bandwidth gap for memory-intensive workloads like AI inference, AI retraining and countless high-performance computing workloads," said Scott Tease, vice president and general manager of AI and High-Performance Computing at Lenovo. "Our collaboration with Micron is stronger than ever, and laser-focused on delivering balanced, high-performance, sustainable technology solutions to our mutual customers." Micron MRDIMMs are available now and will be shipping in volume in the second half of calendar year 2024. Subsequent generations of MRDIMMs will continue to deliver up to 45% better memory bandwidth per channel over similar-generation RDIMMs.6 For more information on Micron MRDIMM innovations, visit: Micron MRDIMM memory. Additional resources: Product webpageProduct briefMicron image gallery About Micron Technology, Inc. We are an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all. With a relentless focus on our customers, technology leadership, and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron delivers a rich portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND and NOR memory and storage products through our Micron® and Crucial® brands. Every day, the innovations that our people create fuel the data economy, enabling advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and compute-intensive applications that unleash opportunities -- from the data center to the intelligent edge and across the client and mobile user experience. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. MU, visit micron.com. © 2024 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Information, products, and/or specifications are subject to change without notice. Micron, the Micron logo, and all other Micron trademarks are the property of Micron Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 1 Read-only bandwidth data based on GNR-AP platform at different memory clocks for MRDIMM (empirical at 8800MT/s) and TSV RDIMM (projected at 6400MT/s) using the Intel Memory Latency Checker (MLC) tool. 2 Empirical data comparing 128GB MRDIMM 8800MT/s against 128GB RDIMM 6400MT/s using the Intel Memory Latency Checker (MLC) tool. 3 Empirical Stream Triad data comparing 128GB MRDIMM 8800MT/s against 128GB RDIMM 6400MT/s. 4 Maximum DRAM temperature simulations comparing standard form factor (SFF) DIMMs in a 1U server chassis compared to tall form factor (TFF) MRDIMMs in a 2U server chassis. 5 Read-only bandwidth data based on GNR-AP platform at different memory clocks for MRDIMMs (empirical data at 8800MT/s) and TSV RDIMMs (projected data at 6400MT/s for current generation) using the Intel Memory Latency Checker (MLC) tool. 6 Increase in data rate based on expected future speeds of MRDIMMs over RDIMMs. Micron Media Relations Contact Kelly Sasso Micron Technology, Inc. +1 (208) 340-2410 [email protected] Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Micron MRDIMM Innovations Deliver Highest Performance and Lowest Latency Main Memory to Accelerate Data Center Workloads

Transformative Micron MRDIMMs power memory-intensive applications like AI and HPC with up to 256GB capacity at 40% lower latency BOISE, Idaho, July 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), today announced it is now sampling its multiplexed rank dual inline memory module (MRDIMMs). The MRDIMMs will enable Micron customers to run increasingly demanding workloads and obtain maximum value out of their compute infrastructure. For applications requiring more than 128GB of memory per DIMM slot, Micron MRDIMMs outperform current TSV RDIMMs by enabling the highest bandwidth, largest capacity with the lowest latency and improved performance per watt to accelerate memory-intensive virtualized multi-tenant, HPC and AI data center workloads. The new memory offering is the first generation in the Micron MRDIMM family and will be compatible with Intel Xeon6 processors. "Micron's latest innovative main memory solution, MRDIMM, delivers the much-needed bandwidth and capacity at lower latency to scale AI inference and HPC applications on next-generation server platforms," said Praveen Vaidyanathan, vice president and general manager of Micron's Compute Products Group. "MRDIMMs significantly lower the amount of energy used per task while offering the same reliability, availability and serviceability capabilities and interface as RDIMMs, thus providing customers a flexible solution that scales performance. Micron's close industry collaborations ensure seamless integration into existing server infrastructures and smooth transitions to future compute platforms." By implementing DDR5 physical and electrical standards, MRDIMM technology delivers a memory advancement that allows scaling of both bandwidth and capacity per core to future-proof compute systems and meets the expanding demands of data center workloads. MRDIMMs provide the following advantages over RDIMMs: MRDIMMs support a wide capacity range from 32GB to 256GB in standard and tall form factors (TFF), which are suitable for high-performance 1U and 2U servers. The improved thermal design of TFF modules reduces DRAM temperatures by up to 20 degrees Celsius at the same power and airflow, enabling more efficient cooling capabilities in data centers and optimizing total system task energy for memory-intensive workloads. Micron's industry-leading memory design and process technology using 32Gb DRAM die enables 256GB TFF MRDIMMs to have the same power envelope as 128GB TFF MRDIMMs using 16Gb die. A 256GB TFF MRDIMM provides a 35% improvement in performance over similar-capacity TSV RDIMMs at the maximum data rate. With 256GB TFF MRDIMMs, data centers can drive unprecedented TCO benefits over TSV RDIMMs. "By leveraging DDR5 interfaces and technology, MRDIMMs provide seamless compatibility with existing Xeon 6 CPU platforms, giving customers flexibility and choice," said Matt Langman, vice president and general manager of Datacenter Product Management, Intel Xeon 6 at Intel. "MRDIMMs provide customers a full choice of higher bandwidth, lower latencies and capacity points for HPC, AI and a plethora of workloads, all on the same Xeon 6 CPU platforms that also support standard DIMMs. Our customers will benefit from Micron's broad portfolio of MRDIMMs ranging from 32GB to 256GB densities and in standard and tall form factors that will be validated with Intel Xeon 6 platforms." "As processor and GPU vendors have given us exponentially more cores, the memory bandwidth required to deliver balanced system performance has lagged. Micron MRDIMMs will help close the bandwidth gap for memory-intensive workloads like AI inference, AI retraining and countless high-performance computing workloads," said Scott Tease, vice president and general manager of AI and High-Performance Computing at Lenovo. "Our collaboration with Micron is stronger than ever, and laser-focused on delivering balanced, high-performance, sustainable technology solutions to our mutual customers." Micron MRDIMMs are available now and will be shipping in volume in the second half of calendar year 2024. Subsequent generations of MRDIMMs will continue to deliver up to 45% better memory bandwidth per channel over similar-generation RDIMMs. For more information on Micron MRDIMM innovations, visit: Micron MRDIMM memory. Additional resources: About Micron Technology, Inc. We are an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all. With a relentless focus on our customers, technology leadership, and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron delivers a rich portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND and NOR memory and storage products through our Micron and Crucial brands. Every day, the innovations that our people create fuel the data economy, enabling advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and compute-intensive applications that unleash opportunities -- from the data center to the intelligent edge and across the client and mobile user experience. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), visit micron.com. © 2024 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Information, products, and/or specifications are subject to change without notice. Micron, the Micron logo, and all other Micron trademarks are the property of Micron Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Read-only bandwidth data based on GNR-AP platform at different memory clocks for MRDIMM (empirical at 8800MT/s) and TSV RDIMM (projected at 6400MT/s) using the Intel Memory Latency Checker (MLC) tool. Empirical data comparing 128GB MRDIMM 8800MT/s against 128GB RDIMM 6400MT/s using the Intel Memory Latency Checker (MLC) tool. Empirical Stream Triad data comparing 128GB MRDIMM 8800MT/s against 128GB RDIMM 6400MT/s. Maximum DRAM temperature simulations comparing standard form factor (SFF) DIMMs in a 1U server chassis compared to tall form factor (TFF) MRDIMMs in a 2U server chassis. Read-only bandwidth data based on GNR-AP platform at different memory clocks for MRDIMMs (empirical data at 8800MT/s) and TSV RDIMMs (projected data at 6400MT/s for current generation) using the Intel Memory Latency Checker (MLC) tool. Increase in data rate based on expected future speeds of MRDIMMs over RDIMMs.

Micron unveils MRDIMMs for enhanced AI and HPC performance By Investing.com

BOISE, Idaho - Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) has introduced its new multiplexed rank dual inline memory module (MRDIMM), designed to power artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) applications with increased capacity and reduced latency. The company announced today that it is currently offering samples of these MRDIMMs, which are anticipated to support memory-intensive tasks more efficiently than existing solutions. The MRDIMMs, compatible with Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)® Xeon® 6 processors, claim to surpass traditional TSV RDIMMs by providing higher bandwidth and larger capacities, up to 256GB per DIMM slot, while also achieving up to 40% lower latency. These improvements are expected to accelerate virtualized multi-tenant, HPC, and AI data center workloads. Micron's MRDIMMs are designed to deliver enhanced performance per watt, contributing to energy savings and maintaining the same reliability and serviceability as RDIMMs. The company emphasizes seamless integration into current server infrastructures and compatibility with future compute platforms. The DDR5 technology utilized in MRDIMMs is said to offer a 39% increase in effective memory bandwidth and more than 15% better bus efficiency compared to RDIMMs. Moreover, the thermal design of the tall form factor (TFF) modules reportedly reduces DRAM temperatures by up to 20 degrees Celsius, which could lead to more efficient cooling in data centers. Micron's 256GB TFF MRDIMMs are engineered using 32Gb DRAM die, which allows for the same power envelope as 128GB TFF MRDIMMs that use 16Gb die. This configuration is expected to yield a 35% performance improvement over similar-capacity TSV RDIMMs at maximum data rates. Industry collaboration has been highlighted as a key factor in the development of MRDIMMs, with Intel and Lenovo executives expressing support for the new memory modules. Micron anticipates that MRDIMMs will begin shipping in volume in the latter half of 2024, with future generations continuing to offer significant bandwidth improvements. The announcement is based on a press release statement from Micron Technology, Inc. and provides an overview of the new MRDIMM product line and its potential benefits for data center workloads. In other recent news, Micron Technology has seen a series of significant developments. KeyBanc increased the company's share price target to $165, maintaining an Overweight rating. This decision comes amid competitor Samsung (KS:005930)'s struggles with its HBM3e product, potentially allowing Micron to gain a larger market share in this advanced memory technology segment. Furthermore, the introduction of HBM4 is set to create additional opportunities for Micron. The company reported a third-quarter revenue of $6.81 billion, surpassing estimates, and a fourth-quarter revenue projection of $7.6 billion, driven by sales of its high-bandwidth memory chips. Micron also announced plans to increase its capital expenditure in the coming year, with about half of this investment aimed at expanding production capacity through the construction of new fabrication plants. Analyst firms including TD Cowen, Piper Sandler, UBS, and Barclays (LON:BARC) have adjusted their price targets for Micron, citing robust capital expenditure plans and promising revenue projections. BofA Securities and CFRA maintained their Buy ratings on Micron, while UBS revised its earnings per share estimates for the company for 2025 and 2026, but maintained its Buy rating. These are the recent developments for Micron Technology. Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) has recently showcased its innovative MRDIMM technology, which is poised to enhance AI and HPC applications by providing higher capacity and reduced latency. As investors consider the potential market impact of MRDIMMs, it's essential to look at the company's financial health and market position through the lens of InvestingPro metrics and tips. According to InvestingPro Data, Micron currently holds a substantial market capitalization of $145.11B USD, reflecting a significant presence in the semiconductor sector. Despite a negative P/E Ratio of -93.59, the company has demonstrated a robust revenue growth of 17.6% over the last twelve months as of Q3 2024. This growth trajectory is further underscored by a remarkable six-month price total return of 54.96%, indicating strong investor confidence in Micron's market performance. An InvestingPro Tip highlights that Micron has raised its dividend for three consecutive years, suggesting a commitment to providing shareholder value. Furthermore, analysts have revised their earnings upwards for the upcoming period, signaling optimism about the company's future profitability. This is particularly relevant as Micron ventures into the MRDIMM market, which could lead to increased sales and further growth. For readers interested in deeper analysis and additional insights, there are 20 more InvestingPro Tips available, which can be accessed with a subscription. Use the coupon code PRONEWS24 to get up to 10% off a yearly Pro and a yearly or biyearly Pro+ subscription to enrich your investment strategy with comprehensive data and expert analysis.

Micron Expands Datacenter DRAM Portfolio with MR-DIMMs

The compute market has always been hungry for memory bandwidth, particularly for high-performance applications in servers and datacenters. In recent years, the explosion in core counts per socket has further accentuated this need. Despite progress in DDR speeds, the available bandwidth per core has unfortunately not seen a corresponding scaling. The stakeholders in the industry have been attempting to address this by building additional technology on top of existing widely-adopted memory standards. With DDR5, there are currently two technologies attempting to increase the peak bandwidth beyond the official speeds. In late 2022, SK hynix introduced MCR-DIMMs meant for operating with specific Intel server platforms. On the other hand, JEDEC - the standards-setting body - also developed specifications for MR-DIMMs with a similar approach. Both of them build upon existing DDR5 technologies by attempting to combine multiple ranks to improve peak bandwidth and latency. The MR-DIMM standard is conceptually simple - there are multiple ranks of memory modules operating at standard DDR5 speeds with a data buffer in front. The buffer operates at 2x the speed on the host interface side, allowing for essentially double the transfer rates. The challenges obviously lie in being able to operate the logic in the host memory controller at the higher speed and keeping the power consumption / thermals in check. The first version of the JEDEC MR-DIMM standard specifies speeds of 8800 MT/s, with the next generation at 12800 MT/s. JEDEC also has a clear roadmap for this technology, keeping it in sync with the the improvements in the DDR5 standard. Micron and Intel have been working closely in the last few quarters to bring their former's first-generation MR-DIMM lineup to the market. Intel's Xeon 6 Family with P-Cores (Granite Rapids) is the first platform to bring MR-DIMM support at 8800 MT/s on the host side. Micron's standard-sized MR-DIMMs (suitable for 1U servers) and TFF (tall form-factor) MR-DIMMs (for 2U+ servers) have been qualified for use with the same. The benefits offered by MR-DIMMs are evident from the JEDEC specifications, allowing for increased data rates and system bandwidth, with improvements in latency. On the capacity side, allowing for additional ranks on the modules has enabled Micron to offer a 256 GB capacity point. It must be noted that some vendors are also using TSV (through-silicon vias) technology to to increase the per-package capacity at standard DDR5 speeds, but this adds additional cost and complexity that are largely absent in the MR-DIMM manufacturing process. The tall form-factor (TFF) MR-DIMMs have a larger surface area compared to the standard-sized ones. For the same airflow configuration, this allows the DIMM to have a better thermal profile. This provides benefits for energy efficiency as well by reducing the possibility of thermal throttling. Micron is launching a comprehensive lineup of MR-DIMMs in both standard and tall form-factors today, with multiple DRAM densities and speed options as noted above. Micron and Intel hosted a media / analyst briefing recently to demonstrate the benefits of MR-DIMMs for Xeon 6 with P-Cores (Granite Rapids). Using a 2P configuration with 96-core Xeon 6 processors, benchmarks for different workloads were processed with both 8800 MT/s MR-DIMMs and 6400 MT/s RDIMMs. The chosen workloads are particularly notorious for being limited in performance by memory bandwidth. OpenFOAM is a widely-used CFD workload that benefits from MR-DIMMs. For the same memory capacity, the 8800 MT/s MR-DIMM shows a 1.31x speedup based on higher average bandwidth and IPC improvements, along with lower last-level cache miss latency. The performance benefits are particularly evident with more cores participating the workload. Apache Spark is a commonly used big-data platform operating on large datasets. Depending on the exact dataset in the picture, the performance benefits of MR-DIMMs can vary. Micron and Intel used a 2.4TB set from Intel's Hibench benchmark suite for this benchmark, showing a 1.2x speedup at the same capacity and 1.7x speedup with doubled-capacity TFF MR-DIMMs. Avoiding the need to push data back to the permanent storage also contributes to the speedup. The higher speed offered by MR-DIMMs also helps in AI inferencing workloads, with Micron and Intel showing a 1.31x inference performance improvement along with reduced time to first token for a Llama 3 8B parameter model. Obviously, purpose-built inferencing solutions based on accelerators will perform better. However, this was offered as a demonstration of the type of CPU workloads that can benefit from MR-DIMMs. As the adage goes, there is no free lunch. At 8800 MT/s, MR-DIMMs are definitely going to guzzle more power compared to 6400 MT/s RDIMMs. However, the faster completion of workloads mean that the the energy consumption for a given workload will be lower for the MR-DIMM configurations. We would have liked Micron and Intel to quantify this aspect for the benchmarks presented in the demonstration. Additionally, Micron indicated that the energy efficiency (in terms of pico-joules per bit transferred) is largely similar for both the 6400 MT/s RDIMMs and 8800 MT/s MR-DIMMs. The standardization of MR-DIMMs by JEDEC allows multiple industry stakeholders to participate in the market. Customers are not vendor-locked and can compare and contrast options from different vendors to choose the best fit for their needs. At Computex, we saw MR-DIMMs from ADATA on display. As a Tier-2 vendor without its own DRAM fab, ADATA's play is on cost benefits with the possibility of the DRAM die being sourced from different fabs. The MR-DIMM board layout is dictated by JEDEC specifications, and this allows Tier-2 vendors to have their own play with pricing flexibility. Modules are also built based on customer orders. Micron, on the other hand, has a more comprehensive portfolio / lineup of SKUs for different use-cases with the pros and cons of vertical integration in the picture. Micron is also not the first to publicly announce MR-DIMM sampling. Samsung announced their own lineup (based on 16Gb DRAM dies) last month. It must be noted that Micron's MR-DIMM portfolio uses 16 Gb, 24 Gb, and 32 Gb dies fabricated in 1β technology. While Samsung's process for the 16 Gb dies used in their MR-DIMMs is not known, Micron believes that their MR-DIMM technology will provide better power efficiency compared to the competition while also offering customers a wider range of capacities and configurations.

Micron DDR5 MRDIMM memory: up to 256GB per stick, +39% bandwidth, -40% latency

Micron has introduced its DDR5 MRDIMM memory modules, specifically designed for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) applications. These modules are currently compatible exclusively with Intel Xeon 6 processors. Micron's DDR5 MRDIMM memory is available in five capacities: 32GB, 64GB, 96GB, 128GB, and 256GB. The memory modules operate at a speed of 8800MT/s and come in two physical forms: standard height and TFF (Thin Form Factor). Compared to traditional RDIMM memory, Micron's MRDIMM memory offers significant performance enhancements: Memory Bandwidth: Increased by up to 39%. Bus Efficiency: Improved by more than 15%. Latency: Reduced by up to 40%. Despite these advancements, it is important to note that the JEDEC standard for MRDIMM memory has not yet been officially released. Consequently, the current product offerings are limited to Intel Xeon 6 processor compatibility. Samsung is also in the process of developing 8800MT/s MRDIMM memory and has reached the sampling stage, indicating progress towards similar advancements in the memory module market. These DDR5 MRDIMM modules are poised to significantly impact AI and HPC fields by enhancing data processing speeds and efficiency Share this content Twitter Facebook Reddit WhatsApp Email Print ViewSonic releases 27-inch VX2781-2K-PRO-W-6 Monitor