Hynix Semiconductor announced today the launch of 2-Rank 8GB PC2-4200 RDIMM, featuring MetaRAM's MetaSDRAM technology. The HYMP31GP72CUP4-C6 effectively doubles the memory capacity of AMD Opteron-based and Intel Xeon-based systems, while lowering power consumption by up to 30% when compared to industry standard 8GB 4-Rank or 4GB 2-Rank modules. The MetaRam technology allows the use of mainstream lower cost DRAM components in the manufacture of the next generation high density DIMMs, without increasing the number of memory ranks or the load on the CPU. The 8GB 2-Rank RDIMM is built with mainstream 1Gb DDR2 SDRAMs instead of the significantly more expensive 2Gb, thus lowering the cost of the module.

The MetaSDRAM chipset consists of flow controllers and an access manager which sit between the memory controller and the DRAM. It enables up to four times more mainstream DRAMs to be integrated into the DIMM without the need for any system level hardware or software changes. The chipset makes multiple DRAMs look like a larger capacity DRAM to the memory controller resulting in high capacity memory modules that circumvent the normal limitations of the memory controller.

The HYMP31GP72CUP4-C6 8GB DDR2 RDIMM is available now in production quantities. The 8GB DDR3 2-Rank RDIMM using the MetaRam technology is under development and will be available in production quantities in 2H'08.

"Hynix is pleased to introduce this high capacity memory module enabled by MetaRam technology", said Mr J.B. Kim, Senior VP of Marketing at Hynix Semiconductor. "As a result of this product, we hope to see some exciting new applications, in the very near future"

"Hynix has always been at the leading edge of DRAM innovation and they immediately saw the potential of our MetaSDRAM technology to improve customers' overall compute performance by increasing the memory capacity," said Suresh Rajan, MetaRAM's VP of Business Development. "Their 8GB PC2-4200 R-DIMM offers twice the capacity of competitors' 2-Rank Modules, works in existing IT systems with no modifications and is very energy efficient."