Tag: RAM

A US supercomputer with 8,000 Intel Xeon CPUs and 300TB of RAM is being auctioned — 160th most powerful computer in the world has some maintenance issues though and will cost thousands per day to run

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date May 5, 2024
No Comments on A US supercomputer with 8,000 Intel Xeon CPUs and 300TB of RAM is being auctioned — 160th most powerful computer in the world has some maintenance issues though and will cost thousands per day to run

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The Cheyenne supercomputer, based at the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was ranked as the 20th most powerful computer in the world in 2016 – but now it’s up for sale through the US General Services Administration (GSA).

By November 2023, the 5.34-petaflops system’s ranking had slipped to 160th in the world, but it’s still a monster, able to carry out 5.34 quadrillion calculations per second. It has been put to a number of noteworthy purposes in the past, including studying weather phenomena and predicting natural disasters.

The Cheyenne Supercomputer is a monster installation made up of SGI ICE XA modules which comprises of 14 E-Cells, weighing 1,500 lbs each, and 28 water-cooled E-Racks. There are 8,064 Intel “Broadwell” Xeon processors (18-core 2.3GHz E5-2697v4) with a total count of 145,152 cores. In terms of memory, it has 313,344GB of DDR4-2400 ECC single-rank memory and 224 IB Switches. The supercomputer also comes with two air-cooled management racks, each featuring 26 1U servers.

“Repairable”

Howeer, potential buyers do need to be aware of a few issues. Firstly, the unit doesn’t come with fiber optic and CAT5/6 cabling, although the internal DAC cables within each cell are provided and will be “meticulously labeled and packaged in boxes”, and it comes with previously used PGW coolant fluid (around10 gallons per E-cell). It will need to be collected by a professional moving company and the purchaser “assumes responsibility for transferring the racks from the facility onto trucks using their equipment.”

A major red flag is that the supercomputer is worryingly listed as “repairable”. The auction page states “the system is currently experiencing maintenance limitations due to faulty quick disconnects causing water spray. Given the expense and downtime associated with rectifying this issue in the last six months of operation, it’s deemed more detrimental than the anticipated failure rate of compute nodes.

Approximately 1% of nodes experienced failure during this period, primarily attributed to DIMMs with ECC errors, which will remain unrepaired. Additionally, the system will undergo coolant drainage.”

With a couple of days to go before the auction ends, bidding currently stands at $50,085 with the reserve not yet met. Should you wish to buy a piece of supercomputer history, and have the deep pockets required to get it up and running, and the space to house it, you can put in a bid here.

Apple’s Regular Mac Base RAM Boosts Ended When Tim Cook Took Over

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date April 26, 2024
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Apple used to regularly increase the base memory of its Macs up until 2011, the same year Tim Cook was appointed CEO, charts posted on Mastodon by David Schaub show.

macos sonoma feature purple green
Earlier this year, Schaub generated two charts: One showing the base memory capacities of Apple’s all-in-one Macs from 1984 onwards, and a second depicting Apple’s consumer laptop base RAM from 1999 onwards. Both charts were recently resurfaced by the Accidental Tech Podcast.

The graphs show that Apple tended to increase the base memory every two years or so, but that this trend ended when Cook took over the company from Steve Jobs. Memory increased quickly until the Mac Plus was launched in 1986, notes Schaub. “1986 to 1990 were all about decreasing the entry Mac price,” he says. “Then we get a pretty straight logarithmic line until Tim Cook became CEO and there has only been a single increase since.”

all in one base ram chart
The correlation is interesting, but other variables such as market trends and changes in technology can help to account for the plateau in Cook’s era. For example, Stuart McHattie notes that early all-in-one Macs saw a tenfold increase every six years. If that trend had continued from 2006 onwards when the base was 500MB, modern base model Macs would have reached 500GB. Yet today’s consumer PC demand for RAM remains around 8GB to 64GB, and very rarely exceeds double digits.

Computers have also changed a lot over the last several years. RAM has gotten faster. Hard disk drives have been superseded by solid-state storage. Chips and components are more tightly integrated. Apple no longer relies on Intel processors to power its machines, and instead uses high performance system-on-a-chip (SOC) architecture, which fuses CPUs, GPUs, and unified memory into a single package. This is why the company feels confident in arguing that 8GB on a Mac is comparable to 16GB on rival systems.

laptop base ram chart
But that does not change the fact that Apple has offered iMac and MacBook Pro models with 8GB of RAM since 2012. Likewise, the MacBook Air has had the same base memory configuration since 2017. In addition, Apple’s adoption of unified memory means that Macs cannot have their RAM upgraded after purchase, while Apple continues to pursue a strategy of vastly overcharging customers for higher memory configurations. Users often pay out $200 or more at checkout just to future proof their machines.

Apple’s Mac memory configuration strategy is likely to become even more contentious if all upcoming iPhone 16 models turn out to include 8GB of RAM. (In the iPhone 15 series, only the Pro models have 8GB, whereas standard models have 6GB.) Why Apple is prepared to increase RAM in a smartphone but not in a multitasking Mac without users paying excessively for the privilege will be the overriding question on many consumers’ lips.

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Tags Apples, Base, Boosts, Cook, ended, Mac, RAM, Regular, Tim

Business Industry

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 spotted with outdated chip, 12GB RAM

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date April 23, 2024
No Comments on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 spotted with outdated chip, 12GB RAM

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In a few months, Samsung will likely unveil its next-generation foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Both upcoming phones are expected to use the top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. However, Samsung might have different plans, as the company is testing the Z Flip 6 with an outdated chip.

Will Galaxy Z Flip 6 use last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip?

A few days ago, the US variant of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 (SM-F741U) was spotted in Geekbench’s database featuring the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (codename Pineapple) processor and 8GB RAM. Now, though, the same model number has been found using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (codename Kalama) and 12GB RAM.

As you can see in the screenshot above, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 appears to be running Android 14, as expected. It scored 1,794 points in Geekbench 6’s single-core CPU performance test and 4,486 points in the multi-core CPU performance test. This is a bit confusing, as Samsung has almost always used the latest top-of-the-line Snapdragon chips in its foldable phones.

It appears that Samsung is testing two Galaxy Z Flip 6 variants, one with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and the other with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. If the company ends up using last year’s chip, it would be an unexpected but logical move. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is still a powerful processor, can run most Galaxy AI features, and offers great power efficiency. Moreover, 12GB of RAM is a good upgrade, and it would be the first time a Galaxy Z Flip to have more than 8GB RAM.

It is also possible that someone edited the model number of a Galaxy S23 Ultra to make it appear as the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Things will only get clearer closer to the announcement of the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

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Tags 12GB, chip, Flip, Galaxy, outdated, RAM, Samsung, Spotted

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New Galaxy F15 variant brings extra RAM for your multitasking needs

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date April 19, 2024
No Comments on New Galaxy F15 variant brings extra RAM for your multitasking needs

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Last updated: April 19th, 2024 at 15:18 UTC+02:00

When Samsung first announced the budget Galaxy F15 in India last month, it introduced the phone in two memory configurations featuring 128GB of storage and 4GB or 6GB of RAM. A third memory option has now popped up online.

A promotional render (via GizmoChina) showing an “all-new 8GB variant” of the Galaxy F15 has emerged. As of this writing, this variant does not yet seem to be available for purchase at Samsung India or via Flipkart, but it probably will soon.

Slightly more money for 2GB extra RAM

According to this promotional poster, the Galaxy F15 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage will be available for INR 14,999. But that’s a bit misleading. The fine print confirms that the phone costs INR 15,999 ($191) outright, and buyers can benefit from INR 1,000 bank cashback.

For reference, the Galaxy F15 5G with 6GB of RAM costs INR 14,499 ($173), which means the new 8GB model is marginally more expensive for the extra 2GB.

Is the 8GB model worth the extra ~$20? It could be if you really multitask and find that 4GB or 6GB of RAM doesn’t keep enough recent apps in memory.

But do keep in mind that the Galaxy F15 offers the RAM Plus software feature. With it, you can convert up to 12GB of storage memory to virtual RAM. It won’t cost you anything except for the converted onboard storage, which will be inaccessible.

Aside from the extra 2GB of RAM, this “all-new” Galaxy F15 variant appears to be the same as the previous two. It sports a Super AMOLED 6.6-inch 90Hz display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080, the MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ chip, a 50MP primary camera, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a 6,000mAh battery with 25W charging capabilities.

One final trick up the Galaxy F15’s sleeve is that it will receive four Android OS upgrades and five years of security patches. Samsung is proving that even the F-series can get better support.

Follow SamMobile on social media for instant Samsung news updates, in-depth reviews, hot deals, and more.

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Tags brings, extra, F15, Galaxy, multitasking, RAM, variant

Featured

Scientists inch closer to holy grail of memory breakthrough — producing tech that combines NAND and RAM features could be much cheaper to produce and consume far less power

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A revolutionary new memory device that combines the features of DRAM and NAND flash memory is being developed by a group of researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

Led by Professor Shinhyun Choi of the School of Electrical Engineering, the team’s breakthrough promises cheaper, power-efficient solutions that could potentially replace existing memory solutions or be used to implement neuromorphic computing for the next-generation of AI hardware.

According to KAIST, the new device utilizes next-generation phase change memory with ultra-low power consumption, capable of replacing both DRAM and NAND flash memory.

Taking a novel approach

Typically, DRAM offers high-speed performance but is volatile, resulting in data loss when power is shut down. NAND flash memory offers a solution by preserving data even when the power is off, but it does not match the speed of DRAM. This new phase change memory provides a non-volatile, high-speed solution combining the best of both worlds.

Previous versions of phase change memory have had a problem – high power consumption. Despite attempts to reduce consumption by decreasing the physical size of such devices using state-of-the-art lithography technologies, the reductions were minimal, while costs soared.

To overcome this, Professor Choi’s team have established a way to electrically form phase change materials in an extremely small area, successfully developing an ultra-low-power phase change memory device. Notably, this consumes 15 times less power than previous phase change memory models which used expensive lithography tools, a significant breakthrough in the quest for cost and energy efficient memory development.

“The phase change memory device we have developed is significant as it offers a novel approach to solve the lingering problems in producing a memory device at a greatly improved manufacturing cost and energy efficiency, “ said Professor Choi. He went onto to say that he expects this new research to become the basis for future electronic engineering, paving the path for high-density three-dimensional vertical memory and neuromorphic computing systems.

This isn’t the only neuromorphic computing solution being worked on at KAIST. Last month scientists there unveiled an AI chip that they claimed can match the speed of Nvidia‘s A100 GPU but with a smaller size and significantly lower power consumption.

Illustrations of the ultra-low power phase change memory device developed through this study and the comparison of power consumption by the newly developed phase change memory device compared to conventional phase change memory devices

(Image credit: KAIST)

This tiny box from Samsung can hold 2TB of a special kind of RAM worth tens of thousands of dollars — CXL Memory Module Box hailed as the future of expansive server memory in the age of AI

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At MemCon 2024, Samsung showcased its latest HBM3E technology, talked about its future HBM4 plans, and unveiled the CXL Memory Module Box, also known as CMM-B, the latest addition to its Compute Express Link (CXL) memory module portfolio.

CMM-B is essentially a memory pooling appliance for rack computing leveraging CXL. It supports disaggregated memory allocation, allowing memory capacity available in remote locations to be shared across multiple servers. Through this, CMM-B enables independent resource allocation in the rack cluster and allows for larger pools of memory to be assigned as needed. With up to 60GB/s bandwidth, Samsung says CMM-B is ideal for applications like AI, in-memory databases, and data analytics.

CMM-B can accommodate eight E3.S form factor CMM-D (PCIe Gen5) memory modules for a total of 2TB. CMM-D memory integrates Samsung’s DRAM technology with the CXL open standard interface to deliver efficient, low-latency connectivity between the CPU and memory expansion devices.

Easy setup

Samsung says the CMM-B integrates seamlessly into Supermicro Plug and Play Rack Scale Solutions, ensuring not only faster productivity but also reduced total cost of ownership (TCO).

The CMM-B module comes pre-installed with Samsung’s Cognos Management Console (SCMC) software, which provides an intuitive interface for quick setup of the Rack-Scale server appliance. This software facilitates dynamic memory allocation, enabling memory to be allocated independently of the server to which it is attached.

During his keynote at MemCon, Jin-Hyeok Choi, Corporate Executive Vice President, Device Solutions Research America – Memory at Samsung Electronics said, “AI innovation cannot continue without memory technology innovation. As the market leader in memory, Samsung is proud to continue advancing innovation – from the industry’s most advanced CMM-B technology, to powerful memory solutions like HBM3E for high-performance computing and demanding AI applications. We are committed to collaborating with our partners and serving our customers to unlock the full potential of the AI era together.”

SuperMicro CMM-B

(Image credit: Samsung)

This is what a single 256GB DDR5 memory module looks like — but you won’t be able to fit this Micron RAM in your desktop or laptop and it will almost certainly cost more than $10,000 if you can buy it

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Micron has showcased its colossal 256GB DDR5-8800 MCRDIMM memory modules at the recent Nvidia GTC 2024 conference.

The high-capacity, double-height, 20-watt modules are tailored for next-generation AI servers, such as those based on Intel‘s Xeon Scalable ‘Granite Rapid’ processors which require substantial memory for training.

Tom’s Hardware, which got to see the memory module first hand, and take the photo above, says the company displayed a ‘Tall’ version of the module at the GTC, but it also intends to offer Standard height MCRDIMMs suitable for 1U servers.

Multiplexer Combined Ranks DIMMs

Both versions of the 256GB MCRDIMMs are constructed using monolithic 32Gb DDR5 ICs. The Tall module houses 80 DRAM chips on each side, while the Standard module employs 2Hi stacked packages and will run slightly hotter as a result.

MCRDIMMs, or Multiplexer Combined Ranks DIMMs, are dual-rank memory modules that employ a specialized buffer to allow both ranks to operate concurrently.

As Tom’s Hardware explains, “The buffer allows the two physical ranks to act as if they were two separate modules working in parallel, thereby doubling performance by enabling the simultaneous retrieval of 128 bytes of data from both ranks per clock, effectively doubling the performance of a single module. Meanwhile, the buffer works with its host memory controller using the DDR5 protocol, albeit at speeds beyond those specified by the standard, at 8800 MT/s in this case.“

Customers keen to get their hands on the new memory modules won’t have long to wait. In prepared remarks for the company’s earnings call last week, Sanjay Mehrotra, chief executive of Micron, said “We [have] started sampling our 256GB MCRDIMM module, which further enhances performance and increases DRAM content per server.”

Micron hasn’t announced pricing yet, but the cost per module is likely to exceed $10,000.

The iPhone 16 could come with extra RAM and storage – just for AI

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date March 24, 2024
No Comments on The iPhone 16 could come with extra RAM and storage – just for AI

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The iPhone 16 leaks are starting to pile up now, ahead of an expected launch in September, and the latest rumor to reach us suggests the phone is going to come with RAM and storage upgrades – specifically to accommodate the extra AI features on board.

This comes from a report out of South Korea (via well-known tipster @Tech_Reve), which states that the base level iPhone 16 could come with either 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, or both, to give the integrated AI extra room to think, store, and process commands.

For comparison, the cheapest iPhone 15 comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (though 256GB and 512GB versions are also available). The extra headroom is necessary for the additional work that generative AI tools need.

Only Google‘s smallest AI model, Gemini Nano, is compact enough to fit on a smartphone – specifically, the Pixel 8 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S24 handsets. That might change going forward, but a lot of AI calculations are currently offloaded to the cloud.

AI everywhere all at once

A recent interesting report has come out from a Korean securities firm.- Some analysts speculate that the RAM capacity of the iPhone 16 will increase due to on-device AI. However, Apple is reportedly researching to run on-device AI using NAND flash instead of RAM.- I also… pic.twitter.com/U4XYg62X3AMarch 23, 2024

Apple prides itself on doing as much computing work as possible locally, without transferring streams of data to and from servers on the web. It means more of your info is stored solely on your phone or laptop, where it’s secure and private.

If that’s going to happen with the AI features that Apple has been promising, then the iPhone 16 may well need some extra grunt. As this tipster acknowledges though, nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple’s plans could still change. It also raises the question of how much of this AI functionality might trickle down to older, less powerful handsets.

We don’t know exactly what these AI features from Apple are going to be, but all the signs are that iOS 18 will feature a bunch of generative AI tools similar to those we’ve seen in other phones (and oddly enough, Google might be helping out).

Apple is likely to tell us much more at the WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference), which usually happens every year in June. After that, we’ll get public betas for iOS 18, and then eventually the new iPhone 16 handsets in September.

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Tags extra, iPhone, RAM, storage

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Samsung Galaxy M55 to have 12GB RAM, similar to Galaxy S24 Ultra

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 22, 2024
No Comments on Samsung Galaxy M55 to have 12GB RAM, similar to Galaxy S24 Ultra

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After launching the Galaxy A35 and the Galaxy A55, Samsung is preparing for the launch of two new Galaxy M series phones. One of those phones has as much RAM as Samsung’s current flagship phone, the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

It is the Galaxy M55, and it will be launched in India alongside the Galaxy M15 5G.

Galaxy M55 to feature Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 and 12GB RAM

The Galaxy M55 could be launched in India soon, and it has 12GB of RAM, according to tipster Mukul Sharma. That is as much RAM as the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the recently launched Galaxy A55. He has also confirmed that the Galaxy M55 has a Snapdragon chip. According to previous reports, the mid-ranger will come equipped with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor, which is more powerful than the Snapdragon 778G. This chip is as powerful as the Exynos 1480.

The phone will be available in Black and Sky Blue colors. It will also come in an 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. The Galaxy M55 will run Android 14 out of the box and may get a promise of four major Android OS updates. It will be powered by a 5,000mAh battery and have 45W fast charging. It will be Samsung’s first non-flagship phone to have 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0.

The tipster revealed that the Galaxy M55 is quite slim. It has three cameras on the rear. Since the leaked images showcase that it doesn’t have a side-mounted fingerprint reader, it may have an in-display fingerprint reader. It may also feature a 6.6-inch or bigger screen with Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.

The phone may run Android 14-based One UI 6.1 out of the box, and you can watch One UI 6.1 features in our in-depth video below.

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Tags 12GB, Galaxy, M55, RAM, S24, Samsung, similar, Ultra

Business Industry

Samsung Galaxy S25 processor, RAM could be faster than iPhone 16 Pro

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 14, 2024
No Comments on Samsung Galaxy S25 processor, RAM could be faster than iPhone 16 Pro

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For the first time in years, Samsung’s flagship smartphone could be faster than the competing iPhone. If some reports are to be believed, the Galaxy S25, expected to be released early next year, could have a faster processor and RAM than the iPhone 16 Pro.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and LPDDR6 DRAM could make Galaxy S25 perform faster than iPhone 16 Pro

According to a report from AjuNews, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are speeding up the mass production of LPDDR6 DRAM to get a lead in the AI-driven industry. This next-generation RAM offers greatly increased data bandwidth, necessary for faster processing of AI tasks on the device. Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC), which is the international semiconductor standards organization, is expected to formally announce the specs of LPDDR6 DRAM in the second half of this year (possibly in September 2024).

Samsung and SK Hynix could unveil their LPDDR6 DRAM chips simultaneously.

LPDDR5 was announced in February 2019, and LPDDR6 is expected to launch five years later. While there is no information about LPDDR6’s speeds, LPDDR5 has a bandwidth of 6.4Gbps, while LPDDR5X has a data bandwidth of 8.5Gbps. Samsung and SK Hynix are said to be focused on increasing efficiency and lowering the production cost of LPDDR6 DRAM rather than increasing its performance.

LPDDR6 memory could be used in phones featuring the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset. This is the same chipset that will likely power the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra in at least some markets. Similar to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, even the Galaxy S25 Ultra could exclusively use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 in all the countries worldwide.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 features Qualcomm’s custom Oryon CPU cores developed by Nuvia. These CPU cores have already been used in the Snapdragon X Elite processor, which will be used in several Windows-based laptops in the second half of this year. These CPU cores are said to perform faster than the CPU cores inside Apple’s upcoming chip, the A18 Pro.

Qualcomm has been using beefier GPUs than Apple over the past couple of years. So, the Galaxy S25 series with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 could have a faster CPU, GPU, and DRAM than the competing iPhone 16 Pro series.

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Tags faster, Galaxy, iPhone, Pro, processor, RAM, S25, Samsung