Feed: AnandTech
Feed Link: https://www.anandtech.com
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Title: Samsung Unveils CXL Memory Module Box: Up to 16 TB at 60 GB/s

Date: Wed, 03 Apr 2024 08:00:00 EDT
Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/21333/samsung-...

Composable disaggregated data center infrastructure promises to change the
way data centers for modern workloads are built. However, to fully realize
the potential of new technologies, such as CXL, the industry needs brand-new
hardware. Recently, Samsung introduced its CXL Memory Module Box (CMM-B), a
device that can house up to eight CXL Memory Module - DRAM (CMM-D) devices
and add plenty of memory connected using a PCIe/CXL interface.

Samsung's CXL Memory Module Box (CMM-B) is the first device of this type to
accommodate up to eight 2 TB E3.S CMM-D memory modules and add up to 16 TB of
memory to up to three modern servers with appropriate connectors. As far as
performance is concerned, the box can offer up to 60 GB/s of bandwidth (which
aligns with what a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface offers) and 596 ns latency.

From a pure performance point of view, one CXL Memory Module-Box is slower
than a dual-channel DDR5-4800 memory subsystem. Yet, the unit is still
considerably faster than even advanced SSDs. At the same time, it provides
very decent capacity, which is often just what the doctor ordered for many
applications.

The Samsung CMM-B is compatible with the CXL 1.1 and CXL 2.0 protocols. It
consists of a rack-scale memory bank (CMM-B), several application hosts,
Samsung Cognos management console software, and a top-of-rack (ToR) switch.
The device was developed in close collaboration with Supermicro, so expect
this server maker to offer the product first.

Samsung's CXL Memory Module - Box is designed for applications that need a
lot of memory, such as AI, data analytics, and in-memory databases, albeit
not at all times. CMM-B allows the dynamic allocation of necessary memory to
a system when it needs this memory and then uses DRAM with other machines. As
a result, operators of datacenters can spend money on procuring expensive
memory (16 TB of memory costs a lot), reduce power consumption, and add
flexibility to their setups.

Gallery: Samsung Unveils CXL Memory Module Box: Up to 16 TB at 60 GB/s

Source: Samsung

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