Posted on Wednesday, May 06 2009 @ 14:05 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Samsung
announced it will start shipping 512MB PRAM (phase-change random access memory) chips in June. This new memory technology combines the advantages of both NAND and NOR flash memory, it has fast random access speeds but can keep data permanently stored. Samsung claims PRAM can process data up to 30x as fast than a combination that uses typical RAM and storage.
The technology works through the properties of chalcogenide glass, which can quickly revert to a crystal or an indefinite shape that lets it operate quickly while preserving the final state of memory when a system shuts down.
The company hasn't named any customers for its PRAM and doesn't say which products are likely to use the technology, though it potentially serves as an advantage for mobile devices where there is little space for both system RAM and permanent storage.
