Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, has expanded its DDR4 memory portfolio with LRDIMM and VLP RDIMM modules. Designed to enable next-generation enterprise environments with increased speed, bandwidth, and energy efficiency, Crucial DDR4 load reduced DIMMs (LRDIMMs) and very low profile registered DIMMS (VLP RDIMMs) are available for immediate purchase through select global channel partners.

By utilising a memory buffer chip that helps reduce the electrical load presented to the memory bus, Crucial DDR4 LRDIMMs allow for more DIMMs per channel and are up to 50 percent more energy efficient and deliver up to 50 percent more memory bandwidth than DDR3 LRDIMMs. Furthermore, by using less voltage and standby current, Crucial DDR4 LRDIMMs transmit power in a more efficient manner to the CPU, allowing for additional power savings and lower total cost of ownership.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced the availability of Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR4 memory and Crucial DDR4 desktop memory. Designed to enhance high-performance gaming and computing environments, the new Ballistix Sport DDR4 modules deliver introductory speeds of 2400 MT/s, while Crucial DDR4 desktop memory speeds start at 2133 MT/s and are expected to increase as DDR4 technology matures.

Optimized for the latest Intel X99 platforms, the new modules have increased bandwidth over mainstream DDR3 memory and are up to 40 percent more energy efficient. In addition, select Ballistix Sport DDR4 modules are plug and play, featuring XMP 2.0 profiles for easy configuration as well as an integrated heat spreader and black PCB.

The global PC DRAM module market revenues arrived at US$ 7.3 billion in 2013, a 32% YoY increase from 2012's US$ 5.5 billion, according to DRAMeXchange, the memory and storage research division of TrendForce. The main factors leading to the revenue growth included price increases for PC DRAM, increased spot market demand, and the rising proportion of contract market transactions. The top ten module manufacturers accounted for nearly 88% of the entire market's revenue in 2013, with Kingston Technology maintaining its usual leading position within the industry. ADATA Technology and Ramaxel, which ended up in second and third place, respectively, showed respective revenue growth of 116% and 37%. As the module manufacturers' operations are becoming increasingly diverse, the ranking for 2013 is based solely on their annual DRAM revenue.

The consumer SSD market could witness a price-war, with leading manufacturers spooling up production, according to industry sources. NAND flash chip supplier Micron Technology reportedly reduced supplies of its chips to other manufacturers, in a possible bid to increase production of consumer SSDs bearing its own channel brand, Crucial Memory. The company plans to double shipments of Crucial-branded SSDs quarter-over-quarter. Elsewhere, Kingston Digital ramped up SSD shipments to 600,000 units a month, to step up competition against SanDisk and Samsung.

SSD makers are likely to take advantage of the entry of M.2 standard in the consumer space, with the introduction of Intel's 9-series chipset. M.2 offers 10 Gb/s of interface bandwidth (physical layer PCI-Express 2.0 x2), and some non-standard implementations are wired to offer even 20 Gb/s (physical layer PCI-Express 2.0 x4). M.2 slots feature SATA 6 Gb/s wiring in some onboard implementations, which could pave the way for M.2 replacing 2.5-inch SATA as the highest selling SSD form-factor, in the near future.

Here are the first pictures of a Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4 memory module up close. Launched earlier this week, the Ballistix Elite DDR4 will be Crucial's first enthusiast module to address the emerging market created by Intel's Haswell-E HEDT platform. It will come in various speeds upwards of 2133 MHz (DDR), and densities of 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB, and will be available as single-module, dual-channel, and quad-channel kits. The underlying DRAM chips are homebrew, from Micron's mega DRAM/NAND-flash plant in Boise, Idaho, US. The chips are cooled by a simple and effective aluminium heat-spreader.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, announced today the new Crucial MX100 solid state drive (SSD). Available in 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB capacities with respective MSRPs of $79.99, $109.99, and $224.99, the new Crucial MX100 offers powerful speeds and advanced features at a low cost per gigabyte.

The Crucial MX100 256 GB and 512 GB drives utilize Micron's new 16 nanometer (nm) 128 Gb NAND, in addition to a SATA 6 Gb/s controller and custom firmware, to deliver up to 90,000 input/output operations per second (IOPS). With true 550/500 MB/s sequential read/write speeds on both compressible and incompressible data, the Crucial MX100 allows users to boot up almost instantly, load programs in seconds, and accelerate demanding applications. Furthermore, at up to 89 percent more efficient than a hard drive, the new MX100 SSD allows users to run systems longer, using less power.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, is now shipping DDR4 server memory. Designed to enable next generation enterprise environments with increased speed, bandwidth, and energy efficiency, Crucial DDR4 server memory modules are available for immediate purchase through select global channel partners and at crucial.com.

The modules are up to twice as fast and deliver double the memory bandwidth over DDR3 technology when it was introduced (1066 MT/s and 8.5 GB/s with DDR3 vs. 2133 MT/s and 17 GB/s on DDR4), and are expected to get even faster as the technology matures. Operating at 1.2V, Crucial DDR4 server memory uses up to 20 percent less voltage than DDR3 technology when it was introduced (1.5V). In addition, Crucial DDR4 server memory can be up to 40 percent more energy efficient than previous generations of DDR3 memory, when coupled with other technologies introduced with DDR4. Crucial DDR4 server memory is optimized for future Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v3 product family-based systems.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced new Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4 memory modules, which deliver the next generation of memory to high performance gaming. Designed for gamers and enthusiasts, Ballistix Elite DDR4 memory delivers introductory speeds that start at 2666 MT/s and 3000 MT/s and is expected to get faster as the technology matures.

The new modules offer nearly twice the bandwidth of mainstream DDR3 memory at up to 24 GB/s, and deliver improved system responsiveness and increased frame rates. Furthermore, Ballistix Elite DDR4 memory delivers up to 40 percent more power efficiency than standard DDR3 memory.

Gigabyte showed off a reference BRIX space-saving desktop based around its H97N-WiFi mini-ITX motherboard. The desktop packs a mean punch for everything except 3D gaming, and should be capable of complex video-editing and production jobs. At its heart is a Core i7-4785T energy-efficient quad-core processor based on the "Haswell" Refresh silicon. The CPU features clock speeds of 2.20 GHz with 3.20 GHz Turbo Boost, HyperThreading, AVX2 instruction set, and a dual-channel IMC. Other chops include up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1600 Crucial Ballistix Tracer memory, up to 1 TB of Crucial M550 SSD storage, display outputs that include dual-link DVI and HDMI, 802.11 ac + Bluetooth 4.0 WLAN, gigabit Ethernet, and a 120W power-brick.

We're still a few days away from the official unveiling of MX100 solid state drive but thanks to a distributor jumping the gun we already have the full scoop on Crucial's latest creation. As previously revealed, the MX100 is set to be the first SSD equipped with Micron's 16 nm MLC NAND flash memory but not all models will have the 16 nm NAND - the 128 GB drive will pack 20 nm chips, while the 256 GB and 512 GB versions will have 16 nm flash.

All three MX100 drives come in a 7 mm-thick 2.5-inch chassis (a 9.5 mm adapter is included), and have a SATA 6.0 Gbps interface, a Marvell 88SS9189 controller, and are backed by a three-year warranty.

Announced back in July 2013, Micron's 128 Gigabit 16 nm-manufactured MLC (multi-level cell) NAND Flash memory will soon be making its debut within a new Crucial solid state drive. Named MX100, the 16 nm NAND-equipped drive will be showcased at Computex 2014 and is expected to arrive in a 2.5-inch form factor.

The MX100 has a SATA 6.0 Gbps interface and performance-wise it's said to be somewhere between the aging M500 and the recently released M550. Pricing is expected to be very competitive.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, is now sampling DDR4 server memory through its new Technology Enablement Program. Aimed at channel partners who are currently developing or evaluating DDR4-capable platforms, the program provides early access to select Crucial server DDR4 modules and relevant technical resources, as well as notification of new modules as they become available. The Crucial Technology Enablement Program comes on the heels of Micron's recent ramp up in DDR4 production.

Designed to enable next generation enterprise environments, Crucial DDR4 server memory delivers data rates that start at 2133 MT/s (up to twice as fast as DDR3 when it was introduced) and is expected to get even faster as the technology matures. What's more, when used with Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v3 product family-based systems, Crucial DDR4 server memory doubles memory bandwidth from 8.5 GB/s to 17 GB/s. Additionally, Crucial DDR4 memory uses up to 20 percent less voltage than DDR3 technology, operating at 1.2V compared to 1.5V for standard DDR3 memory, and delivers up to a 40 percent reduction in power usage.

Crucial announced its M550 series of performance SSDs, succeeding its existing M500 series. Built in 7 mm-thick 2.5-inch SATA, mSATA, and M.2 form-factors, the M550 series offers higher sequential transfer rates, and comes in higher capacities near existing price-points, over its predecessor. It also introduces a handful new features, such as NWA (native write acceleration), RAIN (redundant array of independent NAND), adaptive thermal protection (ATP), and hardware encryption. The drives appear to be based on a Marvell-made controller platform, with Micron-made MLC NAND flash. The mSATA 6 Gb/s and M.2 models come in capacities of 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB; while the 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s models include 1 TB capacity. The drives offer sequential reads as high as 550 MB/s, with up to 500 MB/s of sequential writes. They're backed by 3-year warranties, and should eventually replace the M500 series from their existing price points.

The Hybrid Memory Cube Consortium (HMCC), dedicated to the development and establishment of an industry-standard interface specification for the Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC) technology, today announced its continued work to build the HMC ecosystem and support for the industry adoption of this groundbreaking technology through the development of a new interface specification. Today the HMCC also released a first draft of the new specification to a growing list of consortium adopters that now numbers more than 120. The new specification supports increased data rate speeds advancing short-reach (SR) performance from 10 Gb/s, 12.5 Gb/s, and 15 Gb/s, up to 30 Gb/s. The new specification also migrates the associated channel model from SR to VSR to align with existing industry nomenclature. The ultra short-reach (USR) definition also increases performance from 10 Gb/s up to 15 Gb/s.

The HMCC, founded by leading memory providers Micron Technology (Nasdaq:MU), Samsung Electronics, and SK hynix, has begun circulating this draft specification to a broad range of adopters, with the goal of incorporating adopter members' input and targeting a completion date of May 2014 for the final version. The first-generation specification was completed and released publicly in April 2013; several developer and adopter companies, including Altera, Xilinx, and Open-Silicon, have already begun leveraging the specification to design products and solutions that incorporate HMC technology.

Here is the first picture of a DDR4 SO-DIMM module, exhibited by Crucial at its 2014 International CES booth. The company revealed its first DDR4 server memory lineup, as its DDR4 SO-DIMMs, targeting micro-servers, and future notebooks, tagged along. DDR4 DIMMs and SO-DIMMs measure roughly the same as their standard (full-height) DDR3 counterparts, except that the index notch is positioned differently. DDR4 promises to up memory bandwidths, densities, and energy efficiency. Intel's next-generation HEDT (high-end desktop) platform could be the first client platform to support DDR4. Crucial unveiled the first Ballistix-branded DDR4 memory module, targeting some of those systems. DDR4 memory modules could start at speeds of up to 2133 MT/s, and module voltages as low as 1.2V. Compare those to the 1066 MT/s and 1.8V DDR3 started off with!

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today released a new lineup of high-performance memory solutions specifically designed for the new Mac Pro systems. This new memory is engineered to meet the component densities, speeds, and Serial Presence Detect (SPD) programming specifications of the new Mac Pro workstations, and is now available in densities up to 16 GB through select global channel partners and at www.crucial.com.

The new modules designed for Mac Pro workstations operate at 1866 MHz, which is the fastest mainstream DDR3 ECC UDIMM and RDIMM speed currently available, allowing users to leverage all the capabilities of the new Mac Pro systems. For further performance gains, modules are available in densities up to 16 GB. These high-speed, high-density memory modules provide users with increased system responsiveness, faster application load times, and an increased ability to multitask with ease when using data-intensive programs such as Apple FinalCut Pro or Adobe Photoshop software.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and server memory, today announced the 64 GB Crucial DDR3L Load-Reduced DIMMs (LRDIMMs) for servers, which enable more DIMMs per channel for up to twice the installed memory capacity per server. Additionally, these modules offer up to a 35 percent increase in memory bandwidth per server compared to standard DIMMs, and eliminate the channel ranking limitation of standard DDR3 registered DIMMs. The Crucial DDR3L LRDIMMs is designed for IT professionals that manage high-end server environments with demanding workloads.

The 64 GB Crucial DDR3L LRDIMMs operates using 1.35V, unlike the 1.5V common in DDR3 RDIMMs, making the new module more energy-efficient and cost-effective, especially in large deployments. Since Crucial LRDIMMs transmit power in a more efficient manner to the CPU (via the data path buffer), they use less voltage, which allows for additional power savings. These new memory modules are also compatible with OEM servers and warranties, allowing users to upgrade their existing server infrastructures without having to purchase an entirely new system. Crucial LRDIMMs fully support the latest Intel Xeon processor E5 family.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced the immediate availability of the Crucial Ballistix Sport XT memory, which offers a new aggressively-styled, taller heat spreader design that improves thermal performance. Designed for gamers and enthusiasts looking for fast and responsive performance, Ballistix Sport XT modules offer XMP profiles for advanced speeds and timings as well as easy BIOS configuration in supported systems.

"The Crucial Ballistix Sport series is designed to provide mainstream users and performance enthusiasts with a reliable, no-hassle gaming experience," said Jeremy Mortenson, senior product manager, Crucial. "The new Sport XT memory offers an attractive new heat spreader styling for gamers who are looking for enhanced thermal performance, and a new colour that complements popular motherboards."

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced new Crucial Ballistix Sport SODIMMs, designed to boost performance of gaming laptops, all-in-one systems, or mini ITX motherboards. Featuring XMP profiles for easy configuration and DDR3 speeds up to 1866 MHz, Ballistix Sport SODIMMs deliver a faster and more responsive gaming experience. Optimized for the latest 4th generation Intel Core i5 and i7 mobile processors, Ballistix Sport SODIMMs offer lower latencies and increased energy efficiency compared to standard SODIMMs.

Engineered to run on 1.35V instead of the standard 1.5V found in most laptop memory modules, Ballistix Sport SODIMMs can reduce DRAM power consumption in systems by up to 10 percent, enabling longer battery life. Offered in 4 GB and 8 GB densities, Crucial Ballistix Sport SODIMMs will be available in early July.

Crucial started shipping its M500 line of consumer SSDs. Available in 2.5-inch SATA (7 mm-thick), mSATA, and NGFF M.2 form-factors, the drives combine Micron 20 nm MLC NAND flash with a Marvell-made processor. All three form-factors take advantage of 6 Gb/s SATA. The drive is available in 120 GB, 240 GB, and 480 GB capacities for all three form-factors, while the 2.5-inch gets a 960 GB "terabyte-class" capacity option, as well.

Sequential read speeds on all capacities are as high as 500 MB/s, while sequential write speeds cap out at 130 MB/s and 250 MB/s for the 120 GB and 240 GB variants, respectively; and reach 400 MB/s on the 480 GB and 960 GB variants. The drives are backed by 3-year limited warranties, 1.2 million hours MTBF, and 72 TB total bytes written (TBW) write endurance (that's 40 GB per day). TRIM, NCQ, and SMART are standard issue. The 120 GB, 240 GB, 480 GB, and 960 GB variants are priced at US $129.99, $219.99, $399.99, and $599.99, respectively.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced its first DDR4 DRAM demonstration at CES 2013. As a global brand of Micron, the Crucial DDR4 DRAM demonstration is based on Micron's 30-nanometer (nm) technology, the 4-gigabit (Gb) DDR4 x8 part is the first piece of what is expected to be the industry's most complete portfolio of DDR4-based modules, which will include RDIMMs, LRDIMMs, SODIMMs and UDIMMs (standard and ECC).

The new Crucial DDR4 DRAM modules use up to 20 percent lower voltage than previous technology, enabling smaller, more efficient form factors and longer battery lives. The DDR4 DRAM will have lower voltage, operating at 1.2V in comparison to current DDR3 offerings operating from 1.35V to 1.5V. The new memory modules enable mainstream data rates that are up to twice as fast as DDR3 memory. This will enable systems to process data faster, load applications faster, improve system responsiveness, and increase the ability to multi-task and handle data-intensive programs.

Micron Technology, Inc. today introduced the M500 solid state drive (SSD), featuring terabyte-class capacity, new ultra-slim package designs, and increased response times at a more affordable price point. Available to consumers, businesses, and system builders under the Crucial brand, and to OEM customers under the Micron brand, the new M500 SSD is built start-to-finish by Micron, providing the quality and reliability that only a NAND flash memory and SSD manufacturer can provide. Watch this behind-the-scenes video to see how Micron designs and builds SSDs.

Benefits of Advanced NAND Flash Technology

The M500 SSD utilizes Micron's award-winning, 20-nanometer (nm) multilevel cell (MLC) NAND flash to achieve terabyte-class capacity and enable a new level of SSD price competitiveness; the 960 GB Crucial M500 SSD will be initially priced under $600.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced the immediate availability of Crucial Ballistix Low Profile (LP) memory, which delivers a true low profile design to provide more clearance around high-end CPU coolers and improve airflow throughout the system. Designed for performance enthusiasts and small form factor computer builders with limited space, Crucial Ballistix LP memory features all the performance benefits of Ballistix memory without the height concerns of taller modules.

Since overclocked systems with power-hungry processors are often heat-intensive and require oversized CPU coolers to regulate temperatures, clearance for memory modules is often limited. To address this, Crucial Ballistix LP memory modules are between 15 percent and 35 percent lower profile than competing modules. Using up to 10 percent less power (1.35V) than standard modules (1.5V), Crucial Ballistix LP memory modules also help reduce the cooling problem in high-performance systems, resulting in a lower thermal profile and less fan noise, and enable easier overall system cooling.

Micron's channel brand Crucial Memory is on the verge of launching half-height DDR3 memory modules for the enthusiast PC market, under the Ballistix Sport VLP series. Pictured below, next to standard Ballistix Sport modules, the VLP ("very low profile") series consists of memory modules that are nearly half the height of standard 240 pin UDIMMs, making them ideal for crammed up mini-ITX builds. The series will be available in most common configurations, the one pictured below runs at DDR3-1600 MHz with timings of 9-9-9-24, and 1.35V DRAM voltage. The modules will be available in 4 GB and 8 GB densities, and will make up single-, dual-, and quad-channel kits.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, and Intel, a world leader in computing innovation, today announced the inclusion of Crucial server memory modules in the Intel Demo Depot Program. This service lends fully configured Intel Xeon-based servers to customers for evaluation and testing prior to final purchase. As a brand of Micron Technology, Inc., one of the largest memory manufacturers in the world, Crucial supplies the Intel Demo Depot Program with DDR3L registered DIMMs ranging from 8 GB to 16 GB densities, in speeds of 1600 MT/s and 1333 MT/s to support Intel's latest generation of servers.

The Intel Demo Depot Program consists of more than 200 servers and is available to interested customers throughout North America. Potential customers procure evaluation servers for 30-day periods to test equipment and proof-of-concept trials. Servers are also used by various technology manufacturers for demonstrations at tech-focused tradeshows and customer demos by Intel field account engineers.