CUDIMM Explained – DIY in 5 Ep 237

Опубликовано 1 декабря 2024, 14:00

There’s a new variation of PC RAM that promises faster performance and better reliability and it’s called a CUDIMM - but what’s so different about it? Computer memory, or RAM, comes in a few different form factors.

UDIMM
The most common is the DIMM, or Dual In-line Memory Module. There are a few different types of DIMMs available. Unbuffered DIMMs, or UDIMMs for short, are used in PCs, where "unbuffered” means there is no buffer chip between the RAM chips and the memory controller inside the processor. A benefit to UDIMMs is that they cost less because they don’t require registers, which are usually needed to enable higher capacities for servers, but are unnecessary for the types of workloads and use-cases for PCs.

RDIMMS
UDIMM differ from the types of DIMMs used in servers, called Registered DIMMs, or RDIMMs for short. In addition to RAM chips, RDIMMs feature an extra chip called a Registered Clock Driver, which buffers the data for the RAM chips on the module and redrives the clock signal from the memory controller. This improves signal integrity and safeguards against errors. Beginning at 6400 MT/s DDR5, the industry standards body for memory require the use of a similar chip on UDIMMs. This is called a Client Clock Driver, or CKD for short. To differentiate between older UDIMMs and those that feature a clock driver the letter C was added to give us the name CUDIMM.
Why do we need a CKD? As memory speeds get faster and faster to keep up with high performance computing demands, signal integrity becomes critical. At higher speeds, the potential for errors increases. The Clock Driver helps to stabilize and improve signal integrity on the DIMM so you can game or create without the threat of a crash.

CUDIMMs
CUDIMMs are supported on the Intel 800-series chipset and Core Ultra Series 2 processors, and all future computers that take DDR5-6400 standard memory.

SODIMM/CSODIMM
Not to be left out, SODIMMs, or Small Outline DIMMs, the form factor used in laptops and small form factor PCs, also get a clock driver addition at 6400 MT/s, making them CSODIMMs.
So where can you find a CUDIMM today? Kingston has CUDIMM memory available for purchase now, so if those higher speeds with better reliability sound good to you, go for it!

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0:40 What is RAM?
0:53 UDIMM
1:22 RDIMMS
1:45 CUDIMMs
2:41 SODIMM/CSODIMM