[HN Gopher] Micron Introduces 128 GB DDR5-8000 RDIMMs with Monol...
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       Micron Introduces 128 GB DDR5-8000 RDIMMs with Monolithic 32 GB Die
        
       Author : rbanffy
       Score  : 85 points
       Date   : 2023-11-13 13:04 UTC (9 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.anandtech.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.anandtech.com)
        
       | yardie wrote:
       | Hmm. Ctrl-F "ECC": 0 results found.
       | 
       | This could be a great product but the chance of even one bit
       | randomly flipping is far too high.
        
         | formerly_proven wrote:
         | RDIMM
         | 
         | Also if you look at the picture, there's five columns of
         | packages per channel.
        
         | dragontamer wrote:
         | RDIMMs are implicitly ECC.
         | 
         | There's UDIMMs (typical RAM from desktops), and then RDIMMs
         | (Registered), and LRDIMMs (Load-Reduced DIMM).
         | 
         | Because RDIMMs and LRDIMMs are only used on servers, they're
         | all ECC / Error Correction just implicitly. At least, I've
         | never seen an RDIMM or LRDIMM missing ECC.
        
           | parl_match wrote:
           | You used to see it in workstation builds, although I can't
           | remember the last time I saw that configuration lol. It's
           | certainly not something you'd see often even then.
        
             | wtallis wrote:
             | The workstation market is split between platforms using
             | RDIMMs and UDIMMs (and has been for a very long time), but
             | the RDIMMs still always have ECC and the UDIMMs for systems
             | branded as workstations almost always have ECC.
        
         | arcticbull wrote:
         | All DDR5 has ECC built into the modules.
        
           | whaleofatw2022 wrote:
           | I thought that was per chip ECC not per module? (May be wrong
           | on that)
        
             | arcticbull wrote:
             | You're right, and I was being imprecise. I was trying to
             | convey that the functionality was entirely contained within
             | the chip/module unlike traditional ECC which passes the
             | parity data back to the CPU.
             | 
             | The parent said the chances of a single bit flipping are
             | too high without it, they are, which is why it's in the
             | spec :) These densities wouldn't be possible without it.
        
               | MaKey wrote:
               | There are DDR5 modules with traditional ECC though, which
               | the parent poster presumably meant.
        
           | undersuit wrote:
           | All DDR5 has ECC built into the modules for it to reach
           | parity DDR4.
           | 
           | ECC memory modules are better because they can fix and report
           | errors, the base DDR5 DIMM will hand you a piece of memory
           | with multi-bit corruptions that it couldn't fix. The ECC DIMM
           | will fix larger errors and tell you about each detected
           | corruption.
           | 
           | But there are ECC DIMMs with even better ECC. DDR5 moved the
           | DIMMs from one 64-bit channel to two 32-bit channels. ECC
           | DDR4 you'd protect 8 memory dies with 1 memory die holding
           | the ECC, your computer will identify it as 72-bit memory. ECC
           | DDR5 you protect the 4 memory dies in the half channel with a
           | dedicated 5th die on each channel. Some ECC DDR5 will have
           | 80-bit ECC, some will have 72-bit ECC. You want the 80-bit
           | ECC because it stores 8 more bits of ECC for your memory
           | controller to correct errors.
           | 
           | Micron isn't known for making 80-bit DIMMs.
        
             | jeffbee wrote:
             | I would add that "has ECC" is even more complicated than
             | you've implied here. There are many ways to detect and
             | correct DRAM errors, and with the memory controllers moved
             | into the CPU the features you get depend on your CPU
             | vendor, firmware, and operating system. To get the most out
             | of a current Xeon SP, for example, you want 10x4 DDR5, that
             | provides 8 code bits with each 32 bits of data. All of the
             | players in the business have patents on some part of ECC,
             | so you get a grab bag of techniques on different platforms.
        
               | crotchfire wrote:
               | ECC is not complicated. Manufacturers pretend it's
               | complicated in order to sell you inferior product at
               | inflated prices.
               | 
               | It's really simple: just demand SECDED.
               | 
               | That's all you need to know, one acronym, SECDED.
               | 
               | https://cr.yp.to/hardware/ecc.html
               | 
               | Single Error Correction, Double Error Detection.
               | 
               | BTW, this sort of ECC fraud has been going on since the
               | 1990's at least. It isn't going to just go away. Learn
               | what SECDED is and demand it.
               | 
               | On Linux:                  # cat
               | /sys/devices/system/edac/mc/mc*/*/edac_mode        SECDED
               | SECDED        SECDED        SECDED        SECDED
               | SECDED        SECDED        SECDED
        
               | wtallis wrote:
               | It really isn't that simple. For example, the distinction
               | you're ignoring from the comments you replied to is the
               | question of correcting a single error among how many
               | bits: one bit error across the full 64-bit width of a
               | DIMM, or one bit error per each 32-bit sub-channel now
               | that DDR5 has split the DIMM in a way that previous
               | desktop memory standards don't.
               | 
               | Where a non-ECC DIMM is usually 8 DRAM chips (64 bits)
               | and in DDR4 or earlier and an ECC DIMM would be 9 DRAM
               | chips (72 bits), now with DDR5 can have either 9 DRAM
               | chips or 10 DRAM chips (80 bits).
               | 
               | The question of whether ECC protection is strong enough
               | to provide SECDED also is insufficient to address the
               | complexities of having ECC protection only on the link,
               | or end-to-end via sideband or in-band ECC, or using a
               | combination of separately implemented link ECC and on-die
               | ECC.
        
               | crotchfire wrote:
               | It's really that simple.
               | 
               | > the complexities of having ECC protection only on the
               | link
               | 
               | That's not SECDED, since it can't correct a bitflip that
               | occurs somewhere other than on the link, nor can it
               | detect a double bitflip in those situations.
               | 
               | SECDED. Just ask for SECDED.
               | 
               | Even the Linux kernel knows about this:
               | # cat /sys/devices/system/edac/mc/mc1/csrow3/edac_mode
               | SECDED
               | 
               | SECDED. Just ask for SECDED.
        
               | wtallis wrote:
               | > That's not SECDED, since it can't correct a bitflip
               | that occurs somewhere other than on the link
               | 
               | You're just making up arbitrary rules. The term SECDED
               | does not incorporate any guarantees about which part of a
               | system it applies to. It's just a mathematical statement
               | about the strength of the ECC in use plus the implication
               | that detectable but uncorrectable errors are reported.
               | 
               | What you're looking for requires more words to fully
               | specify, probably including the term "end to end".
        
               | jeffbee wrote:
               | Your mantra is sort of hilarious because with current
               | technology SECDEC is _the worst_ ECC you can buy. If that
               | 's what you are getting on a DDR5 server today, the most
               | likely reason is your integrator has made a mistake.
        
         | AlbertoGP wrote:
         | There seems to be some confusion in the replies to your post.
         | 
         | What I've read is that DDR5 has "on-die ECC" which means that
         | the module itself handles the error correction, but then it can
         | not handle errors that happen in transit to the CPU as full ECC
         | can.
         | 
         | There are DDR5 full-ECC modules that would be real equivalents
         | to DDR4 ECC.
         | 
         | > _When the latest version of DDR memory - DDR5 - was
         | introduced in 2020, marketing campaigns got one important fact
         | wrong. DDR5 UDIMM, the regular desktop RAM we're all familiar
         | with, was touted as having "built-in" Error Correcting Code
         | (ECC). Not true. What it has is built-in data checking, which
         | is a very different feature that shouldn't be confused with
         | traditional ECC. For that, your customers will need DDR5 ECC
         | UDIMM memory._
         | 
         | -- Intel, "Error Correcting Code (ECC) vs. Built-in Data
         | Checking": https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/content-
         | details/7549...
        
           | wtallis wrote:
           | Additionally, on-die ECC isn't unique to DDR5; it's a
           | necessity for any DRAM built on the most recent high-density
           | fab processes. It was used for at least some LPDDR4 memories,
           | and probably most or all LPDDR5.
        
             | jakobson14 wrote:
             | Can't wait to see another round of rowhammer papers
             | trashing these things. XD
        
           | jacquesm wrote:
           | That's mostly because otherwise they wouldn't be reliable
           | enough to use.
        
       | jauntywundrkind wrote:
       | Also awaiting word on MCR-DIMM (multiplexed combined rank dimms)
       | which I think also allow a sizable boost, but via fan out instead
       | of huge dies.
        
       | rwmj wrote:
       | These are manufactured in the US? (In Boise Idaho I think).
        
         | DavidPeiffer wrote:
         | As of 2015 when I worked there, Boise was almost entirely R&D.
         | Since then, they did a fab expansion, and I'm not sure if any
         | of that ended up for production.
         | 
         | Production was in Manassas, Virginia as well as numerous
         | locations in Asia.
        
       | haunter wrote:
       | Some interesting comments about the plural of die, apparently all
       | three forms are commonly used (die, dies, dice)
        
         | polishdude20 wrote:
         | Dice? That's if you're talking about rolling the dice. Is it
         | really used for these types of "dies"?
        
           | calamari4065 wrote:
           | _Technically_ die is the singular and dice is the plural form
           | of the cubes you roll for numbers.
           | 
           | Then there's the other die, as in die-cast. I think these are
           | typically referred to as dies in the plural. I'm not sure if
           | this terminology is still in use, it seems to have been
           | replaced with mold.
           | 
           | Then the other other die, referring to the fragment of
           | silicon inside an integrated circuit. I've seen dice used
           | more commonly, but both forms are in active use.
           | 
           | It's one of those frustrating inconsistencies of the English
           | language.
        
         | Finnucane wrote:
         | In all my years in publishing, I've never heard anyone refer to
         | jacket/spine stamping dies as dice.
        
           | MakeThemMoney wrote:
           | > Heard
           | 
           | Don't they sound the same?
        
             | pwagland wrote:
             | Funnily enough, I would argue that dice and dies sound
             | different, phonetically:
             | 
             | dies daIz
             | 
             | dice daIs
        
               | HNDen21 wrote:
               | To me the i sound is shorter for dice versus dies
        
             | Finnucane wrote:
             | Not in an email. Also, no, the pronunciation is distinct.
             | At least around here.
        
         | ooterness wrote:
         | Linguistic drift IMHO. Formally, "dice" is the plural of "die".
         | Less formally, "dice" are cubes with numbers on them and "die"
         | is a completely separate word.
        
           | someone7x wrote:
           | I've heard "dice" for singles: you'll need to roll one dice
           | here.
           | 
           | I never asked, but I want to believe their internal
           | representation of "1D6" is one-dice-six.
           | 
           | Sorta like reading "1 x 6" as "one _times_ six" instead of
           | "one _time_ six"
           | 
           | Words are fun.
        
         | dist-epoch wrote:
         | More and more English speakers (and readers) are not native.
         | They are more likely to use (and understand) -s plurals.
        
           | Erratic6576 wrote:
           | Yeah Languages with histories of adult learning have been
           | argued to be morphologically simpler, less redundant, and
           | more regular/transparent [2], [7], [28]-[30].
           | 
           | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.
           | ..
        
       | jeffbee wrote:
       | The refresh power alone must be 5-10W right?
        
       | crotchfire wrote:
       | Title should say "32 Gb" not "32 GB".
       | 
       | Or even better "128 GByte ... 32 Gbit"
        
       | phkahler wrote:
       | >> The demand for large memory capacity RDIMMs is being primarily
       | driven by the sudden emergence of large-language models (LLMs)
       | for generative AI and increasing CPU core counts.
       | 
       | I know LLMs are undergoing rapid change, but what if someone (say
       | Apple) wanted to commit a large model to an actual masked ROM?
       | What kind of density can be achieved on a similar process as
       | DRAM, and what kind of interface would such a thing use?
        
         | dragontamer wrote:
         | No one uses ROM anymore. Its all Flash RAM, which is denser,
         | cheaper, lower-power in practice. And Flash is likely too slow
         | in any case, so people will prefer DRAM.
        
         | dist-epoch wrote:
         | You can store the weights in ROM.
         | 
         | But you also have input dependent activations. You need RAM for
         | these.
        
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