Vista ReadyBoost pushes 2GB and 4GB UFD as the new mainstream for 2007, DRAMeXchange reveals

뉴스 제공

2006-12-26 17:30

Taiwan--(뉴스와이어)--The business edition of Microsoft's new Vista operating system was officially released to the market in the end of November. Its home edition is expected to be introduced during the end of January, 2007. One of the highlights of the system is the newly added Ready Boost function, which provides supplementary cache memory for the computer to use after the boot up process. The external memory can be utilized to store frequently used programs, which helps decrease the HDD's (Hard Disk Drive) access frequency, and enhance the overall computer performance. In general, UFD (USB Flash drives), memory cards, SSD (solid state disks), Hybrid HDD, Robson module, MP3 players,..etc, are equipped with NAND Flash storage devices that are potentially capable of employing Ready Boost. During the beginning, it is expected that the Ready Boost function will be employed in high speed UFD and memory cards.

Ready boost is essentially carried out by Vista's SuperFetch & EMD (External memory device) functions. SuperFetch employs a more intelligent memory caching method by preloading the user¡¦s most frequently used programs. Therefore, even if the computer is turned on for the first time, or different files are accessed by different users, the system response time is very quick. The EMD, on the other hand, makes use of the UFD or memory card's flash memory in serving as the system's virtual memory. The virtual memory is not used as often as the system's main memory. However, its access speed is considerably much faster than the HDD. Without adding additional main memory modules, computers can run even faster by retrieving files from the EMD's virtual memory. Moreover, when the user removes the UFD or memory card, the EMD will automatically transfer the stored files in the EMD's virtual memory to the HDD. Thus, the improved computer performance from Ready Boost does not cause any data loss or operational disruptions.

DRAMeXchange expects vendors will first employ the faster SLC NAND Flash to serve as the Ready Boost application product. It is anticipated that under the support of Flash controller vendors, MLC NAND Flash products will be Ready Boost available in the future. Furthermore, the 235MB~4GB of the supplementary NAND Flash memory provided from the Ready Boost UFD or memory card can be used for the virtual memory storage. The remaining portion can still be employed to store regular data files, where a storage capacity of at least 512MB is suggested.

Industry tests have shown that when the Ready Boost function works on the Vista system, it can approximately be enhanced by over 30%. When the application software is more complex, the improvement becomes more evident. In general, if the system¡¦s random access requires a more obvious increase in the computer speed, the DRAM and NAND Flash ratio should be at least 1:1-1:2. In other words, if 1~2GB of DRAM is used in running Vista, there should be at least 1~4GB of NAND Flash. Needless to say, when the UFD owns a larger storage capacity and faster transfer speeds, the Ready Boost function will perform better. (Refer to Table1) This will certainly play a key role in elevating the 2GB and 4GB UFD in becoming the new mainstream specification for 2007, DRAMeXchange projects.

High-speed UFD or memory cards that are Ready Boost compatible will initially see more applications in NB PCs. It is projected that when the Vista and Ready Boost products become more popular in 1Q07, the NAND Flash demand will grow as well.

웹사이트: http://www.DRAMeXchange.com