With bold claims like "double or quadruple" your RAM, for a second I thought it was the same marketing used by the infamous memory optimization software from the late 90s all over again. But MetaRAM, a venture founded in 2006 by AMD's former CTO, Fred Weber, means serious business when they announced their DDR2 MetaSDRAM yesterday.
The new technology is meant to overcome memory limitations currently experienced in workstation and high-end servers. In simple terms, these DDR2 MetaSDRAM modules can increase the capacity of a DIMM by two to four times, effectively holding anything from 8GB to 16GB on a single memory module. At the core of the MetaRAM technology is a chip that works as a bridge between the memory module - that physically does hold the full 8-16 GB memory - and the system's platform, effectively overcoming memory controller limitations and upping the memory capacity of a server.
MetaRAM claims that by using their technology to expand memory beyond the previously set capacity, prices can be reduced by "up to 90%". Engineering samples are already available and shipping servers with the technology are expected later this quarter.