UltraRAM Breakthrough Solution That Combines RAM & Storage

The next big concept of combining storage and memory is something everybody is trying to find. But, a team of researchers located at Lancaster University published the results of a study that highlighted innovation in the manufacturing of ultraRAM in mass quantities. 

Similar to the concept for UltraRAM is to integrate both storage and RAM into one component.

UltraRAM is a unifying memory solution with a variety of attractive peculiarities. It blends components that comprise RAM (flash storage) and SSD storage (DRAM) to provide an extremely fast memory solution that does not release data when you turn it off. To fully understand what it is it is necessary to know the core components of UltraRAM.

Why does it matter

For a long time, storage and memory are two distinct components of a computer. There have been attempts by manufacturers to combine the benefits from RAM and NAND into one package, however, with only limited results. 

A new kind of non-volatile memory, called UltraRAM, has shown promise but it’ll take some time before it’s ready to be used in an actual product.

Combining the use of random access memory (RAM) as well as storage isn’t new However, so far no one has been able to turn this concept into a wildly popular, well-known commercial product. But that doesn’t mean research into this subject isn’t being conducted.

In the last month, scientists of researchers from the Physics and Engineering Department of Lancaster University in the UK released a document which details the important progress that’s been made in bringing UltraRAM closer to production in mass.

UltraRAM describes itself as a technology which “combines the non-volatility of a data storage memory, like flash, with the speed, energy-efficiency, and endurance of a working memory, like DRAM.”

If this sounds familiar this is because Intel has tried to bridge the gap between flash and DRAM storage by using Optane but with only some results. Samsung offers a product named Z-NAND along with Kioxia as well as Western Digital also wants to incorporate UltraRAM into the future of storage solutions for enterprise and consumer use.

UltraRAM integrates Memory and Storage

If you’re using a modern computer or notebook, you likely come with a Solid State Drive or SSD. The storage device uses flash memory for storing information and is not volatile. 

Flash storage is not volatile because it stores data or information even after you shut out of your PC. To put it simply the concept, non-volatile memory stores data even when the power source is available.

In contrast, however, RAM on the other hand RAM part is actually a kind of memory that is volatile. 

Therefore, if your computer stores data on RAM, it is erased at the time you turn off your computer. It requires power to store information and data, which makes the storage of data temporary.

Researchers from Lancaster University’s Physics and Engineering department of Lancaster University have a new non-volatile memory technology known as UltraRAM. It is able to store data with constant power and still achieve the speed of DRAM. 

Furthermore, the researchers have come up with a method to manufacture this revolutionary memory system that integrates storage and RAM.

UltraRAM could be a big deal as the silicon memory solution will soon be able to meet all the needs for memory in PCs and laptops. But, many have attempted in creating the universal memory solution mixing memory with storage. For instance, Intel’s Optane memory was close to combining the two, but it now appears to be an unfinished project.

The research paper discusses the research behind UltraRAM’s creation which combines RAM with storage however it’s quite specific. The idea behind UltraRAM is to be a one-stop shop for storage and RAM. This means that you may one day purchase one part of two TB, for instance, which will function as storage and memory.