Thanks to the engineers at Viking Modular solutions you can put the empty memory slots to good use and get some extra storage. The company’s new SATADIMM combines SSD storage technology into a DDR3 DIMM form factor that will work in any capable motherboard.
Why in the world would Viking do such a thing?
"It can breathe new life into maxed out systems with the high performance and lower power consumption of SSD technology,” says Viking’s VP of Marketing, Adrian Proctor. “Furthermore, it opens up the possibility for new design, no longer constrained by standard hard drive space requirements."
The SATADIMM modules need no separate power cable, but rather run off the power supplied through the DIMM socket. A SATA cable is currently required for use, but Viking’s product webpage states that the signal could easily be routed through the DIMM socket in future designs to eliminate the need for any cables.
Performance is in-line with that of a standard 2.5” SSD, with 260MB/s read and write speeds. The SATADIMM also includes TRIM support and AES 128-bit encryption. Viking has said that they will initially offer 50GB, 100GB, and 200GB models, but no pricing information is yet available.
Though the product will initially be marketed to Enterprise customers, the innovation in product design could easily carry over to the consumer market in the near future. The space savings provided by the new form factor has the potential to be a game-changer for home computer design, and especially compact products like notebooks and tablets, as the technology evolves. The ability to consolidate all of a device’s storage hardware on the motherboard will allow product engineers, as well has the modding community, to develop slimmer case designs for increased portability.
While the SATADIMM is a good step forward, Viking will need the support of customers and motherboard manufacturers for the product to take off and evolve. How many potential customers will actually have a free DIMM slot to be able to utilize such a product? My guess is not too many, though manufacturers could expand the number of sockets to better accommodate the product. A good idea, for sure, but the practicality may not be feasible for many at the present time.
