Intel Turbo Memory

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Please improve this article if you can. (June 2007)

Intel Turbo Memory (codenamed Robson,[1] also known as a Robson cache) is a technology introduced by semi-conductor company Intel to utilize NAND flash memory modules, reducing the time it takes for a computer to power up, access programs, and write data to the hard drive.

[edit] Overview

The technology was publicly introduced on October 17, 2005 at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in Taiwan when it gave a demonstration using a laptop that booted up almost immediately.[2] The technology attempts to decrease hard drive usage by moving frequently accessed data over to the flash memory. Flash memory reacts faster than hard drives and requires less power, allowing notebooks to be faster and more power efficient.[3][4]

The Robson cache connects via a mini-PCIe card with on-board NAND flash memory modules, supporting new features available in Microsoft Windows Vista, namely ReadyBoost (a hard-drive caching solution via USB flash drives) and ReadyDrive (a hard-drive caching solution via hybrid drives), allowing both read caching and write caching of data. Often this is implemented with a Disk Filtering Option ROM (DFOROM).

[edit] Availability

Intel introduced Intel Turbo Memory on May 9, 2007, on the Santa Rosa platform and their Crestline (GM965) chipsets.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ TGDaily report, retrieved August 22, 2007
  2. ^ Macworld | Intel slashes PC power-up times
  3. ^ Intel Corporation (2006-03-07). "Intel Discloses Technologies To Make The Internet More Personal And Mobile". Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-10.
  4. ^ Intel's Robson Boosts Hard Drive Performance-Analysis on ExtremeTech