Want your server to access more than 100,000 DIMM slots in one go? This Korean startup claims that is CXL 3.1-based technology can help you scale to more than 100PB of RAM — but it will cost nearly $5 billion

Ever imagined drawing on up to 100 petabytes of RAM? Well, this startup could be the key to unlocking groundbreaking memory capabilities.

Korean fabless startup Panmnesia unveiled what it described as the world’s first CXL-enabled AI cluster featuring 3.1 switches during the recent 2024 OCP Global Summit.

The solution, according to Panmnesia, has the potential to markedly improve the cost-effectiveness of AI data centers by harnessing Compute Express Link (CXL) technology.

Scalable – but costly

In an announcement, the startup revealed the CXL-enabled AI cluster will be integrated within its main products, the CXL 3.1 switch and CXL 3.1 IP, both of which support the connections between the CXL memory nodes and GPU nodes responsible for storing large data sets and accelerating machine learning.

Essentially, this will enable enterprises to expand memory capacities by equipping additional memory and CXL devices without having to purchase costly server components.

The cluster can also be scaled to data center levels, the company said, thereby reducing overall costs. The solution also supports connectivity between different types of CXL devices and is able to connect hundreds of devices within a single system.

The cost of such an endeavor could be untenable

While drawing upon 100PB of RAM may seem like overkill, in the age of increasingly cumbersome AI workloads, it’s not exactly…