FMS 2024: MSI CXL Memory Expansion Server with Samsung CXL Memory Modules and MemVerge Memory Machine X Software

MSI (Micro-Star INT’L Co., Ltd.) is showcasing its CXL (Compute Express Link)-based server platform powered by 4th Gen AMD EPYC processors at the Future of Memory and Storage 2024, at the Samsung and Memverge booth in the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, from August 6-8.

MSI S2301 CXL memory expansion server boosts application performance
with support for cxl 2.0 memory expansion

The CXL memory expansion server is designed to enhance In-Memory Database, EDA, and HPC application performance.

“By adopting innovative CXL technology to expand memory capacity and bandwidth, MSI’s CXL memory expansion server integrates cutting-edge technology from AMD EPYC processors, CXL memory devices, and advanced management software,” said Danny Hsu, GM, enterprise platform solutions. “In collaboration with key players in the CXL ecosystem, including AMD, Samsung, and MemVerge, MSI and its partners are driving CXL technology to meet the demands of high-performance data center computing.“

MemVerge Memory Machine showing system topology and telemetry
of MSI S2301 with Samsung CXL memory modules and DRAM
Click to enlarge

CXL memory expansion server redefines HPC
CXL Memory Expansion is a technology designed to enhance both the bandwidth and capacity of system memory in modern computing environments. The CXL 2.0 standard introduces a high-performance memory access mechanism that allows expansion devices to directly interface with the CPU’s memory hierarchy, treating the additional memory modules as if they were part of the system’s native memory. By connecting CXL Memory Expansion devices to the system, organizations can scale up their memory resources efficiently, achieving both greater memory capacity and improved data throughput for high-performance computing tasks.

The announced MSI S2301 server is ready for select 5th Gen AMD EPYC CPUs and boosts application performance through its support for CXL 2.0 Memory Expansion. By integrating CXL 2.0 over PCIe 5.0 x8 links in an E3.S-2T form factor, the S2301 server allows users to add CXL-compliant memory expansion devices, effectively extending the server’s memory resources beyond the limitations of traditional DRAM configurations. This capability enhances application performance in several ways: it increases the total amount of accessible system memory, HPC tasks, and it improves memory bandwidth through direct, coherent access between the CPU and the additional memory modules. The high-speed CXL 2.0 interface enables rapid data transfer and low-latency communication between the server’s core components and the expansion memory, ensuring that applications can handle larger datasets and more simultaneous processes without performance bottlenecks.

CXL innovative ecosystem
Samsung‘s introduction of the 256GB CXL memory modules based on CXL 2.0 is expected to accelerate the commercialization of next-gen memory solutions.

“Samsung welcomes the collaboration with MSI and AMD that will create a robust ecosystem for the CXL market and optimize the performance of our CXL 2.0 256GB CMM-D. The new CXL DRAM solution is expected to handle various workloads in MSI’s S2301 system,” said Jangseok Choi, VP, Memory new business planning team, Samsung Electronics. “Samsung, MSI and AMD look forward to the momentum in innovation enabled through next-generation enterprise servers and data centers.”

Memory Machine X software from MemVerge optimizes the cost and performance of AI and other memory-intensive workloads by intelligently managing tiers of memory. The software tells you if adding CXL memory is appropriate for your application environment and uses bandwidth or latency QoS policies to automatically place your data in the right memory tier for optimum performance.

Charles Fan, CEO and co-founder, MemVerge, said: “The availability of servers with qualified CXL peripherals and software is a breakthrough for the industry. It marks the beginning of the industry’s ability to satisfy pent-up demand from IT organizations ready to evaluate the added memory capacity and bandwidth expected from CXL.”

The joint demonstration showcases the next-gen CXL interface, which allows for significant expansion of both total system memory capacity and bandwidth via the addition of CXL Memory Expansion devices. With its expandable bandwidth and capacity when used with main DRAM, the technology’s advancement is expected to impact the next-gen computing market.