AC055054 Dell 256GB 3200MHz PC4-25600 DDR4 SDRAM 288-pin LRDIMM Memory Module

Dell AC055054 256GB Server Memory Module

The Dell AC055054 represents a high-capacity, high-performance memory solution engineered specifically for demanding server environments. This 256GB LRDIMM module operates at 3200MT/s, delivering exceptional data throughput while maintaining stability through ECC and Registered technologies. Designed for compatibility with Dell PowerEdge servers and similar systems, this memory component addresses the needs of data-intensive applications including virtualization, database management, high-performance computing, and large-scale enterprise applications.

Key Specifications

The Dell AC055054 256GB memory module incorporates advanced memory technology to deliver reliable performance in server environments. With its PC4-25600 designation, this module supports a data transfer rate of 3200 million transfers per second, providing substantial bandwidth for memory-intensive operations. The module operates at a standard 1.2V voltage and utilizes a 288-pin LRDIMM form factor, ensuring compatibility with modern server memory architectures while optimizing power efficiency.

Capacity

This memory module features a substantial 256GB capacity implemented as a single 256GB module (1x256GB). This high-density design allows for maximum memory capacity within limited server DIMM slots, enabling systems to achieve terabyte-scale memory configurations with fewer modules. The single-module configuration simplifies inventory management and deployment while providing flexibility in server memory population strategies.

Memory Density Advantages

The 256GB capacity per module represents the higher end of available DDR4 memory densities, offering significant advantages for memory-intensive workloads. This high-density design reduces the number of DIMM slots required to achieve large memory configurations, potentially lowering overall system power consumption and simplifying memory architecture. The module's design optimizes space utilization within server chassis while maintaining thermal characteristics within operational specifications.

Performance Characteristics

Operating at 3200MT/s (MegaTransfers per second), the Dell AC055054 delivers a peak transfer rate of 25,600 MB/s per module in dual-channel configurations. This high-speed operation significantly reduces data access latency and improves overall system responsiveness. The PC4-25600 classification indicates the module's compliance with JEDEC standards for DDR4-3200 memory, ensuring reliable operation at specified speeds without requiring overclocking or special configuration.

Data Rate Specifications

The 3200MT/s data rate represents the maximum sustainable data transfer capability under standard operating conditions. This speed enables efficient handling of simultaneous memory requests from multiple processors or cores, making it particularly suitable for multi-socket server configurations. The module's performance characteristics maintain compatibility with processor memory controllers while maximizing available memory bandwidth for data-intensive applications.

Memory Module Type and Form Factor

The Dell AC055054 utilizes the Load Reduced DIMM (LRDIMM) form factor with a standard 288-pin configuration. This module type represents an evolution beyond Registered DIMMs, specifically designed to address electrical loading constraints in high-capacity memory systems. The LRDIMM architecture incorporates a memory buffer that reduces the electrical load on the server memory controller, enabling support for higher memory capacities and more DIMMs per channel while maintaining signal integrity at higher speeds.

LRDIMM Architecture Benefits

LRDIMM technology provides significant advantages in large-scale memory deployments by utilizing a memory buffer that isolates the DRAM devices from the memory bus. This isolation reduces the electrical load presented to the memory controller, enabling support for higher memory capacities per channel and improved signal integrity at high data rates. The buffer chip also helps in maintaining stable operation across varying environmental conditions and system configurations.

Electrical Load Management

The memory buffer chip on LRDIMMs presents a single electrical load to the memory controller regardless of the number of DRAM devices on the module. This design fundamentally differs from Registered DIMMs, where the register reduces loading but each DRAM rank still presents a load. This electrical advantage enables servers to populate more LRDIMMs per memory channel while maintaining signal quality, crucial for achieving maximum memory capacity in enterprise servers.

Error Correction and Reliability Features

The Dell AC055054 incorporates Error Correcting Code (ECC) technology, which detects and corrects single-bit memory errors and detects multi-bit errors. This capability significantly improves system reliability by preventing memory errors from causing system crashes or data corruption. ECC functionality operates transparently to the operating system and applications, providing continuous memory integrity verification during all memory operations without performance degradation.

ECC Implementation Details

This module implements single-bit error correction and double-bit error detection using standard SECDED ECC algorithms. The ECC functionality requires additional DRAM devices beyond those needed for data storage, with these extra chips storing parity information that enables the memory controller to verify data integrity and correct errors automatically. This implementation provides comprehensive protection against soft errors caused by cosmic radiation or electrical interference.

Error Management Capabilities

The ECC implementation includes capabilities for error logging and reporting, allowing system administrators to monitor memory health and identify potentially failing modules before they cause system instability. Advanced ECC features may include error threshold monitoring, predictive failure analysis, and integration with server management consoles for proactive maintenance scheduling. These capabilities contribute to overall system reliability and reduce unplanned downtime.

Registered Memory Technology

As a Registered DIMM, the Dell AC055054 incorporates register chips between the memory controller and the DRAM devices. These registers buffer command, address, and control signals, reducing the electrical load on the memory controller and improving signal integrity in systems with multiple memory modules. This technology enables stable operation at higher memory capacities and faster data rates compared to unbuffered memory designs.

Register Functionality

The address and command registers on Registered DIMMs introduce a one-clock-cycle delay for these signals while leaving data signals unregistered. This approach maintains high data transfer rates while providing the electrical benefits of signal buffering. The registers also help in maintaining signal timing integrity across all memory devices on the module, particularly important in high-capacity modules with numerous DRAM components.

Signal Integrity Enhancement

Registered memory technology significantly improves signal quality by reducing stub loading effects on the memory bus. This enhancement becomes increasingly important as memory speeds increase and system configurations grow more complex. The improved signal integrity enables more reliable memory operation in fully-populated server configurations and extends the practical maximum memory capacity supportable by server platforms.

Octal Rank Architecture

The Dell AC055054 features an octal rank (8-rank) design, representing a high-density memory organization that maximizes capacity within the JEDEC standard specifications. The octal rank configuration enables the 256GB capacity through efficient utilization of the memory bus and careful organization of DRAM devices. This architecture maintains compatibility with server memory controllers while providing the high capacity required for memory-intensive applications.

Rank Organization Benefits

The eight-rank organization allows for efficient memory access patterns and bank interleaving, which can improve memory performance by allowing overlapping operations across different ranks. This architecture also supports advanced power management features by enabling individual rank power-down states when portions of memory are not actively being accessed. The rank structure is transparent to operating systems and applications while providing memory controllers with flexibility in access scheduling.

Rank Interleaving Advantages

Octal rank configuration supports sophisticated rank interleaving techniques that can significantly improve memory bandwidth utilization. By distributing memory accesses across multiple ranks, memory controllers can hide precharge and activation delays, effectively increasing the efficiency of memory operations. This capability becomes particularly valuable in multi-processor systems where multiple memory requests may be pending simultaneously.

X4 DRAM Device Organization

The module utilizes x4 DRAM devices, meaning each DRAM chip has a 4-bit wide data interface. This organization differs from the more common x8 organization and provides specific advantages for ECC implementation and memory reliability. The x4 organization enables stronger error correction capabilities and more efficient use of DRAM devices in high-capacity memory modules, particularly when combined with LRDIMM architecture.

X4 Device Advantages

x4 DRAM organization provides several benefits in server memory applications, including improved signal integrity due to reduced data bus loading and enhanced ECC effectiveness. The x4 configuration also allows for more flexible memory rank organization and can improve manufacturing yields for high-capacity modules. This organization is particularly well-suited for LRDIMM implementations where the memory buffer manages the complexity of the wider internal data paths.

Data Path Optimization

The x4 DRAM organization creates a 72-bit wide data path (64 data bits plus 8 ECC bits) using multiple DRAM devices operating in parallel. This wide data path is managed efficiently by the LRDIMM memory buffer, which presents a standard interface to the memory controller while optimizing data transfers to and from the individual x4 DRAM devices. This architecture maintains high bandwidth while supporting the advanced reliability features essential for server environments.

Voltage and Power Characteristics

Operating at a standard DDR4 voltage of 1.2V, the Dell AC055054 provides improved power efficiency compared to previous-generation DDR3 memory (typically 1.5V). This reduced operating voltage translates to lower power consumption and reduced heat generation, important considerations in densely-populated server configurations. The module includes support for DDR4 power management features including self-refresh modes and per-rank power control.

Power Management Features

The module implements advanced DDR4 power management capabilities including maximum power saving modes during periods of low memory utilization. These features include selective rank power-down, where unused memory ranks can be placed in low-power states while maintaining data integrity. The memory controller manages these power states transparently based on system memory usage patterns, optimizing power consumption without impacting performance.

Compatibility and System Requirements

The Dell AC055054 256GB LRDIMM is designed for compatibility with Dell PowerEdge servers and other enterprise server systems that support DDR4-3200 LRDIMM memory. Compatibility depends on specific server models, processor generations, and system BIOS versions. This memory module is typically supported in multi-socket server configurations where high memory capacity and performance are required for enterprise workloads.

Server Platform Support

This memory module is validated for use in compatible Dell PowerEdge servers and similar enterprise-class systems. Support typically requires specific processor generations (such as Intel Xeon Scalable processors or AMD EPYC processors) that include memory controllers capable of supporting DDR4-3200 speeds and LRDIMM architecture. System BIOS must include support for the specific memory technology and capacity to ensure proper initialization and operation.

Application Scenarios and Use Cases

The high capacity and performance characteristics of the Dell AC055054 make it suitable for memory-intensive enterprise applications including in-memory databases, virtualization infrastructure, high-performance computing, and large-scale data analytics. The 256GB capacity per module enables substantial memory configurations that can accommodate entire datasets in memory, significantly reducing access latency and improving application performance.

Virtualization Deployment

In virtualized environments, the high capacity of these modules allows for greater virtual machine density per physical server while maintaining performance isolation between VMs. The reliability features including ECC protection ensure stable operation of multiple simultaneous workloads. The memory bandwidth supports the intensive memory access patterns typical of consolidated virtualized applications and hypervisor operations.

Database Server Implementation

Database management systems benefit significantly from the large memory capacity provided by these modules, enabling larger buffer pools and in-memory processing capabilities. The 3200MT/s speed improves query performance by reducing memory access latency, while the ECC protection ensures data integrity for critical database operations. The reliability features are particularly important for transactional database systems where data corruption cannot be tolerated.