Samsung M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL 16GB PC5-38400 RDIMM ECC Registered DDR5 RAM

The Samsung M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL 16GB DDR5 Registered DIMM is a high-performance memory solution engineered for reliability, efficiency, and superior bandwidth. Designed with advanced ECC (Error-Correcting Code) technology, this 288-pin RDIMM ensures data integrity, making it suitable for servers, workstations, and enterprise-grade applications.

General Information

• Manufacturer: Samsung
• Part Number: M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL
• Product Category: DDR5 Registered ECC Memory

Main Highlights

• 16GB storage capacity per module for scalable memory upgrades
• DDR5 SDRAM technology offering enhanced bandwidth and efficiency
• ECC Registered design ensuring accurate error detection and correction
• 4800 Mbps data transfer speed supporting heavy workloads
• CL40 latency for smooth response time
• 1Rx8 rank configuration for stable system performance
• 288-pin RDIMM form factor for easy server compatibility

Technical Performance

This Samsung 16GB DDR5 module operates at 4800 MT/s (PC5-38400), delivering improved efficiency compared to DDR4 modules. With a 1.1V low-power requirement, it reduces power consumption while maintaining fast data throughput. Its registered buffering allows reliable signal transmission in multi-module server setups, reducing the risk of system crashes during heavy workloads.

Key Technical Specifications

• Capacity: 16GB (1x16GB single module)
• Technology: DDR5 SDRAM
• Speed: DDR5-4800 / PC5-38400
• Voltage: 1.1V for improved efficiency
• Latency: CL40 timings
• ECC Support: Error-correcting for mission-critical tasks
• Signal Processing: Registered DIMM (RDIMM)

Reliability for Enterprise Systems

Samsung’s ECC Registered DDR5 module ensures mission-critical stability. It automatically corrects data corruption before it affects applications, minimizing downtime. This makes it ideal for:

• Data centers requiring consistent uptime
• Workstations handling high-performance computing
• Virtualization environments
• Cloud-based infrastructures
• Enterprise databases with constant data transactions

Physical Build and Design

With its 288-pin RDIMM form factor, the Samsung M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL module integrates seamlessly into enterprise-class motherboards. The slim profile and robust build quality allow for efficient heat dissipation and reliable installation.

Physical Dimensions

• Form Factor: RDIMM, 288-pin
• Height: 1.00 inch
• Depth: 6.75 inches
• Weight: 0.20 lbs (approx.)

Performance Advantages of DDR5 Technology

Compared to DDR4 memory, DDR5 delivers significantly higher bandwidth and density. It introduces enhanced power efficiency, optimized channel architecture, and increased burst lengths. This translates into faster loading times, reduced lag in high-demand environments, and optimized multitasking capacity.

DDR5 vs DDR4 Memory Improvements

• Higher maximum transfer speeds for intensive workloads
• Lower operating voltage resulting in better energy efficiency
• Greater memory density supporting advanced configurations
• Improved channel efficiency with dual 32-bit subchannels
• Enhanced error detection and correction mechanisms

Use Case Scenarios

This Samsung DDR5 ECC Registered module is tailored for:

• Servers: Handling large-scale applications, databases, and hosting environments
• Workstations: Ideal for CAD, 3D rendering, video editing, and AI workloads
• High-Performance Computing (HPC): Scientific research, modeling, and simulations
• Cloud Infrastructure: Data storage, processing, and virtualization

Power Efficiency and Longevity

Running at just 1.1V, this DDR5 module optimizes power usage without compromising speed. Reduced heat generation contributes to longer module lifespan and lowers cooling requirements for servers and enterprise systems.

Benefits of Low-Voltage DDR5 Memory

• Decreased power draw for greener data centers
• Lower operating temperatures increasing reliability
• Cost savings on long-term energy consumption
• Eco-friendly choice for enterprise infrastructure

Manufacturer Excellence

Samsung has long been a leader in memory technology, offering dependable and high-quality components. The M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL DDR5 module is built with Samsung’s advanced semiconductor expertise, ensuring premium durability and top-tier reliability for professional systems.

Overview of Samsung M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL 16GB PC5-38400 RDIMM ECC Registered DDR5 RAM

The Samsung M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL is a 16GB DDR5 RDIMM designed for modern servers and workstations that require ECC Registered reliability, JEDEC-standard performance at the PC5-38400 bandwidth tier (commonly associated with up to 4800 MT/s under JEDEC), and the power efficiency advantages of the DDR5 generation. As a Registered DIMM, it integrates a register (buffer) between the memory controller and DRAM chips to improve signal integrity and stability when multiple DIMMs populate each memory channel. The module is built for platforms that explicitly support DDR5 RDIMM ECC, making it ideal for virtualization hosts, database nodes, analytics engines, content creation servers, CAD/CAE workstations, and edge compute appliances.

Compared with DDR4-era equivalents, this module benefits from the DDR5 architecture’s on-module power management (via a PMIC), on-die ECC at the DRAM level, increased bank groups, double the burst length, and enhanced channel efficiency. Combined with server-grade module-level ECC and the Registered architecture, the M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL delivers the balanced combination of performance, uptime, and scalability organizations expect in production environments.

Key Attributes at a Glance

• Capacity: 16GB per module—practical for building balanced memory configurations across multi-channel server boards.
• Form Factor: 288-pin DDR5 RDIMM ECC Registered (not interchangeable with DDR4, UDIMM, SO-DIMM, or LRDIMM).
• Speed Class: PC5-38400 (JEDEC DDR5 bandwidth tier; effective data rate up to 4800 MT/s under standard conditions; actual operating speed depends on CPU/board/firmware).
• Reliability: Module-level ECC plus DDR5 on-die error detection features for robust data integrity.
• Power Architecture: On-module PMIC for refined voltage regulation and improved efficiency compared with previous generations.
• Use Case: Servers and pro workstations that require Registered ECC memory for stability with high DIMM counts per channel.

Understanding DDR5 RDIMM ECC Registered Memory

DDR5 RDIMMs represent the professional tier of memory designed for platforms that need both performance and multi-DIMM scalability. The “Registered” designation indicates the presence of a register (buffer) that re-drives command and address signals, reducing electrical loading on the memory controller and enabling support for greater total capacity per channel. The “ECC” (Error-Correcting Code) component provides detection and correction of common single-bit memory errors at the module level, which is essential for safeguarding long-running computations, mission-critical databases, and multi-tenant virtualization workloads.

In the DDR5 generation, architectural refinements—such as per-DIMM power management, expanded bank groups, decision feedback equalization (DFE) at the PHY level on many platforms, and improved training routines—add up to more consistent throughput and improved scaling as channels are populated. For organizations consolidating workloads or refreshing servers to handle AI inference, analytics, and high-throughput storage, DDR5 RDIMM ECC offers a clear path forward.

This Module Fits

• Rack-mount servers: Ideal for 1U/2U compute nodes that populate several DIMMs per channel and must maintain stability under sustained load.
• Tower workstations: Suitable for professional CAD/BIM, simulation, rendering, and scientific workloads on platforms that require Registered ECC memory.
• Edge and micro-datacenter deployments: Balances density, efficiency, and rugged uptime when physical footprint and power budgets matter.
• High-availability clusters: Helps maintain data integrity for clustered databases, hyperconverged infrastructure, and container orchestration stacks.

Benefits of Samsung M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL in Professional Deployments

Samsung’s server memory heritage emphasizes yield, binning rigor, and long-term availability. The M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL taps into that pedigree while embracing DDR5’s design improvements to deliver predictable performance and uptime. Below are the stand-out advantages relevant to IT managers, system integrators, and technical buyers.

Reliability and Error Management

• Module-level ECC: Detects and corrects single-bit errors in real time at the module level, with multi-bit error detection to help IT teams spot failing DIMMs early.
• On-die enhancements: DDR5 introduces DRAM-level features for error detection and data path robustness, complementing classic module ECC for a layered integrity approach.
• Registered Signal Buffering: The integrated register improves signal quality, allowing stable operation with higher DIMM counts per channel—vital for dense servers.
• Predictable uptime: Fewer soft errors and stronger training reduce transient issues that can cause support tickets, reboots, or job restarts.

Performance and Throughput

At the PC5-38400 bandwidth tier, this module is built to deliver up to 4800 MT/s data rates under JEDEC-standard conditions (final operating speeds depend on platform capabilities, DIMM population, and firmware). Compared with DDR4, DDR5 increases bank groups and burst length, allowing better parallelism for bandwidth-sensitive tasks like in-memory databases, VM farms under heavy contention, and multi-threaded rendering. These gains are especially notable when channels are fully populated, because the Registered architecture preserves controller signal margins.

Power Efficiency and Thermal Behavior

• On-module PMIC: DDR5 moves key power regulation onto the DIMM via a PMIC, which can reduce board-level noise and improve power delivery responsiveness.
• Lower core voltage: DDR5 typically operates at around 1.1 V nominal V_DD (platform dependent), contributing to better watts-per-GB and watts-per-transaction.
• Thermal consistency: Improved regulation and signaling help maintain stable thermals during prolonged mixed workloads in high-density racks.

Detailed Feature Explainer

ECC Registered vs. Unbuffered ECC

While both RDIMM ECC and UDIMM ECC provide error correction, Registered ECC adds a buffer register that isolates the memory controller from electrical load. That means:

• Higher scalability: More DIMMs can be reliably installed per channel, boosting total addressable memory without sacrificing stability.
• Improved signaling: Reduced electrical stress on the controller translates into cleaner command/address lines and fewer training retries.
• Server-grade focus: RDIMMs are the de facto choice for enterprise servers, while UDIMM ECC appears mainly in special workstation or SMB servers with limited slots.

DDR5 Architecture Advantages

Several elements distinguish DDR5 RDIMMs from their predecessors:

• More banks & bank groups: Increases opportunities for parallel data access and reduces bank conflicts in mixed workloads.
• Double burst length: Improves efficiency of larger transfers and sequential access patterns, benefiting streaming analytics and memory-bound tasks.
• Decision Feedback Equalization (DFE): Many platforms employ PHY-level techniques to maintain signal integrity at higher data rates.
• Refined power topology: PMIC-based regulation improves stability and can reduce platform-level design complexity.

Platform and Workload Suitability

The Samsung M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL 16GB PC5-38400 RDIMM ECC module aligns with a wide spectrum of enterprise and professional workloads. Its capacity point offers a flexible building block that can be scaled across channels and sockets to meet stringent service-level objectives (SLOs).

Virtualization and Cloud

• VM density: Balanced 16GB sticks let administrators tier memory allocation across hosts while keeping channels evenly populated to maximize bandwidth.
• vMotion and live migration: Reliable memory reduces the risk of migration errors during heavy traffic or maintenance windows.
• Container orchestration: Memory-intensive pods (e.g., in-memory caches, vector databases) benefit from steadier bandwidth and ECC safeguards.

Databases and Analytics

• In-memory databases: Consistent latency and strong ECC make this module suitable for IMDBs and columnar analytics engines.
• OLAP/OLTP blends: DDR5 bandwidth enhancements improve performance under mixed read/write workloads and heavy concurrency.
• ETL pipelines: Faster memory transfer helps shrinking nightly windows and supports near-real-time ingestion.

Content Creation and Visualization

• Rendering and simulation: Many rendering engines and solvers are memory-bandwidth sensitive; DDR5 benefits compound as channels are filled.
• Video transcode at scale: Stabilized throughput and PMIC-driven power delivery help maintain quality of service under sustained batch work.
• CAD/CAE/BIM: Large assemblies and FEA/CFD workloads derive tangible gains from DDR5’s parallelism and ECC assurance.

Performance Tuning and Stability Tips

While RDIMM ECC configurations usually run at JEDEC-standard profiles for maximum stability, several tuning areas can influence performance:

Interleaving and NUMA Tuning

• Enable channel interleaving where appropriate to distribute memory accesses across channels for higher throughput.
• Optimize NUMA placement for applications sensitive to memory locality; pin VMs or processes to sockets with local memory.

RAS Features and Scrubbing

• Use patrol scrubbing to proactively correct soft errors and detect failing hardware early.
• Set logging thresholds so that corrected error rates trigger alerts before they escalate.

Thermal Headroom

• In high-density chassis, consider front-to-back airflow optimization and ensure blanking panels are in place.
• Monitor DIMM temperature sensors through BMC to avoid thermal throttling under sustained load.

Capacity Planning with 16GB RDIMMs

Using 16GB sticks provides a budget-friendly and flexible path to channel balancing. The trade-off between per-DIMM capacity and channel count is critical for achieving the best bandwidth-to-cost ratio.

Scaling Strategies

• Start balanced: Fill one DIMM per channel across sockets to maximize speed and interleaving before moving to two DIMMs per channel.
• Incremental growth: Add more 16GB RDIMMs as workloads increase, maintaining symmetry to preserve performance.
• Mixed capacities (when supported): If mixing, place higher-capacity DIMMs in primary slots per vendor guidance. Note that speed may train to the slowest common denominator.

Cost Efficiency

16GB RDIMMs typically carry favorable pricing compared with higher-density modules, enabling more channels to be populated early. This often provides a better ROI for bandwidth-sensitive workloads than fewer, larger DIMMs at equivalent total capacity.

Use-Case Playbooks

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

• Distribute 16GB RDIMMs evenly to maintain consistent user experience under bursty login storms.
• Enable ECC logging to correlate intermittent user reports with corrected error trends.

Dev/Test and CI/CD Farms

• Leverage the stability of RDIMM ECC to reduce flaky test results caused by transient memory issues.
• Adopt a golden image with validated firmware settings for repeatable node provisioning.

Scientific Computing and Engineering

• Workloads like FEA, CFD, EDA, and Monte Carlo simulations often saturate memory bandwidth; fill channels before increasing per-DIMM capacity.
• Use NUMA-aware schedulers to keep memory-bound processes local to their socket.

Web and Application Hosting

• For app servers, prioritize balanced channel population to reduce tail latency during GC cycles or cache rebuilds.
• Monitor memory error logs via the BMC for proactive hardware replacement during maintenance windows.

Compatibility and Interoperability

Always verify the system’s QVL and CPU memory controller support for DDR5 RDIMMs. While the Samsung M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL adheres to JEDEC specifications associated with PC5-38400 operation, actual speeds and timings are subject to platform-level factors: CPU generation, firmware, number of DIMMs per channel, and population order. Mixing different vendors and capacities can force the system to the lowest common speed or different timing profiles.

What Not to Mix

• RDIMM with LRDIMM/UDIMM/SO-DIMM: These form factors and buffer types are not cross-compatible.
• DDR5 with DDR4: The notch and electrical spec are different; never attempt cross-generation swaps.
• Non-ECC with ECC Registered: Registered ECC requires platform support and shouldn’t be intermingled with non-ECC UDIMMs.

Firmware Nuances

In early DDR5 platform cycles, firmware updates can meaningfully improve memory training and compatibility. It is best practice to check release notes for memory-related fixes and follow vendor-specific guidance on DIMM ordering, slot priority, and maximum supported speeds at various DPC levels.

Best Practices for Fleet Deployment

Standardize and Validate

• Create a reference configuration (CPU, board, BIOS, RDIMM count) and stress-test under production-like loads.
• Record baseline benchmarks (latency, bandwidth, power draw, thermal headroom) for comparison as you scale.

Monitor and Maintain

• Enable ECC event logging and set thresholds that trigger alerts in your monitoring stack (e.g., via IPMI, Redfish, SNMP).
• Keep spares on hand matched to your exact DIMM specification for quick swap-outs.

Plan for Growth

• Adopt a channel-first strategy—fill channels with 16GB RDIMMs before moving to higher densities, when bandwidth matters.
• Review firmware release notes periodically; memory training and compatibility often improve over time.

Checklist Before You Buy

• Confirm your platform requires RDIMM ECC and supports DDR5.
• Review QVL entries for M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL or equivalent Samsung 16GB PC5-38400 RDIMM part numbers.
• Determine channels and slots per CPU; plan for symmetrical population.
• Account for DPC-dependent speed reductions when modeling performance.
• Budget for spares to sustain SLAs during maintenance or unexpected failures.

Glossary of Terms

RDIMM (Registered DIMM)

A server-class memory module that uses a register to buffer command/address signals, improving signal integrity and enabling higher memory capacities per channel.

ECC (Error-Correcting Code)

A method of detecting and correcting memory errors. Module-level ECC typically corrects single-bit errors and detects many multi-bit errors, safeguarding data integrity.

PC5-38400

JEDEC bandwidth classification for DDR5 memory corresponding to an effective data rate up to 4800 MT/s under standard conditions.

PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit)

An on-module regulator in DDR5 DIMMs that manages voltage rails more precisely than motherboard-only regulation in prior generations.

DPC (DIMMs Per Channel)

The number of DIMMs installed on each memory channel. Higher DPC often reduces achievable speed due to increased electrical loading.

Data Integrity and RAS (Reliability, Availability, Serviceability)

RDIMM ECC is a cornerstone of enterprise RAS strategies. The Samsung M321R2GA3BB0-CQKOL contributes to this through hardware-level protection and consistent training behavior, helping minimize unplanned downtime and silent data corruption risks.

Serviceability

• Field-replaceable without specialized tools in most servers.
• Thermal sensors and ECC logs enable predictive maintenance before failures affect applications.

Availability

• Stable operation across long duty cycles and varying environmental conditions common to data centers.
• Works within platform-defined scrubbing and sparing frameworks (where supported).