CompTIA Server+ (SK0-005)Server Hardware Installation and ManagementMedium
A server administrator is deploying a new server with 16 DIMM slots. The server specifications indicate support for up to 2TB of RAM, but only if Load-Reduced DIMMs (LRDIMMs) are used. What is the primary advantage of LRDIMMs over Registered DIMMs (RDIMMs) in high-capacity server environments?
- ADirect connection to the memory controller for lower latency.
- BHigher memory clock speeds.
- CAbility to support more DIMMs per channel and higher total capacity.
- DLower power consumption per module.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Ability to support more DIMMs per channel and higher total capacity.
LRDIMMs use a memory buffer to reduce the electrical load on the memory controller, allowing for more DIMMs per channel and significantly higher total memory capacities in servers compared to RDIMMs.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. LRDIMMs introduce a buffer, which adds a slight latency compared to RDIMMs, which already have a register, and significantly more than UDIMMs which connect directly.
- B. While LRDIMMs can operate at high speeds, their primary advantage is capacity, not necessarily higher clock speeds than comparable RDIMMs.
- D. LRDIMMs typically consume more power than RDIMMs due to the additional buffer chip.
Load-Reduced DIMM (LRDIMM)
A type of server memory module that uses a buffer to reduce the electrical load presented to the memory controller. This allows servers to support a greater number of DIMMs per channel and achieve much higher total memory capacities than with RDIMMs.
- Employs a dedicated buffer chip (not just a register).
- Enables highest possible memory capacities in servers.
- Reduces electrical load on the memory controller.
- Typically used in high-end enterprise servers and virtualization hosts.
Memory trick: LRDIMMs Load-Reduce for Limitless RAM.