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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →NRAM is Nantero’s proposed carbon-nanotube-based nonvolatile memory: it is intended to retain data without power while offering RAM-like access. That combination could make it useful in places where systems now choose between volatile DRAM and persistent flash. But the published speed and power figures are roadmap estimates, not benchmarks from a broadly available NRAM product.
What is NRAM?
NRAM, or nanotube random-access memory, is a nonvolatile memory concept developed by Nantero. Its proposed switching element uses carbon nanotubes. The design aims to combine data retention without power with a random-access interface and behavior suited to memory tasks.
The core distinction is persistence. DRAM stores data in capacitors and must be refreshed to preserve it; NAND flash retains data without power but has different write and erase behavior. NRAM is intended to keep data when power is removed without giving up RAM-like access. That is a design goal, not evidence that a shipping NRAM chip matches every DRAM or flash product.
Is NRAM really as fast as DRAM?
Nantero says its arrays can read and write at speeds comparable to mainstream DDR5 SDRAM. The clearest numerical comparison in the available published material comes from a 2024 U.S. Department of Energy AMMTO roadmap. Its illustrative table compares NRAM with DDR4:
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| Measure | NRAM roadmap estimate | DDR4 roadmap entry |
|---|---|---|
| Latency | 5 ns | 15 ns |
| Frequency | 64 GB/s | 64 GB/s |
| Idle power | 0.8 mW | 85.5 mW |
These are roadmap figures, not universal specifications or results from a retail product test. The table presents NRAM as nonvolatile and associates the comparison with a three-year TRL-6 timeline; it should be read as a technology-development estimate, not as confirmation that a product is available at those values. The roadmap’s latency and idle-power figures are promising on paper, while its frequency entry gives the same value for both technologies.
How can memory be nonvolatile like flash?
Nonvolatile memory retains data after power is removed. NRAM’s proposed carbon-nanotube switching element is intended to provide that persistence while supporting random access. The contrast with DRAM is that DRAM requires refresh; Nantero says NRAM can avoid refresh cycles, which could reduce interruptions and refresh-related energy use.
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Nantero’s storage white paper describes connecting NRAM to a drive controller in a manner similar to DRAM, with potential DRAM-speed access for cache and controller data. SNIA describes possible NRAM arrangements that include crosspoint structures for larger memories and 1T-nR arrangements for smaller, faster arrays. These are architectural descriptions of possible implementations, not proof of a particular shipping drive or memory module.
How does NRAM compare with DRAM, NAND flash, and other nonvolatile RAM?
The technologies address overlapping but different needs. The figures below are not a like-for-like product benchmark: the DOE values are roadmap estimates, while the nvSRAM figures are specifications listed by Infineon for parallel devices.
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- Actual memory speed may vary depending on the system, CPU, motherboard, BIOS settings, and supported memory configuration. DDR4 3200MHz modules may operate at lower speeds such as 2933MHz or 2666MHz when supported by the host system. Please check your device specifications and compatibility before purchase.
- Adherence to JEDEC and compliance to RoHS with respect to environmental protection regulation, production and manufacturing
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| Technology | Persistence and access | What the available evidence establishes |
|---|---|---|
| DRAM | Volatile; requires refresh. | The DOE roadmap’s DDR4 entry lists 15 ns latency, 64 GB/s frequency, and 85.5 mW idle power. |
| NAND flash | Nonvolatile; erase and write behavior differs from RAM. | It is an established storage technology, but the cited material does not give directly comparable NRAM-versus-NAND performance figures. |
| Nantero NRAM | Designed to be nonvolatile and random-access, without DRAM refresh. | The DOE roadmap lists illustrative estimates of 5 ns latency, 64 GB/s frequency, and 0.8 mW idle power; these are not product benchmarks. |
| Infineon nvSRAM | A commercial nonvolatile RAM using a different SONOS-plus-SRAM architecture. | Infineon lists parallel devices with access times as fast as 20 ns and densities from 64 kbit to 16 Mbit. |
| STT-MRAM | A separate nonvolatile memory class. | A 2024 review reports that STT-MRAM has replaced embedded flash in some advanced applications, including automotive microcontrollers. |
These comparisons do not make NRAM interchangeable with every memory in a system. Engineers would also need to evaluate endurance, density, active and idle power, interface compatibility, manufacturing maturity, and operating conditions. The cited material does not establish those product-level values for NRAM.
Where could NRAM be used?
Nantero’s 2018 announcement described development of a multi-gigabit standalone product compatible with DDR4, as well as SSD and HDD cache chips, embedded memory, automotive memory for high-temperature conditions, and IoT applications. Those were development plans and application targets in that announcement, not confirmation that those products reached market.
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Other proposed uses follow from combining persistence with memory-like access. SNIA discusses storage-hierarchy redesign, reducing reliance on battery backup, and potential interfaces including SATA, PCIe, and a DRAM bus, alongside AI, deep learning, and in-memory computing. The DOE roadmap points to high-temperature, high-shock, and high-radiation environments as possible nonvolatile-memory use cases, while identifying processor, chiplet, EDA, PDK, and fab integration as areas of work.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can NRAM replace DRAM or SSD flash?
NRAM’s intended combination of speed and persistence could make it a candidate for roles now served by volatile memory or storage caches. But a technology concept is not a drop-in replacement. A real system would need compatible components and interfaces, verified performance and endurance, manufacturable capacity, and support across the relevant platform.
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NRAM should therefore be treated as a possible future addition or alternative for particular memory roles—not as a proven replacement for system DRAM or NAND-based SSD storage. The published material describes promising characteristics and use cases, but does not establish a consumer product with demonstrated system-level substitution.
Can you buy NRAM today?
The material cited here does not establish a broadly stocked consumer NRAM module or drive. Nantero’s April 5, 2018 announcement said it had more than a dozen partners and customers, and expected Fujitsu Semiconductor and Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor to be the first customers to bring NRAM to market in 2019. That was a dated expectation, not proof that the products subsequently became available.
A later DOE roadmap states that NRAM processes and materials had been defined, while fab integration remained the dominant challenge to bringing the technology to market. Taken together, the dated statements support describing NRAM as a development-stage technology rather than a widely available consumer memory product. Commercial nvSRAM and STT-MRAM provide more established comparison points, but they are different technologies and do not establish NRAM availability.
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