ASRock Pushes Mini-ITX Memory Limits To 256GB DDR5-7400 With CQDIMM Support

If you read the headline and, like me, thought 'What the heck is a CQDIMM?', I'm here to tell you it's actually not that complicated. ASRock is using the term CQDIMM to refer to standard CUDIMMs that have four memory ranks, making them quad-rank. This allows for memory modules that offer both high transfer rates and high capacity; ASRock specifically calls out achieving 256GB of RAM on a Z890I Nova Wi-Fi board. That's a mini-ITX board with just two slots.

Yet, despite the use of these ultra-high-density UDIMMs, ASRock is still able to push memory transfer rates to 7400 MT/s thanks to the on-module clock drivers that are the key feature of CUDIMMs. That's a higher transfer rate than officially supported by any extant desktop platform, even if it doesn't quite match the heady heights required for Intel's Core 200S Boost Mode. Rumor ...