New Intel technology could improve desktop and embedded PC performance and battery life significantly, by reducing hard drive latency and minimizing drive activity. Intel's “Robson” technology uses a flash-based nonvolatile memory buffer and intelligent prefetcher to realize a host of potential benefits, according to an article at ExtremeTech.

Intel says hard drives have become a bottleneck in modern PCs, because CPU speeds have increased 30 percent in relation to drive access speeds since 1996. Robson technology aims to decrease drive latency with a nonvolatile memory cache that connects to the southbridge via the PCI Express bus. The cache is controlled by hardware within the northbridge, or “GMCH” (graphics and memory controller hub), as Intel likes to call it, along with a software driver.

Collectively, Robson components endeavor to reduce the amount of time the CPU spends waiting for data stored on the hard drive. Robson also caches write operations, for power-efficient batch synchronization. An added benefit could be improved mobile device reliability, by allowing drive heads to remain parked much of the time.

Unclear is whether Intel will market Robson as proprietary technology, whether the technology will be built directly into hard drives or added to motherboards, whether NAND and/or NOR Flash will be used, and what if any socket technology may be involved. Intel has already demonstrated a working Robson prototype, however, and plans Robson-based products in the same timeframe as its “Conroe” processor, ExtremeTech reports.

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