Abstract: A system and a method provide a memory-access technique that effectively parallelizes DRAM operations and coherency operations to reduce memory-access latency. The system may include a memory controller, an interconnect and a processor. The interconnect may be coupled to the memory controller. The processor may be coupled to the memory controller through a first path and a second path in which the first path is through the interconnect and the second path bypasses the interconnect. The processor may be configured to send substantially concurrently a memory access request to the memory controller via the first path and send a page activation request or a hint request to the memory controller via the second path so that the DRAM access operations appear to be masked, or hidden by the coherency operations.

Abstract: A system and a method provide a memory-access technique that effectively parallelizes DRAM operations and coherency operations to reduce memory-access latency. The system may include a memory controller, an interconnect and a processor. The interconnect may be coupled to the memory controller. The processor may be coupled to the memory controller through a first path and a second path in which the first path is through the interconnect and the second path bypasses the interconnect. The processor may be configured to send substantially concurrently a memory access request to the memory controller via the first path and send a page activation request or a hint request to the memory controller via the second path so that the DRAM access operations appear to be masked, or hidden by the coherency operations.

Abstract: According to one general aspect, an apparatus may include a processor coupled with a memory controller via a first path and a second path. The first path may traverse a coherent interconnect that couples the memory controller with a plurality of processors, including the processor. The second path may bypass the coherent interconnect and has a lower latency than the first path. The processor may be configured to send a memory access request to the memory controller and wherein the memory access request includes a path request to employ either the first path or the second path. The apparatus may include the memory controller configured to fulfill the memory access request and, based at least in part upon the path request, send at least part of the results of the memory access to the processor via either the first path or the second path.