Samsung is off to a fast start with its 32GB memory modules using 30nm-class, 4Gb (gigabit) DDR3 DRAM chips and is the first in the industry to start producing these parts. These massive memory kits won't end up in home systems, few of which could actually support that amount of RAM in the first place, but in cloud computing environments and advanced server systems where there's no such thing has having too much memory.

Panasonic said it's getting ready to start volume production of its ReRAM in 2012, which sounds like a DRAM maker taking a mulligan at the assembly line. It's actually something far cooler than that. Short for Resistance Random Access Memory, Panasonic's next generation memory chips are non-volatile, meaning they can store information when a system is powered down. That's just one of the many advantages to ReRAM.

DRAM makers haven't had much to celebrate in a long time, and as profits took a nose dive, some wondered if they'd be better off bailing on the PC RAM industry, as OCZ did earlier this year. But at least one memory maker is optimistic about the DRAM and NAND flash memory markets going forward. Transcend chairman Peter Shu believes things are getting ready to improve in the second half of 2011, which is good news for memory makers, but at what cost?

Here's how most memory kits work: You plug them into your system's DIMM slots, fire up your machine, and begin doing whatever it is you use your PC for. There's an optional extra step for power users who might want to jump into the BIOS and tweak the timings or overclock, but otherwise it's the same process. That being the case, what in the world is Kingston getting at with its new 'HyperX Plug and Play' series of high-performance memory? Hit the jump to see what Kingston's cooked up.