Virtual row buffers for use with random access memory

A method comprising:

• monitoring a workload for an apparatus including a memory chip, the memory chip further including an array block coupled to a buffer, the array block to include a plurality of rows, each of the rows comprising a row size, wherein the monitoring is executed via a counter;
• detecting an access to one of the plurality of rows included in the array block;
• and
• loading a portion of the array block to the buffer, the size of the portion determined based, at least in part, on a characteristic of the workload for the apparatus, wherein the size of the portion is smaller than the row size of the array block, the size of the portion to be increased if a ratio of buffer misses to buffer hits exceeds a threshold value, and the characteristic of the workload comprises a number of row buffer misses and hits tracked via the counter.

A system comprising:

• a memory chip including an array block, the array block coupled to a buffer and to further include a plurality of rows, each row comprising a row size;
• I/O logic coupled to the memory chip;
• monitoring logic, coupled to the I/O logic, to monitor a workload for the system and to determine a characteristic of the workload, wherein the monitoring logic comprises a counter;
• and
• a memory controller, coupled to the I/O logic, to detect an access to one of the plurality of rows included in the array block and to load a portion of the array block to the buffer, the size of the portion determined based, at least in part, on the characteristic of the workload, wherein the size of the portion is smaller than the row size of the array block, the size of the portion to be increased if a ratio of buffer misses to buffer hits exceeds a threshold value, and the characteristic of the workload comprises a number of buffer misses and hits tracked via the counter.