X-bit labs

March 2004 Hardware News Overview (page 8)

Category: Editorial

by Andy Yaschenko

[ 03/15/2004 | 02:11 AM ]

Micron goes on certifying its chips and modules with Intel, becoming the first company to certify successfully 1Gbit 400MHz DDR2 chips. It should be no surprise, though, when we recall that Intel is a major Micron stock-holder. 1Gbit chips allow making DDR2 modules with capacities up to 4GB and such modules were announced by Micron in the end of February. Intel is busy testing them now.

In February, Elpida went the opposite way, having introduced its 256Mbit DDR2-533 chips for PCs and servers and 1GB SO-DIMM modules for notebooks on 512Mbit DDR2-533 chips. Again, you won’t have a chance to use them until the end of this year when Intel releases the second generation of the Centrino platform.

Overall, as I emphasized it numerous times, there is no need to be hasty in moving to DDR2 until the arrival of 800MHz DDR2 chips and modules. I think the end of this year or the beginning of 2005 will be the proper time to start considering DDR2 for your own system. For example, AMD, which has always been careful about the optimal price/performance ratio of its solutions, is going to implement DDR2 support in its 90nm chips just about that time (if there are no technical problems).

In 2005, according to Intel’s plans voiced at IDF, we will see new modules, FB-DIMM, that would enhance DDR2 with a new pack of technologies like connection of the chips in the module directly to each other (point-to-point) rather than along a common bus like it is today. The basic advantage of the new format is the easier increase (as far as the number of pins is concerned) of the memory channels in the system and further frequency growth. Of course, Intel has this technology in mind for future processors, of 2006-2007, while the current chips will be quite OK with the current memory bandwidths.

Anyway, Intel schedules the introduction of FB-DIMM modules for the middle of 2005 and, according to the company, 667-800MHz DDR2 modules will come out in this form-factor. That’s why the necessity of transitioning to DDR2 400-533 becomes less urgent.

Well, there is also another candidate for the title of the “memory of the future”. It’s XDR DRAM technology promoted by the invincible Rambus and its proponents – Elpida, Toshiba and Samsung. At IDF, Toshiba showed 512Mbit 3.2GHz chips and Samsung also showed up with similar products, which promised to start mass production in 2004-2005. So the intrigue is getting tenser, and the crucial factor is the price. XDR DRAM will hardly cost little enough for the market to fancy this technology. That’s a kind of tradition with Rambus initiatives, though.

I’ve been talking about products and technologies, while the health condition of the manufacturers is a most important factor in this market sector. So far all companies have been feeling well. According to the Q4 results of the financial year 2003, Hynix was profitable and is now quite confident about its future. Nanya is also back to profitability and promises to increase its output by 52%, moving nearly all its facilities to 0.11micron process. ProMOS starts building its second 300mm fab in March, in the continental China. Overall, there is a kind of lull at the frontlines.