Intel Corporation this week announced product discontinuance plans for its remaining RDRAM-supporting chipsets, the i850E and i860 with ICH2 I/O controller. As a result of this action, we can say goodbye not only to these two core-logic products, but also to RDRAM since the last PC chipset with RDRAM support, SiS’ R658, has been adopted only by ABIT, while prospects of SiS’ R659 are very uncertain.

Forecasted Key Milestones for i860 and i850E chipsets are:

• Product Discontinuance Program Support Begins: May 09, 2003;
• Product Discontinuance Demand to Local Intel Representative Due: Aug 08, 2003;
• Orders For Discontinued Product Become Non-Cancelable On: Aug 08, 2003;
• Last Corporate Commit Product Hot List Date: Oct 21, 2003;
• Last Product Discontinuance Order Date: Oct 31, 2003;
• Last Product Discontinuance Shipment Date: May 14, 2004.

Even though it will be possible to order the components for some time, I doubt that a lot of mainboard makers will do so. As a result, soon mainboards powered by i850E and i860 will disappear. Eventually, RDRAM memory modules will vanish into oblivion as well, so, if you already have RDRAM-based personal computer and are planning memory upgrade, try to do it quicker since with less mainboards on the market less memory sticks will be produced and the prices on remaining devices may go up.