Rambus DRAM: Uncovering Facts & Burying Rumors

The conclusion we were hoping to convey here was that there is a definite need for a higher bandwidth memory solution that features a lower pin-count than dual channel DDR SDRAM, and provided that the price does decrease, RDRAM could be that solution. 

We've pointed out that Intel isn't the only one supporting RDRAM and that AMD holds a license to their memory controller technology alongside Intel.  The reason Intel is taking all of the heat is mainly because RDRAM is so incredibly expensive and they are attempting to make a very sudden transition to the technology. 

At the current point in time, DDR SDRAM makes the most sense, since it will offer a much needed increase in memory bandwidth (the AMD Thunderbird is going to be hurting with only PC133 SDRAM, luckily Mustang will have a DDR SDRAM platform to go alongside it at launch) at a small price premium over regular SDRAM. 

Further down the road, the transition to RDRAM will probably occur, but don't expect that to happen anytime in the near future, not in 2000 at least.  From the memory manufacturers we've talked to, they don't see RDRAM as being a major contender this year, but provided that prices do come down, there is nothing stopping RDRAM from becoming the next widely accepted memory technology, embraced by both Intel and AMD. 

If RDRAM doesn't catch on, the consequences could be severe for Intel, since they are the ones that have invested so much of their roadmap in this one technology.