AMD to back FB-DIMM when it's as cheap as DDR 2?

Just in time for 2008's next-gen architecture, apparently

By Tony Smith • Get more from this author

28th June 2006 10:38 GMT

AMD will bring support for fully-buffered memory to its Opteron processor line-up in 2008, the timeframe it reckons the FB-DIMM products will have fallen in price to about what we pay for DDR 2 nowadays.

So claims an allegedly leaked AMD presentation slide posted by Chinese-language site HKEPC headed, "Introducing technologies when they make sense for our customers."

AMD's implication is clear: that arch-rival Intel's introduction of FB-DIMM support in May this year - according to the slide - was far too early. The slide mirrors the two chip makers' relative FB-DIMM roll-outs with AMD's launch of DDR 2-supporting Opterons in July 2006 to Intel's DDR 2 debut in June 2004.

AMD has yet to state in public what timeframe it has in mind for FD-DIMM support. But it's interesting that the chart has 2008 down for the launch window - it neatly aligns with comment from AMD CEO Hector Ruiz last week that the company will ship its next-generation architecture in that year. It would also appear to confirm past speculation that 'Zamora' and 'Cadiz', future quad-core Opterons, will support FB-DIMMs in addition to HyperTransport 3.

AMD licensed FB-DIMM memory controller technology from Rambus in January this year. ®