Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/28/amd_fbdimm_support_plan/
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 (http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/news.php?tid=622412&www.reghardware.co.uk) 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 (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/23/amd_ceo_says_next-gen_in_2008/) 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 (http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/01/03/amd_licenses_rambus/) from Rambus in January this year. ®
AMD quad-core Opteron will support FB-DIMM (11 October 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/10/11/amd_reveals_quad-core_opteron_details/
AMD Socket F Opterons due mid-August (24 July 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/07/24/amd_socket_f_opterons_mid_august/
AMD shuffles 'Brisbane' roll-out? (10 July 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/07/10/amd_roadmap_07/
AMD's Q2 revenue forecast slides (7 July 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/07/amd_drops_q2/
AMD's Socket AM2 to support Socket AM3 CPUs (6 July 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/07/06/amd_socket_am3_compatibility/
AMD posts dual-core tweaking tool (4 July 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/07/04/amd_dual-core_tweak_tool/
AMD next-gen architecture to ship 2008 - CEO (23 June 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/23/amd_ceo_says_next-gen_in_2008/
AMD unveils 'next gen' CPU plans (16 May 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/05/16/amd_next_gen/
FB-DIMM server memory approved as standard (10 May 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/05/10/fb-dimm_approval_pricing/
AMD quad-core Opterons to gain L3 cache in 2008? (3 May 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/05/03/amd_quad-core_roadmap/
AMD spends $75m to license Rambus tech (3 January 2006)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/01/03/amd_licenses_rambus/