Intel does u-turn on Willamette and synchronous DRAM
theregister.co.uk
Sources close to Intel's plans have confirmed that the firm is readying a backup plan which will mean that its Willamette IA-32 processor, expected to debut the end of this year, will support synchronous memory as well as Rambus.
Later today, German magazine PC Welt is expected to publish more details of the chipset.
The secret chipset project is intended to guard against Intel being caught by a suspected shortage of Rambus RIMM memories, and will allow it to launch to its correct timescale and save some face at the currently beleaguered microprocessor firm.
But the project, something of a volte face for the firm, is likely to irritate Intel's partner Rambus, which managed to secure a promise from Dr Albert Yu at the firm's February Developer Forum and which suggested that Rambus and Willamette were inseparable bedmates.
Intel has always said that Willamette's elder brother, the server/workstation IA-32 chip known as Foster, will use double data rate (DDR) memory -- and that caused many to scratch their heads in disbelief that essentially similar chips would use a different, and much cheaper, type of memory than Rambus.
Willamette will also be supported by a Rambus chipset codenamed Garibaldi at launch time.
On the day that Yu demoed the Willamette microprocessor, expected to debut at 1.4GHz, his announcement caused Rambus share prices on Wall Street to soar.
Later this day, a German title, PC Welt, is expected to publish documents proving the existence of an SDRAM chipset for Willamette.
Intel refuses to comment on unannounced products. ©
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