Intel takes a liking to Rambus DRAM for
network processors
By Jack Robertson, EBN
Nov 2, 2001 (1:16 PM)
URL: ebnews.com
DDR is losing ground in the network processor race because it doesn't offer the device bandwidth or lower pin count that networking OEMs need, Gwennap said. Sources said Intel will use the new 4i four-bank RDRAM chip, potentially a much cheaper version than the traditional 32-bank Rambus memory. Duggan declined to comment on the 4i chip
At the very time Intel Corp. is readying support for double-data-rate SDRAM for its PC processors, the company has bypassed SDRAM in favor of Direct Rambus DRAM for its next-generation network processor.
Though DDR and RDRAM will compete for sockets in Intel's mainstream PC platform, the Rambus architecture is proving particularly suited for the network processor the company plans to unveil in the first half of 2002.
Intel considered both DDR and RDRAM for the new network chip, said Bill Duggan, marketing manager for network processors at the Santa Clara, Calif., company. “We selected Rambus because we believe it offers the highest performance with the narrow bandwidth that network processors need,” he said.
Intel hasn't given up entirely on DDR, which may be used in select networking applications, Duggan said. Intel uses SDRAM with its existing IXP1200 NPU.
Intel's choice gives Direct Rambus a major victory in the highly competitive battle for network processor design wins against Fast Cycle RAM (FCRAM), Reduced Latency DRAM, and DDR.
Rambus Inc., Mountain View, Calif., expects to follow up the Intel win with more victories, said Frank Fox, vice president and general manager of the RDRAM standards division. RDRAM can scale up with a just-introduced Yellowstone technology that will offer speeds of up to 6.4Gbits/s a pin when it becomes available in a few years, Fox said.
Analyst Linley Gwennap of the Linley Group, Mountain View, described the network processor market as a wide-open horse race. FCRAM has scored wins with Agere, Cisco, and Internet Machines, he said. Rambus has Intel, SwitchCore, and Vitesse in its camp.
DDR is losing ground in the network processor race because it doesn't offer the device bandwidth or lower pin count that networking OEMs need, Gwennap said. Sources said Intel will use the new 4i four-bank RDRAM chip, potentially a much cheaper version than the traditional 32-bank Rambus memory. Duggan declined to comment on the 4i chip.
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has unveiled a 4i RDRAM and executives said the part can enter production as soon as orders come in. |
