To: Knighty Tin who wrote (62004 ) 6/10/1999 8:13:00 PM From: Robert Read Replies (2) | Respond to
MB and the thread -- "Die size remains a concern, suppliers conceded, but all of them maintained that neither the 10-to-25-percent die-size penalty nor a higher price tag should hamper the acceptance of RDRAM for high-performance PCs." "The panel, organized at the Warburg Dillon Read technology conference, included Rambus Inc. chief executive Geoff Tate along with representatives from DRAM suppliers and test and assembly executives." "Die size is being sacrificed as manufacturers concentrate on keeping yields high, said Avo Kanadjian, senior vice president of memory marketing for Samsung." "Rambus' price premium over SDRAM was not seen as a barrier by panelists, who believe that PC OEMs will pay extra for the added performance." "Rambus remains more expensive than SDRAMs, but panelists refused to classify the two as competitors, saying they aim for different uses . . . Panelists' belief was that rather than compete with Rambus, the PC133 architecture will be relegated to the bottom of the sub-$1,000 PC zone" "Memories account for 5 to 7 percent of a PC's cost these days, Kanadjian said, and panelists believe PC OEMs are willing to see that inch up to near 10 percent for Rambus." "Tate of Rambus said his goal, admittedly "aggressive," was to have RDRAM match SDRAM for testability, packaging and PC-board cost by the end of 2000 . . . Tate said that money from high-end PCs — which he said account for 20 percent of the PC market — should suffice to fund engineering improvements to drive down costs, which in turn would help Rambus find eventual acceptance in mainstream PCs."
