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To: Don Green who wrote (66879)	3/1/2001 11:27:46 PM
From: Don Green	Respond to of 93625

Intel Offers Standards for Low-Priced Personal Computers March 2, 2001 (SAN JOSE, Calif.) -- Since the first Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in the fall of 1997, a hot topic that computer industry experts like to discuss is that of next-generation memory devices for PC main memory. The Eighth IDF, which ended March 1, was no exception, as extensive discussions centered on that topic. At the first IDF in 1997, Intel Corp. had planned an Intel-led roadmap for deploying Direct Rambus DRAMs for almost all the main memories for PCs, except for low-priced notebook PCs. After that, several revisions have been made, and this time, Intel changed its principle. "As for main memories, the Direct Rambus DRAMs will still be the mainstay, but from now on, Intel will adopt other memory devices as well," Intel announced. Now the question is this: will Direct Rambus DRAMs be widely used as memory elements for PCs? Intel is now preparing the chipset of "Intel 850" for the Pentium 4, which aims for only using the Direct Rambus DRAM as its main memory. Intel plans to launch the chipset code-named "Brookdale" between September and December 2001, to support the existing "PC133 SDRAM" standard. Also, it has a plan to launch another chipset to match the DDR (double data rate) SDRAM, in the first half of 2001. Intel's concept of main memory construction for its Pentium 4 is as follows: (1) Direct Rambus DRAM is most suitable for the system, (2) PC133 SDRAM is suitable for low-priced systems, and (3) DDR SDRAM is another choice for memory devices realizing the balanced characteristics of a PC's performance and price. Why is Intel suggesting the PC133 SDRAM as most suitable for low-priced systems? The reason is that current Direct Rambus DRAM production costs are higher than those of SDRAM because its die-size is larger than that of SDRAM with the same bit capacity. As the Direct Rambus DRAM contains a cache circuit with 16 independent banks in order to exploit the high-speed cache operations, its die-size is 25 percent larger than the SDRAM, which has only a few independent banks. Intel anticipates a third of the Pentium 4 systems will be equipped with PC133 SDRAMs when the "Brookdale" chipset is launched. Meanwhile, memory makers have plans to raise the Direct Rambus DRAM production capacity sharply in accordance with the popularity of Pentium 4 systems. Hidemori Inukai, vice president of the technical marketing division of Elpida Memory Inc., said at the "Memory Roadmap Update and Industry Status" session of the IDF, that the overhead ratio of the Direct Rambus DRAM die-size will be lowered. He said this would result from: (1) high-density and large-capacity construction of the memory device by means of fine processing technologies, (2) improvement of productivity through installing the 300mm wafer process and mass production, and (3) producing the new standard Direct Rambus DRAMs, composed of four independent banks (4i). The current Direct Rambus DRAMs' overhead ratio of 25 percent compared with SDRAMs, will be lowered to 8 percent in the case of 256Mb products produced in 2002, and only 3 percent to 4 percent in the case of 512Mb products in 2003. The new standard Direct Rambus DRAMs composed of four independent banks (4i), which contribute largely to reducing the production cost, will be launched in 2002. Meanwhile, Intel will start volume production of the Brookdale chipset in conformity with PC133 SDRAMs, which will occur a half year earlier than the launch of the 4i Direct Rambus DRAMs. Elpida Memory anticipates the ratio of SDRAMs to all the DRAMs being used for Pentium 4 will be 50 percent by the fourth quarter of 2001 (the October-December quarter), before the 4i Direct Rambus DRAMs will be launched, and the ratio of the Direct Rambus DRAMs will be less than 30 percent. As for the main memories for low-priced Pentium 4 systems, uncertain factors remain over which will be used mainly for those systems: the preceding PC133 SDRAMs or the 4i version of Direct Rambus DRAMs. The specifications of both systems with the Brookdale chipset and with the 4i Direct Rambus DRAMs are likely to have a significant influence on market trends. Related link: IDF's page (Shinichi Jimbo, Deputy Editor, BizTech News Dept.)