Micron samples DDR 2 mobile DIMMs

Micron has begun sampling mobile-oriented DDR 2 memory modules, and has shipped them to Intel for testing.

The chip giant, meanwhile, has sent back to Micron 110nm 256Mb DDR 2 SDRAM chips, which it has given the thumbs up for 400MHz and 533MHz operation.

The DDR 2 SO-DIMMs are filled with 128MB and 256MB of memory, and paves the way for the adoption of the technology in mobile devices, primarily notebooks. Intel's next major Centrino revision, codenamed 'Sonoma', includes the 'Alviso' chipset, which supports DDR 2 SDRAM, the company revealed last month.

Alviso also integrates Serial ATA and Gigabit Ethernet into the Centrino platform, along with a 7.1 sound system, dubbed 'Azalia'. Sonoma is due to be launched in the second half of 2004.

DDR 2 will appear in servers and desktops first, however, starting in Q1 2004. Hence Intel's validation of Micron's 110nm 400MHz and 533MHz DDR 2 256Mb parts. According to Micron, the former is destined for server usage, the latter for high-performance desktops.

Last month, Intel said it will invest $450 million in Micron to help the memory maker boost its DDR 2 output. Intel has put money into other memory companies, such as Elpida, in a bid to drive the production of DDR 2, which it has chosen as a key memory technology for 2004 and beyond. ®

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