Micron delivers 4GB registered DDR module to Intel

CLAIMING AN INDUSTRY FIRST is not so unusual these days and you need to read the small print. Micron has done pretty well for itself in that it has managed to deliver a 4GB registered PC2100 DDR DIMM. The two words to watch are deliver and registered.

A good while back we wrote a story about Samsung claiming to be the first to release a 4GB DDR DIMM. A few days later, Micron claimed to be the first to demonstrate a 4GB DDR DIMM. Notice the word 'demonstrate'. Now, you might think this was just a weasel word on the part of Micron. Far from it. There is a big difference between releasing something and being able to demonstrate it.

The other word to watch out for, registered, means that this is memory for serious systems. Registered memory has a sort of cache on the DIMM to ensure that data transfers are absolutely reliable. It tends to be much more expensive than an ordinary DIMM. At 4GB, you're probably not expecting it to be cheap anyway.

The fact that Micron has delivered a 4GB DIMM is quite something. The fact that it's registered memory means that it's actually useful. The DIMMs are based on 1Gbit memory chips produced on a 0.11µ process. The chips are packaged in JEDEC standard TSOP packaging.

For all the press releases that fly around, Micron is the only company we know which has actually delivered a 4GB DDR module to anyone. µ