DDR3 SO-DIMM train arrives

QIMONDA, in cohoots with best bud Nanya, has finally begun sampling DDR3 SO-DIMMs, in 1GB and 2GB samples. Originally planned for the second quarter of 2007, this technology is now seeing the light of day. We believe this has a lot to do with Intel and AMD’s own plans for the mobile platforms.

Qimonda’s new DDR3 SO-DIMMs are rated from PC3-6400 all the way up to PC3-10600 – they actually have the G-binned modules running at 8-8-8 latency. DDR3 brings a bit more than bandwidth to the game – it’s less power hungry than DDR2 – eating up just 1.5V, so it’s expected to provide more performance with greater battery life.

The Qimonda modules are built on its 75-nanometer process and make use of Dynamic ODT (On-Die Termination), enabling high speed dual-channel memory.

Things have been moving quite fast on the desktop platform, and for a while there, we even forgot there was a difference between laptops and desktops. Ultimately, the overwhelming success of the mobile Intel platforms has been the downfall of innovation in that area.

Intel’s Montevina is expected to launch soon, bringing DDR3 support to the whirling world of laptops. Maybe this is a sign that things are going to pick up. µ