The conflict between Intel and AMD in the processor market looks set to expand onto a new front. Not long ago it was just a matter of the Pentium against the Athlon, but now competing memory technologies backed by the two companies are also at odds.
Intel has for some time extolled the virtues of RDRAM memory from Rambus. Despite numerous production problems, Intel still sees the technology as an ideal solution to bottlenecks in system speed caused by the slower SDRAM. AMD, meanwhile, has thrown its weight behind Double Data Rate (DDR) memory technology, a derivative of current SDRAM. Twice as fast as its predecessor, DDR has recently been paired with the Athlon in Compaq's Presario 7000z system. AMD has also placed a trademark on the phrase 'Powered by DDR memory'.
Both firms have said they will support other memory types if the market so dictates, but with the lines now drawn, it seems unlikely that either company can switch over to its rival's chosen standard without an embarrassing climb-down.
Intel's belief in RDRAM has been so strong over the years that it initially declined to support a faster version of standard SDRAM, named PC133, when sufficiently fast memory components became available.
Before too long, it became apparent that RDRAM was not going to command the widespread industry support that Intel needed. The cost to the customer was high due to a complex manufacturing process and royalty payments to its designer, Rambus. This meant that RDRAM failed to move beyond high-end systems. With problems also widely reported over supporting chipsets, such as the 820 'Camino', Intel eventually gave in to the pressure to support PC133.
Despite having several years to solve these problems, Rambus is still considered too expensive for most systems. Prices are coming down as Intel invests heavily in companies such as Samsung to raise production volumes, but DDR's similarity to SDRAM should allow it to be manufactured on favourable price terms.
Perhaps it is no surprise that AMD was the first major processor vendor to offer a chipset using DDR. The company's ethos revolves around value-for-money products, and DDR would seem to fit this bill perfectly. DDR is eventually expected to fall in price to match SDRAM.
However, with SDRAM prices currently falling, it could be some time before either technology can truly make a challenge at the lower end of the PC market.
Clive Longbottom, service director at analyst firm Quocirca, said the release of DDR systems left him a bit cold. 'Improvements in functionality won't really be noticed in the corporate space. SDRAM prices are so low there seems little sense in paying a premium for DDR or Rambus at the moment.'
Whether the memory battle will produce a long-term winner or an uneasy equilibrium remains to be seen. Intel's strategy, as the dominant processor manufacturer, will play a key part, and this would seem to give RDRAM a distinct advantage. But having learned its lessons over PC133, Intel may well give DDR much more attention than many observers expect. Indeed, the firm has already said that a Pentium 4 chipset supporting DDR is planned.
AMD is also becoming a more significant part of the equation and could succeed in pushing into the corporate sector. With additional support from companies such as Via, DDR could make significant inroads into the memory market.
