Micron Demonstrates Industry's First 4 Gigabyte FBDIMM

August 23, 2005

Micron Technology, Inc extended its leadership in fully buffered dual in-line memory module (FBDIMM) solutions as the first supplier to demonstrate 4 gigabyte (GB) density FBDIMMs. These FBDIMMs, using 1 gigabit (Gb) DDR2-533 components, allow server platforms to realize the maximum available capacities of system memory for outstanding performance and reliability. Micron remains the industry’s top FBDIMM memory supplier with a complete line of modules with densities from 256MB to 4GB and speed grades extending to PC2-5300.

“Micron has set the pace for the DDR2 memory market with numerous industry firsts, and previously demonstrated the industry’s first PC2-5300 FBDIMMs at Spring IDF 2005. Now with its 4GB FBDIMMs, the Company is again uniquely qualified to sharply raise server performance to unprecedented levels with its high-density DDR2-533 component-based FBDIMMs,” said Terry Lee, Executive Director of Advanced Technology and Strategic Marketing for Micron’s System Memory Group. “We are extremely pleased that Micron’s DDR2 memory and FBDIMM technology solutions are being enthusiastically supported by Intel at this Intel Developer Forum 2005.”

“High-density FBDIMMs are essential to increasing memory capacity and performance in volume server platforms beginning in 2006,” said Jim Pappas, Director of Technology Initiatives, Server Platforms Group, Intel Corporation. “With continued innovation and support from companies such as Micron, Intel-based volume server platforms will realize the tremendous benefits of this new, high-performance memory technology.”

“FBDIMM and DDR2-533/DDR2-667 are the key technology combinations for high-density, high-performance memory required in next-generation, bandwidth-intensive server applications,” added Lee.

“These products should begin to appear in production systems in the first half of 2006, and Micron will be ready with a full array of FBDIMM products for server, workstation, and other market segment applications.”

Micron Aligns with Ecosystem Partners to Enable 4GB FBDIMM Technology
A key attribute of the FBDIMM channel architecture is the high-speed, serial, point-to-point connection between the memory controller and modules on the channel. To address this attribute, companies such as IDT™ (Integrated Device Technology, Inc.) and Intel® Corporation are developing advanced memory buffer (AMB) devices to interface between the high-speed, serial interface and industry standard DDR2 SDRAM. Micron® 4GB FBDIMMs incorporate AMB devices, which are primarily responsible for collecting and distributing data from or to the FBDIMM, buffering the data internally on the chip and receiving or forwarding it to the next FBDIMM or memory controller.

“We’ve been working closely with Intel and IDT on this new technology,” says Lee. “These relationships will enable Micron to make available an unparalleled amount of memory for servers.”