Micron unveils DDR2-1066 RAM

dafloppyone · 4 May 2007 at 05:35

Currently, only high-end memory vendors like Corsair, Kingston, or OCZ have introduced DDR2 memory clocked at 1066MHz. However, Micron, a memory chip manufacturer, has now announced a 1Gb (128MB) DDR2 memory chip capable of running at 1066MHz with a JEDEC-standard voltage of 1.8V. The chip is based on Micron's 78nm 6F² process technology, and it will allow for modules that have capacities of 512MB, 1GB, and 2GB. This press release says AMD, VIA, and SiS will all support DDR2-1066 memory in their upcoming chipsets.

So, while Intel plans to adopt DDR3 memory with its upcoming high-end Bearlake chipsets, AMD is counting on faster DDR2 memory for the time being. Considering the higher latencies and high prices that may plague DDR3 memory following its introduction, that may not be a bad strategy. Micron says samples of its 1Gb DDR2-1066 chip are already available for "select customers" and that mass production is expected to follow in the third quarter of 2007.

Cob · 4 May 2007 at 13:12

1066mhz at 1.8v is pretty cool.

No mention of the timings tho.

Oddw1re · 4 May 2007 at 21:30

hpoe they dont cost loads

IdleWild · 5 May 2007 at 20:30

They're CAS Latency 7 for the new micron 1066 chips.

I remember the good old days of CL 2, you had poor memory if it was CL3!

Nowadays it just seems to be, reduce response times to improve throughput.

The $6m Dan · 5 May 2007 at 22:44

Yes but the latest DDR2 chips have CAS latency 4 at 400MHz which takes the same amount of time as CAS 2 at 200MHz.
I could be wrong with this equivalence thing but it makes sense to me.

The early DDR3 chips are poor as you say, but I'm sure they'll improve over time.
For now though DDR2 is probably better for most applications.

Impy77 · 5 May 2007 at 23:28

Its just history repeating though isnt it?

Same thing happened with DDR and DDR2, AMD stuck with DDR on its 939 platform while Intel went straight for DDR2. At the start DDR was outpeforming DDR2...... DDR2 improved and then AMD went for it with there AM2 platform. Eventually DDR2 performance overtook DDR by a long margin

Same will happen exactly again. DDR2 will remain faster for a while, the DDR3 production will improve over time and we will see lower latencys and higher BUS speed, and history will repeat itself.........

Impy

WJA96 · 6 May 2007 at 09:27

One competitor is carrying 1.8V CAS5 PC8500 RAM for £48/1Gb stick and Crucial PC8000 Ballistix is widely available for £100 for 2Gb of CAS5, although that is only 1000MHz, not 1066MHz and it needs 2.2V.

IdleWild · 6 May 2007 at 11:24

I think micron are first to market with 1.8v at PC8500, previously the official DDR2 highest speed was considered PC6400 since manufacturers producing parts faster than that are using non JEDEC compliant voltages.

That's why this is such big news.

WJA96 · 6 May 2007 at 12:23

I bought some Micron D9 PC8500 from a competitor branded as "Generic" it runs 1.8V Cas5-5-5-18 at 1066MHz and it doesn't even have any heat spreaders on it.

Under £100 for 2 sticks.

Marty Lewis · 6 May 2007 at 17:13

I currently run OCZ 2GB (2 x 1GB) PC2-8500 1066MHz SLI-Ready Edition @ 1.9 volts on my EVGA 680i AR board ok, .1 volts higher but not much.