RDRAM/ SDRAM

[TechJumper]

What is it?
How does it work?
Who needs it?
How much does it cost?

[CMonster]

http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/R/RDRAM.html

[Szech]

RDRAM is used exclusively by the Intel 820 / 40 chipsets. It's more expensive than SDRAM, does not perform any better, and should be avoided at all costs. SDRAM is used by the majority of the chipsets including, but not limited to: 440BX/LX/ZX, Apollo Pro 133 / 133A, Irongate, and KT133. It's cheaper, and performs just as well, if not better than RDRAM.

[CMonster]

...fron the above (somewhat outdated) link Short for Rambus DRAM, a type of memory (DRAM) developed by Rambus, Inc. Whereas
the fastest current memory technologies used by PCs (SDRAM) can deliver data at a
maximum speed of about 100 MHz, RDRAM transfers data at up to 600 MHz.

In 1997, Intel announced that it would license the Rambus technology for use on its future
motherboards, thus making it the likely de facto standard for memory architectures. However,
a consortium of computer vendors is working on an alternative memory architecture called
SyncLink DRAM (SLDRAM).

RDRAM is already being used in place of VRAM in some graphics accelerator boards, but it is
not expected to be used for the main memory of PCs until 1998 or 1999. Intel and Rambus are
also working a new version of RDRAM, called nDRAM, that will support data transfer speeds
at up to 1,600 MHz.

What everyone balks at is the expense - the design may well be superior to SDRAM... but then the rotorary engine was a good idea too...

[Warthog]

Here are some other threads:
http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/006872.html
http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/007961.html

Warthog