Walton Chaintech has officially entered the memory module market with the release of its Apogee series. The first products include DDR400, DDR433, DDR466, DDR2-533, DDR2-667 and DDR2-800 devices. Chaintech promises to offer high-quality devices thanks to its partnership with IC testing and packaging specialist Walton Advanced Engineering.
Japanese Elpida has started sampling 512 Mb XDR DRAM devices. The 90-nm chips operating rate of 4 GHz allows data transfer at 8 GB/s. These devices are aimed at high-bandwidth applications like HDTV, gaming consoles and home entertainment server systems. The memory features technologies such as Differential Rambus Signal Level (DRSL) interface, Octal Data Rate (ODR), programmable on-chip termination, adaptive impedance matching, dynamic request scheduling and zero overhead refresh. Volume production will be initiated according to market demand.
OCZ has just released two low-latency 1 GHz DDR2 (PC2-8000) memory modules. Available on 512 MB and 1 GB versions, uses 5-5-5-15 timings, while PC2-8000 Platinum XTC Extreme Edition uses impressive 4-5-4-15 timings.
OCZ has just launched a new low latency DDR500/PC4000 2 GB DDR Dual Channel memory kit. Officially called OCZ EL DDR PC-4000 2x1024MB Dual Channel Platinum XTC, it comes with two 1 GB DDR500/PC4000 modules with 3-3-3 timings. With a 2.8 V voltage, this kit also has OCZ's EVP (Enhanced Voltage Protection), where you can change the module voltage up to 3.15 V without voiding the module warranty.
Memory manufacturer OCZ announced their new PC2-8000 Gold XTC DDR2 Series, which runs at 1 GHz and beyond. Sold in 1 GB or 2 GB pairs, this new series has a 5-6-6-15 latency, runs at 2.1 V, has lifetime warranty and OCZ's EVP (Enhanced Voltage Protection), which allows you to use a voltage between 2.09 V and 2.31 V without invalidating OCZ's lifetime warranty. It also uses gold layered XTC heatspreaders.
Corsair this week launched its ValueSelect 667 MHz DDR2 SO-DIMM modules aimed at Core Duo and Solo notebooks. The 200-pin parts, offered in 512 MB and 1 GB capacities, run at 1.8 volt. The company claims that the modules are immediately available. Other makers, like Crucial and Kingston, are already shipping DDR2-667 SO-DIMM products.
Samsung has developed what it claims to be the fastest MultiMediaCard Micro (MMCmicro) to date. The 1 GB device, designed for mobile phones, digital cameras and audio players, writes at up to 7.12 MB/s and reads at 7.38 MB/s. According to Samsung, it operates at 3.3 or 1.8 volts, with the latter version consuming 82% less power than other micro-sized cards. The 12x14x1.1-mm MMCmicro will only be available in the third quarter.
Toshiba and NEC this week announced improvements in magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) that will allow it to reach writing and reading speeds of 200 MB/s. The companies claim to have solved a problem involving a drive circuit that degraded read operation from memory cells. The new MRAM also runs at a low voltage of 1.8 v. However, the chip is still limited to a density of 16 Mb, even though it is smaller than previous prototypes.
Sony has introduced yet another memory card format, the Memory Stick Micro (M2), this time aimed specifically at mobile phones. According to the company, the M2 is one-quarter the volume of the Memory Stick PRO Duo, but only 1.2 mm thick. It supports dual-voltage (1.8 and 3.3 volts) and can be used in PRO slots with an adaptor. The cards will be available in March (256 MB and 512 MB) and May (1 GB).
