A question about DDR2/DDR3.

[Furen]

I suppose I should have asked this in the memory forum but I'm more interested in the implications this would have on CPU technology, more than the memory tech itself.

I read somewhere (I don't remember where, by the way) that DDR3 was made to be pin-compatible with DDR2, meaning that you'd be able to plug DDR3 into DDR2 sockets, does any know if this is true? Now that I think about it, it might have been in AMD's complaint about Intel's "tactics"--if I remember properly AMD claims that Intel tried to use its position to force JEDEC to make DDR3 pin-incompatible, since pin-compatible DDR3 would take the biggest drawback out of AMD's integrated memory controller, but failed.

My question is as follows: Does anyone know if DDR3 will actually be fully compatible with DDR2? If so then I suppose the people who keep asking for a new "socket A" (logetivity-wise) may get their wish.

 

[biostud]

I don't know, but I doubt they will be pin compatible, but on the other hand that might be the reason for AMD not to skip DDR-2 altogether. On the other hand I would think that the memory controller would need to be changed to be able to run DDR-3

 

[Furen]

Of course. I meant backward compatibility not forward compatibility, meaning that DDR3 enabled A64s COULD work on the same motherboards and use DDR2 thus allowing us to upgrade a CPU without upgrading the motherboard or RAM (or at least keep the same motherboard).