Did JEDEC approve DDR2-1066?

[lopri]

I thought I've heard by earshot (actually eyeshot, I guess) that JEDEC recently approved DDR2-1066 / CL5 / 1.8V (1.9V?) as officially supported DDR2 speed. Previously the standard topped at DDR2-800 / CL5 / 1.8V. Did this indeed happen? Does anyone have a link to the news or white paper?

Also, if it's indeed approved, is there any memory ICs or modules that are also approved to work at 1066MHz speed at 1.8V?

 

[Idontcare]

Straight from the horse's mouth:
JEDEC STANDARD SPECIALITY DDR2-1066 SDRAM

 

[Yellowbeard]

Originally posted by: lopri
Also, if it's indeed approved, is there any memory ICs or modules that are also approved to work at 1066MHz speed at 1.8V?

I don't know of any and I wonder and doubt if there ever will be any made. The focus for new fabs is for DDR3. I can't see an IC maker focusing R&D money on a dated technology. The market is already saturated with existing DDR2 screened for this speed ( but not necessarily at 1.8v ) and you can buy it all day long.

 

[nefariouscaine]

Originally posted by: Yellowbeard

Originally posted by: lopri
Also, if it's indeed approved, is there any memory ICs or modules that are also approved to work at 1066MHz speed at 1.8V?

I don't know of any and I wonder and doubt if there ever will be any made. The focus for new fabs is for DDR3. I can't see an IC maker focusing R&D money on a dated technology. The market is already saturated with existing DDR2 screened for this speed ( but not necessarily at 1.8v ) and you can buy it all day long.

I know I'd seen some stuff that uses 1.8v 1066 standard but it might not be using the JEDEC standard

http://www.amazon.com/XTune-2G...&qid=1201795346&sr=1-1

there are a few reviews out for it and they don't really clock higher but they do run at 1.8v which is a huge plus

 

[Yellowbeard]

I know the memory is out there but, part of the question was about ICs actually manufactured to the new JEDEC spec. Most likely, we'll never see an IC actually made at faster than DDR2 800/1.8v on its official spex from the maker. I realize that is a technicality but I thought that is what the OP was asking.

 

[nefariouscaine]

Originally posted by: Yellowbeard
I know the memory is out there but, part of the question was about ICs actually manufactured to the new JEDEC spec. Most likely, we'll never see an IC actually made at faster than DDR2 800/1.8v on its official spex from the maker. I realize that is a technicality but I thought that is what the OP was asking.

I could be wrong but IIRC there has been a fairly major clouding as to what JEDEC spec'd memory / IC are.

There are many IC's that are sold at 400 mhz and 333mhz parts - that are rated for CAS5 or CAS6 - many of these IC's get binned by the purchaser of them (ie the memory DIMM producer) and then sold as JEDEC spec'd memory. IMO there are many JEDEC spec'd DDR2-800 sticks out there with IC's originally rated for 333 or 400 CAS 6 but pass binning at DDR2-800 1.8v.

It might be hard to prove my argument but are we in solely talking about IC's or DIMM's also?

 

[Yellowbeard]

It might be hard to prove my argument but are we in solely talking about IC's or DIMM's also?

Also, if it's indeed approved, is there any memory ICs or modules that are also approved to work at 1066MHz speed at 1.8V?

Ask Lopri about that one.

As far as IC binning, yes we see modules binned and rated higher than the original spec on the IC. D9GMH is a 333mhz IC and GKX is a 400mhz IC. However, you see parts every day rated much higher than PC6400 using both of these ICs. However, as far as the actual IC and the JEDEC spec, they are still 333mhz and 400mhz respectively. PC6400 (or faster) modules will boot at JEDEC spec timings and voltages even though the memory makers ratings may not comply.

 

[lopri]

Originally posted by: Idontcare
Straight from the horse's mouth:
JEDEC STANDARD SPECIALITY DDR2-1066 SDRAM

Thank you. That's what I was looking for.

Originally posted by: Yellowbeard
As far as IC binning, yes we see modules binned and rated higher than the original spec on the IC. D9GMH is a 333mhz IC and GKX is a 400mhz IC. However, you see parts every day rated much higher than PC6400 using both of these ICs. However, as far as the actual IC and the JEDEC spec, they are still 333mhz and 400mhz respectively. PC6400 (or faster) modules will boot at JEDEC spec timings and voltages even though the memory makers ratings may not comply.

Yes, that was what I was asking. Whether IC/modules produced by JEDEC specs exist. We know there are DDR2-800/CL4 or DDR2-1066/CL5 (I think I've even seen DDR2-1200/CL5) but they are all technically 'overclocked' items. I was asking about DDR2-1066 / CL5 / 1.8~1.9V parts, not 2.2~2.4V parts.

I do not know much about where the industry is heading, but DDR3 has been quite lacking to date. High price is obviously the biggest hindrance, but the lack of 2GB modules is also problematic, IMO. Most 'power users' today would think at least 4GB for their builds, and 1GB sticks are at several disadvantages.

I don't know if this would make any sense at all, but instead of playing one-up' manship with high frequencies, if memory vendors come out with 2GB sticks - that would entice more users to DDR3, maybe? Just a thought.

 

[lopri]

Is there any ICs at all in production that meets the new standard? That Aeneon (which is Infineon) sticks look interesting. I couldn't find information about its default voltages, though.

 

[nefariouscaine]

http://www.aeneon.com/download...760UD00-19D_rev103.pdf

thats the data sheet on them - those sticks are supposed to be rated for CAS 5 at 1066 at 1.8v and CAS 4 at 800 at 1.8v

 

[Idontcare]

Not posting to quibble Lopri, but I am curious whether you are more specifically interested in determining if 1.8V DDR2-1066 sticks exist or are you more specifically interested in whether DDR2-1066 sticks are available which are JEDEC spec certified?

Both are good questions, but you seem only interested in whether something is JEDEC approved insofar as whether it is certified to operate at rated speeds at 1.8V. (a worthy question, but nonetheless not at all what I thought the thread was about)

For what its worth the "built to JEDEC spec" notion applies to the extent that the spec requires memory hiearchy to be obeyed (rows, columns, layout, etc) but no one in the fab actually makes a product to a JEDEC spec in the sense of what you are probably thinking. They start a bunch of wafers, do their best to process every chip the same on each wafer, and the speedbin out the parts at the end of the line.

Whether a DDR2-1066 chip came from a wafer that also contained DDR2-800 and DDR2-667 chips is irrelevant insofar as labeling that DDR-1066 chip as being "JEDEC spec". The specific thermal/voltage/timing profile of the chip merely needs to meet the specs requirements and it can be said to be "built to spec".

Meh, I'm probably still not shedding any light on the topic but I'll leave my post perchance someone finds value in reading this perspective. (Texas Instruments used to make RAM until they sold the business division to Micron in 98-99).

 

[lopri]

Oh I asked whether JEDEC approved DDR2-1066 officially because if so (and the ICs are being mass-produced), that means we're soon to see higher-binned DDR2 sticks for lower prices. As you might notice, DDR2-800 sticks are dirt chip currently and there are so many choices in the market. But once you start looking 1066MHz and above, there still is price premium. JEDEC's move might actually bring DDR2-1066 down to where DDR2-800 stands today, and we'll see DDR2-1200, DDR2-1400, (heck god knows DDR2-1600?) parts as enthusiast parts.

But apparently that is not the case according to YellowBeard's response in this thread. I hope they bring 2GB DDR3 sticks quickly, then.

 

[Yellowbeard]

I could always be wrong but, I don't expect there to be much more development of DDR2 ICs in general. But, there are already several of 2gb DDR3 modules/4gb kits out there. Ours is a DDR1600 aka PC12800 kit of 2 x 2gb.