Elpida put XDR on EOL, is Sony abandoning XDR?

[Crossbar]

Why switch to GDDR5 though ? If they make the switch it'll be to DDR3. But Sony probably have all the XDR they'll need till the end of PS3 life by now.

DDR3 components do not offer the required bandwidth. Even if the the bps speed is high enough, the data path of the DDR3 components is just 8 bits wide.

 

[Crossbar]

Sorry, yeah. It was N64 that used RDRAM. These consoles using non-standard RAMs have always managed to find a supplier, so I dare say this isn't anything that'll impact PS3. At worst it'll impact Sony's profitabilty if they are fixed into one supplier keeping prices high.

Could be. I think we will soon find out, I believe the next die shrink of Cell is just 6-8 months away (in commercial units). We will know by then.

 

[Vitaly Vidmirov]

IBM already made a version of Cell that used DDR2 so it´s not like Cell is designed around XDR.

IBM's CELL has different memory controller and four DDR2 memory channels to catch up the XDR. And it is still unreachable even for latest Sandy Bridges.
Unlike Rambus-the-evil-patent-troll company itself, their memory is pretty good.
AMD 7900s rumored to have XDR2 memory

 

[Arwin]

Wouldn't XDR2 all by itself be enough reason for XDR's EOL?

 

[Elan Tedronai]

Sony will have to use xdr next gen if they want to use the cell and also maintain backwards compatibility with ps3 games.

going with gddr5 is a backwards step. It will be a big mistake for sony

 

[Crossbar]

Wouldn't XDR2 all by itself be enough reason for XDR's EOL?

I don´t think one single XDR2 memory module has ever been manufactured for commercial use. It is still very much a lab product as far as I know.

The XDR2 technology is superior to GDDR5 in many ways, but all the work-arounds that GDDR5 uses (like built-in CRC-protection, auto-calibration etc.) sure makes it a very competetive product offering comparable bandwidth at decent power levels. Especially if you consider that multiple vendors are offering GDDR5 as a standard component.

 

[Rangers]

Sony will have to use xdr next gen if they want to use the cell and also maintain backwards compatibility with ps3 games.

Both doubftul imo.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I don´t think one single XDR2 memory module has ever been manufactured for commercial use. It is still very much a lab product as far as I know.

I think Arwin's suggesting that XDR can be dropped and a switch made to XDR2 for PS3 and PS4/AMD. Or at least, if XDR2 is directly compatible with XDR, a switch from manufacturers makes sense as an upgrade to a more relevant technology.

 

[Beef Stallmer]

http://www.nordichardware.com/news/...-new-architecture-and-xdr2-rambus-memory.html

maybe xbox3 will use xdr if it uses ati again?

 

[AlphaWolf]

considering people have been slamming the leaked roadmaps as fake, basing anything on them is probably in question.

 

[Crossbar]

considering people have been slamming the leaked roadmaps as fake, basing anything on them is probably in question.

The memory interface numbers concerning the cards using XDR2 are flawed, so it may very well be made up altogether.

If they were seriously considering XDR2 one would expect there was some memory maker offering engineering samples and if that would be the case I bet Rambus would make a press release about it. Maybe there will be a stealth launch of XDR2, I am not holding my breath, but I would like to be surprised.

 

[Beef Stallmer]

The memory interface numbers concerning the cards using XDR2 are flawed, so it may very well be made up altogether.

If they were seriously considering XDR2 one would expect there was some memory maker offering engineering samples and if that would be the case I bet Rambus would make a press release about it. Maybe there will be a stealth launch of XDR2, I am not holding my breath, but I would like to be surprised.

Come to think of it, I remember Rambus sending out engineering samples with the first XDR, and also making press releases about it. I cannot find the links however.. Is there anyone who can? I am really interested in to when they made the announcements

 

[Arwin]

I think Arwin's suggesting that XDR can be dropped and a switch made to XDR2 for PS3 and PS4/AMD. Or at least, if XDR2 is directly compatible with XDR, a switch from manufacturers makes sense as an upgrade to a more relevant technology.

I don't know that the PS3 would get XDR2, but it is the only one for which to keep some production of XDR alive, everything else should benefit from XDR2 ...

Scheduling something on EOL means that its replacement is on the horizon, not necessarily already there.

 

[Crossbar]

Scheduling something on EOL means that its replacement is on the horizon, not necessarily already there.

You are right, there is no reason to jump to any conclusions of what it may be. We will eventually see how it pans out.