Micron said has been shipping those modules in sizes up to 4GB to chipmaker Intel and several PC makers, they added.

The DDR2 memory standard is a higher-performance, less-power-hungry successor to double data rate, synchronous dynamic RAM (DDR SDRAM), created by the JEDEC consortium. It can transfer more data per second than DDR, according to Micron, which promises better overall performance for computers with high-speed processors.

Micron's move, which follows Samsung's announcement that it began making DDR2 in March, is part of a PC industry shift toward using the new memory technology in desktops, notebooks and servers. The improved performance it offers is expected to appeal to both computer makers and consumers.

PC makers, which currently incorporate DDR memory in their products, are expected to begin the transition to DDR2 in the first half of 2004. Intel is expected to speed that switch by adding DDR2 technology to several new chipsets (bundles of chips that support its processors) over the course of the year.

By offering DDR2 modules now, Micron feels it's getting a jump on the market, said Mike Sadler, vice present of worldwide sales for the chipmaker, which is based in Nampa, Idaho.

Because Intel is backing DDR2, the memory technology is expected to be rapidly adopted and widely offered by PC makers--even if it's only in their high-end computers at first. More backing is likely to come from chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices, which is expected to pick up on DDR2 next year, as are a number of brand-name memory manufacturers and chipset makers.

By: DocMemory
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