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== {{Anchor|IMC}}History ==
Older Intel and [[PowerPC]]-based computers have memory controller chips that are separate from the main processor. Often these are integrated into the [[Northbridge (computing)|northbridge]] of the computer.
Most modern desktop or workstation microprocessors use an ''integrated memory controller'' (IMC), including microprocessors from [[Intel]], [[AMD]], and those built around the [[ARM architecture]].
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Other examples of microprocessor architectures that use ''integrated memory controllers'' include [[NVIDIA]]'s [[Fermi (microarchitecture)|Fermi]], [[IBM]]'s [[POWER5]], and [[Sun Microsystems]]'s [[UltraSPARC T1]].
While an integrated memory controller has the potential to increase the system's performance, such as by reducing [[memory latency]], it locks the microprocessor to a specific type (or types) of memory, forcing a redesign in order to support newer memory technologies. When [[DDR2 SDRAM]] was introduced, AMD released new Athlon 64 CPUs. These new models, with a DDR2 controller, use a different physical socket (known as [[Socket AM2]]), so that they will only fit in motherboards designed for the new type of RAM. When the memory controller is not on-die, the same CPU may be installed on a new motherboard, with an updated
Some microprocessors in the 1990s, such as the DEC [[Alpha 21066]] and HP [[PA-7300LC]], had integrated memory controllers; however, rather than for performance gains, this was implemented to reduce the cost of systems by eliminating the need for an external memory controller.
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