Memory controller: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:54, 30 October 2023

Revision as of 19:42, 1 November 2023

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Prior to [[AMD K8|K8]] (circa 2003), [[Advanced Micro Devices|AMD]] microprocessors had a memory controller implemented on their motherboard's [[Northbridge_(computing)|northbridge]]. In K8 and later, AMD employed an integrated memory controller.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chip-architect.com/news/2001_10_02_Hammer_microarchitecture.html|title=Chip Architect: AMD's Next Generation Micro Processor's Architecture|last=Vries|first=Hans de|website=www.chip-architect.com|access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref> Likewise, until [[Nehalem (microarchitecture)|Nehalem]] (circa 2008), [[Intel]] microprocessors used memory controllers implemented on the motherboard's northbridge. Nehalem and later switched to an integrated memory controller.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Torres|first1=Gabriel|title=Inside Intel Nehalem Microarchitecture|url=http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/inside-intel-nehalem-microarchitecture/|website=Hardware Secrets|access-date=7 September 2017|page=2|date=2008-08-26}}</ref>

Other examples of [[microprocessors]]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 [[northbridge (computing)|northbridge]].