{"video_id":"fp_DI7yVp1dfd","title":"RDRAM Explained","channel":"Techquickie","show":"Techquickie","published_at":"2024-10-18T17:34:00.027Z","duration_s":311,"segments":[{"start_s":0.0,"end_s":6.48,"text":"Your PC probably has a type of memory called DDR5, DDR4 or maybe even DDR3 if you haven't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":6.48,"end_s":10.96,"text":"gotten around to upgrading it out really long time, but did you know that there was a possible","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":10.96,"end_s":18.96,"text":"timeline where your RAM wasn't DDRSD RAM at all? Back in 1999, a company called Rambus released a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":18.96,"end_s":25.52,"text":"kind of memory called RDRAM that they named after themselves, setting themselves up extremely well","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":25.52,"end_s":31.6,"text":"for their own downfall with a side of hubris. RDRAM's design was meant to propel Rambus to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":31.6,"end_s":37.6,"text":"the top of the high-speed memory industry by narrowing the interface or bus coming off the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":37.6,"end_s":44.8,"text":"memory modules. Instead of using a 64-bit wide bus, as was industry standard, RDRAM used a much","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":44.8,"end_s":52.32,"text":"narrower 16-bit bus. Although this smaller number may sound worse, a narrower bus allowed the chip","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":52.32,"end_s":57.12,"text":"to run at faster clock speeds. Yes, you knew there was going to be a higher number in there","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":57.12,"end_s":62.64,"text":"somewhere. RDRAM also used one of the same fundamental concepts as modern DDR memory.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":62.64,"end_s":67.6,"text":"It could send two data signals per clock cycle rather than just one. If you think of a clock","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":67.6,"end_s":73.68,"text":"cycle as looking like a wave, data can be sent on both the rising and falling sides of that wave,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":73.68,"end_s":78.16,"text":"hence the term double data rate. The net effect of these design changes was a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":78.16,"end_s":83.12,"text":"significant increase in overall memory bandwidth. Basically, it would be faster since it could move","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":83.12,"end_s":88.32,"text":"more data around at once compared to conventional solutions that only sent one data signal per","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":88.32,"end_s":94.96,"text":"clock cycle and used a wider but slower bus. This bandwidth advantage meant that Nintendo","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":94.96,"end_s":102.32,"text":"used RDRAM in the Nintendo 64 as 3D games required lots of memory bandwidth. The N64's use of this","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":102.4,"end_s":109.12,"text":"new high-speed RAM and a product that sold for less than $200 got Intel interested in using RDRAM","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":109.12,"end_s":114.48,"text":"as a way to increase the performance of systems based on its new Pentium 4 CPU lineup. With a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":114.48,"end_s":120.32,"text":"massive tech giant like Intel signing a deal with Rambus, you would think that this would be Rambus","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":120.32,"end_s":126.08,"text":"ticket on board the gravy train, baby. But unfortunately, that thing derailed pretty quickly.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":126.08,"end_s":130.96,"text":"Although Intel felt good enough about RDRAM to use it as the exclusive memory for the Pentium 4,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":130.96,"end_s":137.2,"text":"a major issue was how much RDRAM cost for the average computer user. Even though it was cost","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":137.2,"end_s":143.28,"text":"effective for the Nintendo 64, it was very expensive for PCs, and not only that, the supposed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":143.28,"end_s":149.6,"text":"performance benefits for a typical computer user didn't materialize. Although the high bandwidth","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":149.6,"end_s":155.28,"text":"was useful for 3D graphics and game consoles, it didn't translate to a better experience for the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":155.36,"end_s":162.48,"text":"average consumer who paid extra for a computer with a Pentium 4. RDRAM had notoriously high latency,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":162.48,"end_s":167.52,"text":"sucked down a great deal of power, and produced lots of waste heat, meaning consumers weren't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":167.52,"end_s":172.16,"text":"getting great value for the money, not to mention that RDRAM modules either had to be installed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":172.16,"end_s":178.88,"text":"in pairs or be installed as a single stick paired with a dummy continuity module that looked like","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":178.88,"end_s":184.4,"text":"a RAM stick but didn't actually have any memory on it. Instead, a continuity module simply reflected","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":184.48,"end_s":188.64,"text":"signals so that they could make their way to the rest of your system. In fact, if you remember","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":188.64,"end_s":194.88,"text":"the jumper pack on the Nintendo 64, that was actually a continuity module that could be removed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":194.88,"end_s":199.92,"text":"in case you wanted to buy that red expansion pack accessory, which actually contained additional","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":199.92,"end_s":206.16,"text":"memory to enable better graphical quality. To make matters worse for RDRAM, a cheaper alternative","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":206.16,"end_s":213.84,"text":"simply called DDRSDRAM showed up in retail PCs starting in 2000. While it provided the similar","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":213.84,"end_s":220.32,"text":"two signals per clock cycle paradigm of RDRAM, it used a conventional 64-bit wide bus and was","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":220.32,"end_s":226.08,"text":"a lot cheaper and didn't have to be installed in pairs, meaning it quickly outcompeted RDRAM.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":226.08,"end_s":231.92,"text":"By the time late 2001 rolled around, Intel started releasing chipsets for the Pentium 4 that supported","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":232.0,"end_s":239.2,"text":"the cheaper DDRSDRAM. And by 2003, RDRAM was mostly no longer supported by new PCs,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":239.2,"end_s":244.96,"text":"with DDRSDRAM winning the standards war. This, however, wasn't the end for RAMbus.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":244.96,"end_s":250.24,"text":"Even though RDRAM was a commercial flop, they did actually develop many patents concerning","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":250.24,"end_s":254.88,"text":"double data rate memory. But unfortunately for them, they gained a reputation as being quite","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":254.96,"end_s":259.76,"text":"litigious as they spent years suing companies such as Samsung,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":259.76,"end_s":265.36,"text":"Hynex, and NVIDIA for alleged patent infringement, including one embarrassing incident where a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":265.36,"end_s":270.96,"text":"judge found that RAMbus destroyed evidence with a shredder. RAMbus itself also got into trouble","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":270.96,"end_s":276.8,"text":"with the American FTC and European Union for alleged anti-competitive behavior relating to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":276.8,"end_s":281.52,"text":"just how many inventions the company was claiming in its patents. Over time, though,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":281.52,"end_s":285.76,"text":"RAMbus settled its outstanding lawsuits, and they're actually still around now","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":285.76,"end_s":291.36,"text":"as a company that makes memory controllers, having decided to go with a more collaborative","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":291.36,"end_s":297.44,"text":"approach instead of being cutthroat, suey people. In fact, if you'd invested in RAMbus 10 years ago,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":297.44,"end_s":302.24,"text":"you'd have more than tripled your money. So who says nice guys can't finish first,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":302.24,"end_s":305.76,"text":"or bad guys who become less bad at finish eventually?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":306.48,"end_s":309.52,"text":"There's a lesson here. Thanks for watching, guys. If you liked this video, check out our","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":309.52,"end_s":311.36,"text":"other video on how DDR works.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"Your PC probably has a type of memory called DDR5, DDR4 or maybe even DDR3 if you haven't gotten around to upgrading it out really long time, but did you know that there was a possible timeline where your RAM wasn't DDRSD RAM at all? Back in 1999, a company called Rambus released a kind of memory called RDRAM that they named after themselves, setting themselves up extremely well for their own downfall with a side of hubris. RDRAM's design was meant to propel Rambus to the top of the high-speed memory industry by narrowing the interface or bus coming off the memory modules. Instead of using a 64-bit wide bus, as was industry standard, RDRAM used a much narrower 16-bit bus. Although this smaller number may sound worse, a narrower bus allowed the chip to run at faster clock speeds. Yes, you knew there was going to be a higher number in there somewhere. RDRAM also used one of the same fundamental concepts as modern DDR memory. It could send two data signals per clock cycle rather than just one. If you think of a clock cycle as looking like a wave, data can be sent on both the rising and falling sides of that wave, hence the term double data rate. The net effect of these design changes was a significant increase in overall memory bandwidth. Basically, it would be faster since it could move more data around at once compared to conventional solutions that only sent one data signal per clock cycle and used a wider but slower bus. This bandwidth advantage meant that Nintendo used RDRAM in the Nintendo 64 as 3D games required lots of memory bandwidth. The N64's use of this new high-speed RAM and a product that sold for less than $200 got Intel interested in using RDRAM as a way to increase the performance of systems based on its new Pentium 4 CPU lineup. With a massive tech giant like Intel signing a deal with Rambus, you would think that this would be Rambus ticket on board the gravy train, baby. But unfortunately, that thing derailed pretty quickly. Although Intel felt good enough about RDRAM to use it as the exclusive memory for the Pentium 4, a major issue was how much RDRAM cost for the average computer user. Even though it was cost effective for the Nintendo 64, it was very expensive for PCs, and not only that, the supposed performance benefits for a typical computer user didn't materialize. Although the high bandwidth was useful for 3D graphics and game consoles, it didn't translate to a better experience for the average consumer who paid extra for a computer with a Pentium 4. RDRAM had notoriously high latency, sucked down a great deal of power, and produced lots of waste heat, meaning consumers weren't getting great value for the money, not to mention that RDRAM modules either had to be installed in pairs or be installed as a single stick paired with a dummy continuity module that looked like a RAM stick but didn't actually have any memory on it. Instead, a continuity module simply reflected signals so that they could make their way to the rest of your system. In fact, if you remember the jumper pack on the Nintendo 64, that was actually a continuity module that could be removed in case you wanted to buy that red expansion pack accessory, which actually contained additional memory to enable better graphical quality. To make matters worse for RDRAM, a cheaper alternative simply called DDRSDRAM showed up in retail PCs starting in 2000. While it provided the similar two signals per clock cycle paradigm of RDRAM, it used a conventional 64-bit wide bus and was a lot cheaper and didn't have to be installed in pairs, meaning it quickly outcompeted RDRAM. By the time late 2001 rolled around, Intel started releasing chipsets for the Pentium 4 that supported the cheaper DDRSDRAM. And by 2003, RDRAM was mostly no longer supported by new PCs, with DDRSDRAM winning the standards war. This, however, wasn't the end for RAMbus. Even though RDRAM was a commercial flop, they did actually develop many patents concerning double data rate memory. But unfortunately for them, they gained a reputation as being quite litigious as they spent years suing companies such as Samsung, Hynex, and NVIDIA for alleged patent infringement, including one embarrassing incident where a judge found that RAMbus destroyed evidence with a shredder. RAMbus itself also got into trouble with the American FTC and European Union for alleged anti-competitive behavior relating to just how many inventions the company was claiming in its patents. Over time, though, RAMbus settled its outstanding lawsuits, and they're actually still around now as a company that makes memory controllers, having decided to go with a more collaborative approach instead of being cutthroat, suey people. In fact, if you'd invested in RAMbus 10 years ago, you'd have more than tripled your money. So who says nice guys can't finish first, or bad guys who become less bad at finish eventually? There's a lesson here. Thanks for watching, guys. If you liked this video, check out our other video on how DDR works."}