SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Intel Corp. here acknowledged that its new licensing agreement with Via Technologies Inc. clears the way for the Taiwan chip set supplier to support double data rate (DDR) memories for Celeron processors in desktop PCs. If that catches on, it could be a setback for Rambus DRAMs, which are heavily backed by Intel.
On Wednesday, Intel and Via Technologies announced a settlement to a legal dispute over chip-set patents. Under a new licensing pact, Via will pay Intel a lump sum and ongoing royalties for access to technologies used in chip sets serving Pentium III and Celeron microprocessors (see July 5 story).
Some industry analysts believe Intel's concession on desktop DDR chip sets is a "sea-level" change in the MPU leader's acceptance of double data rate memories for desktop PCs. Intel favors Direct Rambus DRAMs, architected by Rambus Inc. of Mountain View, Calif.
"Intel acknowledged it needed a DDR chip set for desktop PCs, which up to now Intel itself avoided in order to back Direct Rambus," observed Bob Merritt, an analyst with Semico Research Inc., based in Redwood City, Calif.
When asked if the Via license covers DDR support for Intel processors, a spokesman for Intel said there is no restrictions against double data rate chip sets for any of the company's existing MPU products.
Taiwan's Via is not licensed to use Intel's patents in chip sets supporting the upcoming Pentium 4 processor (which has been code-named "Willamette"), said the spokesman. Intel previously said it had no plans to license any of its technology for the new quad-pumped 400-MHz bus architecture that will be unveiled in Pentium 4 and future central processor units.
The settlement with Via still leaves in place an Intel lawsuit in a San Franscisco court that seeks to bar the Taiwan company from using any Intel technology to support processors made by competitors, such as Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Via has been aggressively supplying chip sets for AMD's processors, including its high-end Athlon CPU.
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