AMD has quietly stepped into the world of DDR3 memory by launching a range of Radeon-branded modules that it claims "are ideally suited to our CPU and APU products".
The modules, revealed by a product page at AMD.com, are already on sale in Japan and come in three unique variants; Entertainment, Ultra Pro Gaming, and Enterprise.
At launch, all modules appear to offer a 2GB capacity, but the three solutions are varied in speed and latency. AMD's entry-level Radeon Entertainment range, pictured above, offers speeds of up to 1,333MHz with timings of 9-9-9 at 1.5V. Offering a higher data rate at the expense of latency, the hand-picked Radeon Ultra Pro Gaming modules operate at 1,600MHz with 11-11-11 timings at the same 1.5V. Performance for the Enterprise range is yet to be determined.
Suggesting that these modules will be a perfect fit for AMD APUs, the company states that its memory is "tested to the highest industry standards on AMD platforms to guarantee reliability and performance".
It's an interesting and unexpected move, in the sense that none of the above modules are particularly attractive and we can't help but wonder how established partners such as Corsair and GSkill will react. Is this the beginning of a long-term move into memory products, and if so, will AMD follow Intel into the burgeoning solid-state drive market?
