``In 1996, Intel chose Rambus technology to help speed up systems running its then-upcoming Pentium 4.
But the chip makers did not want to pay Rambus royalties. DRAM prices fell sharply -- so much so that Intel agreed to support non-Rambus technology in the fall of 2001.
Shortly after that, DRAM prices nearly quadrupled.
In 2004, Rambus filed a private antitrust suit against several chip makers. That litigation is ongoing, as are other cases related to memory prices.``