DigiTimes reports: Demand for DDR2 is expected to rise phenomenally in the first quarter 2006, when the introduction of Socket M2 processors from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) kicks off and shipments of the Intel 945-series platform increases, motherboard makers believe. AMD reportedly will announce the availability of its 90nm M2 socket design, with all of its desktop processors, including single- and dual-core CPUs, adopting the 940-pin platform next year. The chip vendor has begun delivering samples, the makers said, noting that volume shipment of products based on AMD?s DDR2-supporting CPU design are slated for the first quarter 2006. The upcoming availability of 945PL-based motherboards for the mainstream market will drive shipments of 945-based systems to account for 15% of Intel?s shipment total by year-end, up from about 10% at present, according to the motherboard makers. The chip giant added a discrete 945 chipset for the mainstream Pentium 4 segment in the third quarter of this year, as reported on July 12.