Exhibit 99.1

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Bob Eulau	Nicole Noutsios
Sr. Vice President, Finance & CFO	Rambus Investor Relations
Rambus Inc.	Rambus Inc.
(650) 947-5000	(650) 947-5050

RAMBUS REPORTS THIRD QUARTER EARNINGS

Earnings per share of 14 cents;

Revenue decline of 7% from the third quarter last year

LOS ALTOS, Calif. – OCTOBER 17, 2005 – Rambus Inc. (Nasdaq: RMBS), one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies specializing in high-speed chip interfaces, today reported financial results for the third quarter of 2005. Fully diluted earnings per share for the third quarter were 14 cents, compared to 10 cents in the third quarter last year and 5 cents in the previous quarter. Operating income for the third quarter was $3.9 million, compared to $10.6 million in the third quarter last year and $5.6 million in the previous quarter. Net income for the third quarter of 2005 was $14.5 million as compared to $10.4 million in the third quarter last year and $5.4 million in the previous quarter. The quarterly earnings per share and net income reflect a pre-tax gain of $18.6 million resulting from repurchases of notes during the quarter. Revenue for the third quarter was $36.0 million, down 7% over the third quarter last year and down 10% from the previous quarter.

“Our team executed very well in overcoming many of the challenges we faced entering the third quarter,” said Harold Hughes, president and chief executive officer at Rambus. “With outstanding progress on patent license renewals and broader customer engagements, we have solid momentum for revenue growth as we finish out the year.”

Third quarter results reflected $8.0 million in contract revenues, down 4% over the third quarter last year and up 48% from the previous quarter. This sequential increase reflects revenue generated from new contracts for XDR and FlexIO interfaces and from a contract for high speed serial link interfaces. Third quarter results include $28.0 million in royalties, down 8% over the third quarter last year and down 19% from the previous quarter. The decrease in royalties is primarily due to fewer SDRAM and DDR-compatible royalty agreements outstanding during the third quarter of 2005.

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Total costs and expenses for the third quarter of 2005 were $32.1 million compared with $28.1 million in the third quarter last year and $34.4 million last quarter. $2.2 million of the increase over the prior year period was due to litigation expense. The remaining increase was primarily related to higher costs in research and development including investments in our India design center and digital core designs.

Rambus reported a pre-tax gain of $18.6 million on the repurchase of $105 million face value of its zero coupon convertible notes. The notes were repurchased for a total of $84 million in cash. Primarily as a result of this repurchase, cash equivalents and marketable securities declined from $471 million as of June 30, 2005 to $388 million. The decline was partially offset by cash generated from operations of $3 million.

The earnings announcement call will be broadcast live on our website (www.rambus.com) at 2:00 p.m. PDT today. Please log-on early if you do not already have the necessary software to listen to the call.

The conference call replay number is 888-203-1112 and the ID number is 4027766. For international callers, the number is 719-457-0820. The replay will be available on our website beginning at 5:00 p.m. PDT today.

About Rambus

Rambus is one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies specializing in the invention and design of high-speed chip interfaces. Since its founding in 1990, the company’s innovations, breakthrough technologies and integration expertise have helped industry-leading chip and system companies solve their most challenging and complex I/O problems and bring their products to market. Rambus’s interface solutions can be found in numerous computing, consumer, and communications products and applications. Rambus is headquartered in Los Altos, California, with regional offices in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Taipei, Taiwan and Tokyo, Japan. Additional information is available at www.rambus.com.

This release contains forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including our CEO’s statements contained herein regarding momentum for revenue growth for the remainder of the year. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company’s industry, management’s beliefs, and certain assumptions made by the Company’s management. Actual results may differ materially. Among the reasons which could cause actual results to differ materially are the uncertainty of realizing revenues in Q4 from current customer discussions. Our business generally is subject to a number of risks which are described in our SEC filings including our 10-K and 10-Qs.

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RAMBUS INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

(unaudited)

	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
	Sept 30 2005		June 30, 2005		Sept 30, 2004		Sept 30, 2005		Sept 30, 2004
Revenues:
Contract revenues	$	7,983	$	5,390	$	8,276	$	19,972	$	18,704
Royalties		28,031		34,595		30,483		95,637		87,561
Total revenues		36,014		39,985		38,759		115,609		106,265
Costs and expenses:
Cost of contract revenues		4,455		4,965		4,543		15,024		14,734
Research and development		10,598		9,934		8,841		29,123		24,197
Marketing, general & administrative		8,135		9,502		8,066		26,994		21,820
Litigation expense		8,898		9,980		6,661		30,017		15,586
Total costs and expenses		32,086		34,381		28,111		101,158		76,337
Operating income		3,928		5,604		10,648		14,451		29,928
Interest and other income, net		21,202		3,414		1,149		26,745		7,452
Income before income taxes		25,130		9,018		11,797		41,196		37,380
Provision for income taxes		10,634		3,658		1,410		16,900		10,364
Net income	$	14,496	$	5,360	$	10,387	$	24,296	$	27,016
Net income per share – basic	$	0.15	$	0.05	$	0.10	$	0.24	$	0.27
Net income per share – diluted	$	0.14	$	0.05	$	0.10	$	0.23	$	0.24
Shares used in per share calculations:
Basic		99,944		99,596		101,875		99,939		101,781
Diluted		103,236		103,675		107,573		104,071		110,441

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RAMBUS INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

	Sept 30 2005			June 30 2005			Dec 31 2004
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	56,144		$	69,929		$	48,310
Marketable securities		88,973			101,470			89,483
Accounts receivable		1,329			1,667			1,435
Prepaid and deferred taxes		13,703			13,703			13,861
Prepaids and other current assets		5,168			5,481			4,094
Total current assets		165,317			192,250			157,183
Property and equipment, net		20,542			21,756			17,578
Marketable securities, long-term		242,906			299,325			98,567
Restricted investments		2,274			2,302			5,067
Deferred taxes, long-term		63,387			72,587			75,295
Purchased intangible assets, net		22,294			23,437			21,765
Other assets		8,210			10,744			1,269
Total assets	$	524,930		$	622,401		$	376,724
Total cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities	$	388,023		$	470,724		$	236,360
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and other current liabilities	$	19,415		$	24,811		$	17,444
Deferred revenue		4,963			8,035			19,271
Total current liabilities		24,378			32,846			36,715
Notes payable		195,000			300,000			—
Deferred revenue, less current portion		7,905			6,630			4,552
Other long-term liabilities		1,991			1,992			—
Total liabilities		229,274			341,468			41,267
Stockholders’ equity:
Common Stock		100			100			103
Additional paid-in capital		331,499			331,005			341,080
Deferred stock-based compensation		—			(267	)		—
Accumulated other comprehensive		(1,562	)		(1,028	)		(878	)
Accumulated deficit		(34,381	)		(48,877	)		(4,848	)
Total stockholders’ equity		295,656			280,933			335,457
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	524,930		$	622,401		$	376,724

END