Data processor with memory controller for high reliability operation and method

A data processor includes a memory accessing agent and a memory controller. The memory accessing agent generates a plurality of accesses to a memory. The memory controller is coupled to the memory accessing agent and schedules the plurality of memory accesses in an order based on characteristics of the memory. The characteristics of the memory include a row cycle page time (tRCPAGE) indicative of an acceptable number of activate commands to a row in the memory within a predetermined time window.