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If you like to know the future of chips and chipsets then you can do worse than visit Endian.net


Being lazy, I've just copied this entry from my news pages.
Well I get a minute from everything else I'll give this page a THOROUGH update.

AMD and PCI-Express
I was given a (tentative) to market date of August by a AMD exec a few month back, as I mentioned at the time. Well, getting about that time, so I'm going to have a did and see what's what.

Here's a few tidbits...

AMD: "AMD: "Socket 939-based motherboards are expected to usher in the next-generation of platform innovations like: ... Upcoming PCI-Express graphics solutions."

The Register: ATI's RS480 is an AMD 939 thang - PCI Express Athlon chipset competitor


The Inquirer: How AMD positions FXs, Athlon 64s and Semprons - Roadmaps
These have a comment on the ASRock board too. (See below).
Here's the salient quotes from the article, I thought:
"Athlon XP is not long for this world, and AMD is moving the Sempron into place to displace the now ancient chip"
"The majority of Athlon 64s and higher speed Semprons will use Socket 754, while the very top end chips, that is to say the first two slabs above, are 939 pin babies"

ATI's offering looks to be in the form of an ATI RS480, with onboard graphics

ALi have a chipset lined up too. (no info to date)

This is one you'll want to read up on: SiS 756 chipset for Athlon 64 FX's

Similarly, Via have the KT890 for AMD and the PT890 for Intel.

VIA North Bridge solutions such as the PT890 for the Intel processor platform, and the K8T890 for the AMD processor platform, feature twenty PCI Express lanes, with 250MB/s of bandwidth per lane. PCI Express graphics will utilize 16 of these lanes for a dedicated 4GB/s connection. The remaining four PCI Express lanes in the VIA North Bridge provide 1GB/s bandwidth for two further PCI Express devices.

By pairing the PT890 or K8T890 chipsets with the forthcoming VT8251 South Bridge, system designers will be able to incorporate a further two PCI Express lanes for PCI Express devices, such as Gigabit Ethernet connections, bringing the total number of PCI Express lanes supported to 22.

Also check out AMD Boards.com on 939 m/b's

Can't decide? Hanging on the fence? Maybe ASRocks' K8 combo is the answer ...
Nopt tried it myself, but ASRock do have a good reputation. Here's what they have to say...

"... Based on the elaborate future-proof CPU socket combo design, ASRock K8 Combo motherboard collocates both Socket 754 and Socket 939 CPU architectures on a single motherboard; users can easily upgrade their PC system from Socket 754 CPU (Athlon64) to Socket 939 CPU (Athlon64 FX) without changing the motherboard."

Basically, plentify of reference boards and words, but no product on the market.
I can found out with a phonecall, but I rather suspect Abit will release a board early in September. Looks like ASRock will pip them at the post mind.

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Nov 2003
There have been many new chipsets in the past six months or so, especially on the AMD side, what with Opteron and all, but nothing remarkable enough to distract me from other work. However, as I've mentioned on my "news" page, a number of reports such as Digitimes and several from Endian have messed up the Intel rollout I have in my head. Bowing to their amassed insider knowledge and experience, I nevertheless suspect the timelines given will move forward.

March 2003
I believe the official release dates for the Springdale and Canterwoods are April 11th and May 11th respectively though a number of manufacturers, including Gigabyte and QDI are already displaying them at trade shows like CeBit and the upcoming CTO. Can't wait

Much as the thought of a fully kitted Canterwood has me salivating on my keyboard, I must ever look forward to the REAL bleeding edge stuff I've been waiting for, namely DDR-II and, more explicitly, the boards PCI-Express supporting boards. I so wish I could get the lowdown on these. Eh up, I can, now there's a thing!

*Winks*

Apparently extremeTech's crack reporter, Mark Hachman, got his hands on some killer information - Intel's entire roadmap for the next few years. There's so much info they've split it up into seven different stories detailing different parts of Intel's plans, from mobile to desktop, chipsets and servers.
This article make for avid reading.   The report classes Grantsdale as Intel's "most significant chipset in almost a decade, hearkening back to chipsets like the Opti 4165 and Intel Saturn, which helped usher in the PCI bus in 1995; and the Intel 440LX, Intel's first AGP-enabled chipset, which launched in 1997". I'm inclined to agree too.

Here's the nuts and bolts of it:

Grantsdale Chipset
PCI Express will finally arrive in the mid to late summer next year when Intel releases its Grantsdale chipset

Other innovations, including a new graphics core, and the NewCard expansion format for wireless. And yes, this will replace the already flagging AGP port! Graphics will be handled with a single x16 PCI Express slot. Intel will also rework its Digital Video Out port to a new serial version. In addition, four x1 general purpose PCI Express slots will be provided using the ICH-6 (6th gen I/O controller hub). Each PCI Express slot will be designed to be configured according to the "NewCard".

"Users won't have to scrap all of their components. "Generic" PCI technology will be supported in some form or another, sources said, although it's not clear how many slots will be included on a typical motherboard. It's also not clear how companies like Creative will fit their sound cards into the NewCard from factor, which isn't much bigger than a business card."

Hmmm! PCI-Express is modular, don't see the problem myself. Thats more down to the design by the motherboard manufacturer and who it there right mind will design new generation components without talking to all the main players. Certainly the cutting edge gamers would look long and hard at system that didn't support a comparable SoundBlaster / Audigy class music card. Check out the details and prototypes on my PCI-Express page.

Memory wise, it will limit you to up to 4 DIMMS of DDR333 or faster and ideally support DDR-II though this isn't concrete. The new boards will include four serial ATA ports, and a single channel of ATA-100 for (by then)legacy items. Expect DVD's and such to go SATA.

The Grantsdale chipset will support the LGA 775 socket used by the Tejas processor and will serve as a transition between the Tejas and Prescott processors, supporting both.

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Dec 2002
Ace's Hardware have an good article on the Intel E7205 - Granite Bay: Memory Technology Shootout


The following is hoisted from "The Inquirer: here, and also copied from here.

Canterwood: the 875P chipset
To be launched in Q2, 2003 this will include backward support for the 533MHz front side bus, dual DDR 400/333 with memory in "turbo mode", AGP 8X, Serial ATA and CSA* support. This is being positioned as the top of the range, "performance" chipset, and will displace the 850E.

* CSA (communication streaming architecture).
A new architecture which includes a port on the the (G)MCH memory controller, and will include Calexico. They also support Gigabit Ethernet Kenai II, (nicknamed "Wirespeed"), which Intel claims will give over 60 per cent full duplex performance over PCI32-33.

As for Serial ATA Intel claims its ICH 5.0 will give 150MB/s transfer rates, will have an integrated ASF controller, and an integrated voltage regulator model at 1.5VSB VRM.

Springdale G: the 865G chipset
This "mainstream" chipset supports the 800MHz system bus, supports dual channel DDR at up to 400Mhz, and like Canterwood supports four DIMMs for 4GB memory support.

Graphics wise it's integrated graphics and use Intel's "stable image" technology. Claiming up to a 50 per cent improvement over the 845G the improvements to the graphics core in that chipset include true colour support for high res, a 320MHz DAC for 1800 x 1440 85Hz monitors, hardware motion compensation for DVD playing, and TV out support and support for flat panel monitors. It appears that it will support display modes including 16x12, 75/86Hz will full screen overlay support and has support for two Intel DVO ports multiplexed on AGP, as well as a discrete AGP8X interface

Springdale PE: the 865PE chipset
Supports 533/400MHz system buses, but adds support for the 800MHz system bus, dual DDR 400, AGP8X, Serial ATA, CSA and will support the Prescott in a 478 pin package when that's released.

Springdale P: the 865P chipset
Only supports 533/400 system buses, dual DDR 333, AGP8X, CSA and Serial ATA. Both this chipset and the one above will displace the 845PE chipset currently in production. The 865P will also support the Prescott in a 478 pinout, and is optimised for hyperthreading.

The 845GV will continue to support the non-hyperthreaded Pentium 4s throughout the whole of next year.

Nov 2002 According to The Inquirer, from late spring (Q2 2003) in time for the release of the 3.2Ghz chips. Intel will substitute Springdale P and Springdale S chipsets that will use dual channel Double Data Rate (DDR) memory, leaving SIS to the market for Rambus based chipsets for PCs. The platforms will also be good for 667/533/ 400MHz FSB and include support for ICH5 with Serial ATA and 8X AGP.

The Springdale "P" version supports discrete graphics only and is aimed at Intel's system integrators. The G offers "enhanced integrated graphics".

Also reported by The Inquirer: advance news of ICH 6. This will have four PCI Express ports, two S-ATA ports, better AC97 and eight USB 2.0 ports. Prototypes are already being designed and will be available June next year, with high volumes rolling out in April 2004, just about ready for Microsofts next big Windows - Longhorn.

ICH7 and ICH 8 are reckoned to have integrated broadband and direct DSL, cable and satellite ports. Apparently these may well have wireless USB ports based on USB 3.0, or ultra wide band. with a data rate of between 200MB/s and 500MB/s. The report says these are already being planned, aimed for the 2005/2006 time slots.

CAMINO ~ Old news
This should be a growing chapter - I've have been monitering Intel's much delayed Camino chipset with it's 133Mhz frontside bus and UDMA 66 support. A number of manufacturers, including ABit already have the latter and VIA was first off the ball with a released motherboard supporting 133Mhz bus speed (overclockable to 155Mhz).

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VIA, SiS 800MHz FSB product roadmap updates. Sourced from Digitimes.com [18th Dec 2002]
Due to the press of time, most chipset designers will introduce products that support single-channel DDR400 first and the dual-channel versions later. However, both versions will support Intel’s Hyper-Threading Technology, which allows one processor to work as a dual-processor set.

(I'll put vendor links in shortly) Paul

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The following chipsets support 8x AGP and all support up to at least DDR333 (DDR400 for the VIA is flaky from what I've read):
DDR400 is unofficially supported in the SIS 648 and according to SiS, a DDR400 version of the chipset will be out later this year, most likely after much heavier validation with DDR400 memory.

Sure the i850e with PC1066 Rimms has the edge (mostly) but given that 1Gb of 256Mb Rimms adds £200 to the price over DDR400...
Besides, I can get branded DDR400 512Mb's any day of the week. I have yet to reliable source PC1066 512Mb Rimms in the UK!

P4 based:

• SIS648
• VIA P4X400
• Intel - nothing until it releases it's Granite Bay 7205 chipset. Here's a tidbit
• ALI - nothing I'm aware of

AMD Athlon's

• SIS746
• Via KT400
• ALI's m1687
• Intel - hardly surprising, there's nothing