Chuck,
Via gaining clients in wake of Intel-Rambus delay news.cnet.com September 27, 1999, 12:35 p.m. PT
Excerpted from the article (Lines in Italic are my comments) -
... With the delay of Intel's 820 chipset, scrappy Via technologies is finding itself rapidly growing in popularity among computer makers.
... IBM will announce tomorrow that it is using chipsets from Taiwan-based Via for three new systems in the wake of the delay of the 820 chipset, sources at IBM said. Today, Micron Electronics said it is incorporating Via products into its boxes for the first time.
... Although the delay to the 820 will likely boost Via's fortunes in the market, PC manufacturers and analysts have pointed out that the company's products offer advantages over Intel chipsets.
... Today, Intel released the 810(e) chipset, which contains a 133-MHz system bus. However, the 810(e) works only with the slower 100-MHz SDRAM. An Intel chipset that can work with faster 133-MHz SDRAM will not come out until next year, the company has said. Via therefore can brag about performance advantages, analysts have said. (Also no AGP port!)
... Another plus: Via's latest chipsets can support AGP 4X, an internal technology that improves graphics performance and can wring out the best in the latest generation of chips. AGP is a technology invented by Intel. However, current Intel chipsets can only take advantage of the slower AGP 2X technology.
... Micron is already touting its Via relationship.
"About two months ago, we couldn't see any reason why anyone on the consumer or small-business side would want to use the 820 chipset. The 820 just didn't make sense for consumers," said Ken Knotts, spokesperson for Micron Electronics. "We're the only company shipping a computer that supports 4X AGP graphics and full 133-MHz front side bus," said Knotts.
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FYI -
VIA Apollo KX133 VIA Apollo Pro133
Slot A Slot1 / Socket 370
EV6/200MHZ FSB 133MHz FSB
133 MHZ Mem Bus 133MHz Mem Bus
Asynchronus Asynchronus
PC100, PC133 PC100, PC133
SDRAM/VCM/HSDRAM SDRAM/VCM/HSDRAM
2GB Max Mem 1.5GB Max Mem
AGP 2X/4X AGP2X/4x?
With Intel focus on AMD, this is what has been happening in other areas of Intel business -
o Gave up on Graphic chisets.
o Possibility of losing chiset market share (VIA's goal is to capture 70% of the World wide chipset market.)
o PC133 SDRAM is going to become the mainstream memory standard, and it will be more difficult for RAMBUS to dislodge PC133. PC133 may pave way to DDR and HSDRAMs.
Goutama |
