I thought people might like to read the whole article so I posted it here:
Pentium II lacking key accessories -- Delay of chip set, other devices attracts
competitors
By Anthony Cataldo
Silicon Valley
When Intel Corp. formally introduces the Pentium II this week, it will mark the first
step in the company's plan to remake the PC platform in its own image.
But that image won't be quite as complete as the microprocessor giant might once have
hoped. Sources familiar with the company's plans said Intel delayed the introduction of
some critical components that will go around the CPU, a move that could invite stiff
competition from chip-set and graphics vendors.
Moreover, some in the industry are questioning whether persistent power supply problems
will hamper Intel's ability to develop dual-processor Pentium II systems to compete
with workstations and servers from Sun Microsystems Inc. and Silicon Graphics Inc.
Intel, Santa Clara, Calif., has delayed the introduction of its 440LX chip set until
the third quarter, and rumors have surfaced that the company will also push out the
introduction of its Auburn 3-D chip to late 1997 or early 1998, the sources said.
In the meantime, chip-set vendors and graphics-chip makers are vowing to introduce
competitive products within the next year for the Pentium II platform.
The LX chip set includes Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) technology, and will also be
designed to eke out more performance from synchronous DRAMs (SDRAMs). Until it is
introduced, OEMs are expected to design Pentium II systems with the 440FX chip set.
Other sources said that Intel's Auburn chip will also be delayed until the end of the
year, with volume shipments beginning in the first half of 1998. Auburn is being
developed in conjunction with Lockheed Martin Corp. and Chips and Technologies Inc.
The chip-set delay was likely prompted by Microsoft Corp.'s postponement of its Memphis
operating system, which will include driver support for AGP, said Mike Feibus,
principal at Mercury Research, Scottsdale, Ariz.
"Intel's execution on the LX chip set is a good quarter behind where they thought they
would be six to nine months ago," he said. "Ironically, there will be plenty of
graphics controllers to plug into AGP."
One of those graphics controllers will be from S3 Inc., which currently holds about 50%
of the market for 3-D chips. By late 1997 or early 1998, S3 plans to introduce a 3-D
processor with a setup engine, which Intel has said is needed for Pentium II-based
systems with AGP. S3 is also working to develop 3-D applications for business-PC users.
"Our assumption is that as experts in the graphics market, we'll be able to stay ahead
of Intel," said Scott Tandy, senior manager of new business development for S3, Santa
Clara. Tandy said that customers are especially concerned about Intel's "homogenization
of the PC," which should give S3 an opportunity to allow customers to differentiate
their products.
While Intel struggles to get its AGP chip set off the ground, alternative chip-set
suppliers are quietly getting ready to challenge Intel's dominance in core logic. Opti
Inc. and VIA Technologies Inc. said they are planning to introduce their own versions
of AGP by the end of the year.
"We already have a Pentium Pro chip set and are working on a follow-on," said Don
Clegg, director of core-logic marketing for Opti, Milpitas, Calif.
Other sources close to Opti said the company next year will roll out a chip set similar
to the 440BX, which is Intel's next-generation core-logic product after the 440LX. It
will come in a 352-pin and 208-pin BGA, and will support the Universal Serial Bus,
Ultra direct-memory access/33 (Ultra/33), SDRAMs, and other features.
Recently there was some confusion in the industry over whether third-party chip-set
companies could make core logic for the Pentium II because it uses a proprietary,
dual-independent bus. But an Intel spokesman said the core logic connects to the system
bus, and therefore other chip vendors are free to compete with Intel.
While the competitive pressures on Intel mount, the company has yet to introduce a
reference design that will allow PC makers to build dual-processor Pentium II systems.
One source that buys from Intel said the Pentium II generates 15 A, double the fastest
MMX processors.
"Fifteen amps is a lot of power to suck across a motherboard," a source said. "There
are plenty of Pentium IIs, but there are few, if any, duals ready."
Intel is now distributing a program called K-Power that tests a motherboard's thermal
characteristics when running two Pentium IIs.
"I know as you get to multiprocessor, the Pentium Pro is a better solution than Pentium
II," the Intel spokesman said. "At the end of the year, you should see multiple
configurations that use Pentium II."
-Mark LaPedus contributed to this report.
Copyright (c) 1997 CMP Media Inc. |
