Via's chipset roadmap (from Aces Hardware):
aceshardware.com
For the Intel platform north bridges:
+Apollo Pro 133A will be replaced by Apollo Pro266 (mass production in Q3) and Apollo PX266 (sampling in Q4)
+Apollo Pro266 features DDR266 support, NB/SB bandwidth 266MB/s (V-Link), etc.
+PX266 is a high-end chipset for workstation, multi-processor server and high-end desktop, featuring up to 4 CPUs support and dual V-Links.
+Integrated solutions will include PM133, PL133, and PM266 with Savage4 graphics core.
+PL133 (sampling this month) is a light version of PM133 with no external AGP port support. PM 266 will debut in Q4 together with Apollo Pro266.
For the Athlon platform north bridges:
+KX133 will be replaced by KZ133 (sampling in May) and KX266 (sampling in August)
+KX266 features 266 Mhz EV6 bus, but otherwise similar to Apollo Pro266
+Integrated solutions will include KM133 and KL133 ( KM133-lite without external AGP, sampling in May) and KM266 (sampling in Jan 2001)
For south bridges:
+686A will be replaced by VT8231 with PCI-LPC, ATA100 support, integrated Ethernet and HomePHA controllers. VT82C686B (pin-to-pin compatible with 686A) with dual-channel ATA100 controller will follow in September (2000??)
+596B will be replaced by VT8233 with V-Link support, high performance AC'97 sound, Ethernet and HomePNA controllers, 6 USB ports and ATA100 support
No Rambus support on the horizon. FYI, the importance of Via can be judged by the following info:
As reported last month, VIA chipset sales continue to increase. A VIA spokesperson indicated to me that they have been increasing production capacity as fast as possible, and are still unable to keep up with the demand. Motherboard manufacturers have indicated that the Apollo Pro133A (694x) chipset is by far their most popular chipset. Current estimates indicate that VIA is manufacturing close to 3.5 million chipsets per month. There have also been some reports that VIA is negotiating with TSM to double capacity by year end, which would mean up to 7 million per month. With an estimated 10 million PCs sold per month, this could make VIA the dominant chipset manufacturer, assuming that the demand is there.
realworldtech.com
Joe |
