Joe - re: "Turbocharging AMD-Athlon(tm) Platform with DDR Memory"
Looks like AMD's DDR saviour - Acer/ALI - will be shipping DDR chipsets for the Coppermine CPUs at the same time as for the AthWiper !!!
"Acer Laboratories Inc. has introduced its first double-data-rate (DDR) SDRAM-enabled chipsets that support microprocessors made by Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. "
Paul
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Acer Labs rolls out DDR chipset for Intel, AMD processors
By Faith Hung and Jack Robertson, Electronic Buyers' News
Jul 26, 2000 (10:45 AM)
URL: ebnews.com
Acer Laboratories Inc. has introduced its first double-data-rate (DDR) SDRAM-enabled chipsets that support microprocessors made by Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. ALI, Taipei, Taiwan, joins a pack of third party chipset makers with announced DDR logic controllers which are expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter. The DDR chipsets are designed for desktop and mobile PCs using Intel's Slot 1/Socket 370 family of CPUs, including Pentium III, Pentium II, and Celeron, as well as AMD's Athlon and Duron chips, according to ALI.
While it is unable to make its own DDR-enabled chipsets because of a contractual obligation to Direct Rambus DRAM developer Rambus Inc., Mountain View, Calif., Intel has approved third-party DDR chipsets to boost the performance of its existing processors -- which sources believe will extend to a new 0.13-micron version of the Pentium III to come to market early next year.
ALI executives have indicated they would be ready to provide DDR chipsets to support Intel's upcoming Pentium 4, too, but haven't been as aggressive as rival Via Technologies Inc., which said recently it will ship DDR chipsets for the P4 with or without a license from Intel.
The DDR SDRAM market is projected to grow from 3% of the total DRAM market in 2000 to 50% in 2004, according to ALI, which cited Sherry Garber, an analyst at Semico Research Corp., Phoenix. With DDR widely expected to become the mainstream memory technology in the second half of next year, many motherboard makers and manufacturers of desktop and notebook PC are bullish about its prospect.
"We've received endorsement from almost each of the world's top 10 OEMs," said ALI president Chin Wu. Other endorsements have come from Taiwanese companies such as Asustek Computer Inc. -- Intel's biggest motherboard house -- Gigabyte Technology Inc., Acer Inc., Compal Electronics Inc., and Arima Computer Corp., Wu said.
In addition to ALI's devices, DDR chipsets have been announced by Via, Silicon Integrated Systems Inc., Micron Technology Inc., and AMD. The chipsets are being validated, and OEMs expect to have prototype desktop and mobile models to show in November at Fall Comdex in Las Vegas.
ALI's Intel-based desktop DDR chipsets, the Aladdin Pro 5, is $33 in 20,000-unit lots, while the Aladdin Pro 5M for mobile PCs is $38 each in like quantities. Both prices are considerably lower than Intel's initial $42 tag for its 815 series single-data-rate PC133 SDRAM chipset.
The DDR chipset for AMD desktop processors, the ALIMagik 1, is $31 in 20,000-unit lots. The notebook-PC version, the MobileMagik 1, is $36.
Both DDR chipsets for Intel and AMD processors include a new M1535D+ Southbridge for desktop PCs and the M1535+ Mobile Southbridge for notebooks. Desktop and notebook versions of the new Southbridge will be available separately for $14 and $19, respectively.
ALI will use the foundry facilities of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. and United Microelectronics Corp., both of which are based in Hsinchu, Taiwan. |
