ALL: Article, MMX works best with specific motherboards...
January 27, 1997 10:00 AM ET
In wake of rollout, MMX upgrade issues surface
Works best with specific motherboard, chip set, voltage setting
By Lisa DiCarlo
ÿCorporate customers who opt to retrofit PCs with Intel Corp.'s new Pentium Processor with MMX Technology will face some little-known obstacles.
As some corporate users are discovering, the MMX (multimedia extension)-enabled processor works best integrated on a specific motherboard, with a specific chip set and at a specific voltage setting.
A key issue to consider when upgrading from a Pentium chip to a Pentium with MMX is that MMX requires a unique, dual-voltage input. The core voltage must be set to between 2.7 and 2.9 volts, while the I/O voltage must be between 3.1 and 3.6 volts, according to Intel officials.
Voltage settings outside the range can result in chips that do not run at the correct frequency.
Today's Intel processors require a singular voltage input of 3.3 volts.
Currently there is only one Intel motherboard, the TC430HX, that supports the dual voltage. The board, released in December, is based on Intel's 430HX chip set.
If the MMX chip is installed in a board that does not support dual voltage, users will see a performance drop. Intel also cannot vouch for the compatibility of non-Intel products with its processors.
As a result, buyers of systems with non-Intel motherboards are being advised to check with the PC's manufacturer to ensure that the motherboard and chip set support dual voltage.
Peeking under the MMX hood
Little-known facts about Intel's Pentium Processor with MMX Technology:
Chip requires two separate voltage inputs. Core voltage must be between 2.7 and 2.9 volts; I/O voltage must be between 3.1 and 3.6 volts.
Not every motherboard has the jumpers to support the unique voltage. Intel's "Tucson" motherboard with the 430HX chip set supports it. The company suggests that users check with PC makers to determine compatibility with non-Intel boards.
Incorrect voltage settings, older chip sets or motherboards that don't support MMX can result in markedly slower performance.
A second issue of which users should be aware is that most "Advanced" motherboards--boards with Socket 7 pin-outs--do not support MMX processors. Only brand-new motherboards that support both Socket 5 and Socket 7 pin-outs, such as the TC430HX, will work with MMX, officials said.
"This makes motherboards more of an issue for users than they need to be," said an official with a Top 10 PC company who requested anonymity.
Because of the voltage and socket issues, Intel officials recommend that users who want to upgrade wait for the Pentium MMX OverDrive processor, which is due in the first half of the year.
"It can be kind of a hassle, so we recommend that users go for the [MMX] OverDrive processor, which takes care of the voltage and pin-out issues," said Sam Wilkie, product marketing manager for Pentium processors at Intel, which is based in Santa Clara, Calif.
Lastly, not all IDE CD-ROM drives work properly on MMX systems, because the retail version of Windows 95 may not recognize the 82371SB PIIX3 IDE controller.
The issue does not affect systems with the OEM version of Windows 95. There is, however, a utility on Intel's World Wide Web site that adds the IDE controller to the file. It can be found at ftp://ftp.intel.com/pub/patch/ideinfup.exe
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I wonder as a percentage of sales, what the upgrade level of chip sales are vs non upgrade sales ? My gut instict tells me it's less than 10% of total sales.
Paul, could you comment on the significants of this article?
Regards, Michael |
