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Technology Stocks : Intel Corporation (INTC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: kash johal who wrote (99610)	2/21/2000 11:38:00 PM
From: steve harris	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

Kash, did you see this news that came out today? 2/21/00 techweb.about.com Intel Discovers Errors In Chipsets (02/21/00, 12:28 p.m. ET) By Jack Robertson, Electronic Buyers' News Intel has discovered errors in its Intel 820 and Intel 840 chipsets when the devices are deployed in a mode that supports error-corrected SDRAM memory, the company confirmed late Friday. A spokesman confirmed that the 820, or Camino, chipset encountered random data errors when using a Memory Translator Hub (MTH) to run SDRAM equipped with error correction code (ECC) circuitry. The 840, or Carmel, chipset ran into the same trouble running ECC SDRAM across a similar Memory Repeater Hub (MRH), the company said. The hubs are added components that allow the chipsets, which natively support Direct Rambus DRAM, to interface to SDRAM. Intel said both chipsets were error-free when running SDRAM out of ECC mode or when running Direct RDRAM in either mode. Intel also confirmed that it is canceling three new server motherboards that use the MRH conversion chip. All three were dual-processor boards, which Intel said no longer will be needed in SDRAM-enabled servers. Intel said the company is moving predominantly to four- and eight-way servers. The Intel spokesman said single- and dual-processor boards using SDRAM-enabled Intel 820 chipsets and the MTH will remain in the line-up for the desktop-PC market. The spokesman played down the MTH- and MRH-induced errors, saying that "only a limited number of customers who use the SDRAM [configurations] of the 820 and 840 boards are affected." However, the discovery highlights recent criticism from industry analysts who have questioned the viability of designing Rambus-enabled chipsets to support SDRAM through the insertion of the added hub components (See story). Still, sources said the MTH glitch shouldn't affect Intel's upcoming Timna processor, which integrates graphics, the north bridge, and memory controller, and is aimed at sub-$500 PCs. The processor is also slated to use an MTH-conversion chip to enable it to interface to SDRAM, Intel confirmed last week. Because of its rock-bottom price, Timna is not expected to offer an ECC mode option, which is almost exclusively used in high-performance workstations and servers. Only if the MTH is found to have data errors in other modes would the Timna's operation be threatened, sources said.