Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Rambus (RMBS) - Eagle or Penguin -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Don Green who wrote (72470)	5/10/2001 1:22:04 AM
From: Don Green	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93625

VIA to Unveil High-Performance Microprocessor by December May 10, 2001 (TAIPEI) -- VIA Technologies Inc. plans to unveil a microprocessor operating at a clock frequency rate of 1.2GHz per second at the end of the year, and will begin volume production of the microchip early in 2002. VIA is a leading global supplier of core logic chipsets. Before the 1.2GHz-class processor becomes available on the market, the company will debut its 1GHz-class Ezra microprocessor around the middle of the year. Ezra is VIA's first new processor after it acquired U.S.-based IDT Inc.'s chip design subsidiary, IDT Centaur (now called Centaur Technology). VIA said the Ezra chip is built on the Samuel processor's Socket 370 architecture and deploys a 128KB-class L2 cache memory chip as an external or secondary cache built into a separate chip, and 64KB-class L1 cache memory as an onboard or primary cache built into the CPU itself. It expects Ezra to be more costly than the Samuel II processor, which runs data at a clock cycle rate of 733MHz. VIA has not yet given its 1.2GHz product a name. The cutting-edge processor will come with 128KB-class L1 cache memory and 256KB-class L2 cache memory, and will be produced using the 0.13-micron process technology of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd (TSMC). Both the company's 1GHz and 1.2GHz processors will target low-priced personal computers in spite of their super fast frequency speed. Local market specialists estimate these two models will be less expensive than the equivalent microprocessors produced by Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. VIA's April revenue was NT$3.218 billion (US$100.56 million at US$1 = NT$32), up 32.68 percent from the same period last year. In the first four months, the company posted total revenue of NT$13.584 billion (US$424.5 million), 68.64 percent higher than in the year-earlier period and filling 30.18 percent of its forecast 2001 full-year goal. The company attributes this growth to the soaring penetration of its major chipsets such as core logic DDR chipsets and integration type of chipsets. It expects revenues to remain at a satisfactory level into the second quarter due to the rollout of several new products, including microprocessors, graphics chips, multimedia chips, and networking-communications chips, even though the second quarter is normally a lukewarm time. VIA forecasts that its revenue will top NT$45 billion (US$1.4 billion) this year, and expects to consolidate its leadership status in the personal computer and the emerging information appliance fields, thanks to its ability to offer a full range of chipset products and its intensive involvement in the development of microprocessors and graphics chips. (Commercial Times, Taiwan)