Intel Ready To Tackle 3-D Chips
techweb.com
(12/20/97; 12:17 p.m. EST)
By Kelly Spang and Joseph F. Kovar, Computer Reseller News
Although the new 3-D graphics controller to debut from Intel is drawing mixed reviews, the vendor has an ace in its pocket--Intel wrote the book on the Accelerated Graphics Port.
The new Intel 740 graphics chip, scheduled to ship by the end of February, will be optimized for AGP and incorporate 3-D functionality, said industry sources. Notably missing, however, is DVD acceleration, sources said.
Given Intel is the mastermind behind the AGP guidelines, odds are it will deliver a graphics chip fine-tuned for this high-performance graphics bus, said industry analysts.
"Intel's story is unique in it has a very good understanding of AGP," said Andy Fischer, senior analyst with Jon Peddie Associates, a graphics analyst firm based in Tiburon, Calif. "What [Intel] will be able to get from an AGP system with a 2-Mbyte board will be a very strong story for them."
AGP provides a dedicated, 66MHz graphics connection, offering VARs higher bandwidth and direct access to system memory.
The 740, the first in an anticipated family of graphics accelerators, is the result of a partnership between Intel and Real3D, a division of Lockheed Martin Corp. Initially, delivery of the chip will be through add-in cards, though by the second half of 1998, the 740 may find its way onto motherboards, sources said.
Intel executives confirmed delivery of the 740 in the first quarter of 1998, but would not comment on features or pricing.
The chip is expected to be produced with a 0.6 micron process and target the mainstream, volume market, industry sources said. Graphics companies such as Nvidia Corp., Sunnyvale, Calif., already are producing smaller graphics chips at 0.35 micron, which is more in line with CPU manufacturing technology.
As a result, industry sources said the 740 will be a large, expensive chip. Current samples are running with heat sinks because of the heat generated by the chip, sources said.
The 740 likely will cost $30, though graphics-industry sources said they will not be concerned about price pressure from Intel unless the chip hits below $10.
"Intel would be out of its mind to compete [price-wise against third-party vendors]," said Peter Glaskowsky, a senior analyst for the Microprocessor Report of Sebastopol, Calif.
Reaction to performance of 740 is varied. "The performance is very good, but not necessarily the fastest in the world," said one OEM testing the chip. "Because it is made by Intel, the compatibility is another good point."
In corporate accounts, resellers are not necessarily expecting the highest-performance graphics from Intel.
"Most people don't care about graphics, they care about the CPU, the amount of memory and their monitor," said Eric Feldman, director of corporate accounts and marketing at ComputerLand of Plainview, N.Y.
Graphics chip OEMs already working with AGP said this experience will provide them with a means to compete against Intel when the Santa Clara vendor enters the market.
"When [the 740] is released, it will already face second-generation chips from vendors like ATI, S3, 3DLabs and Nvidia," said a graphics OEM. "By the time the third-generation [740] is available, it will go against the fifth-generation chip from the others."
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