Via outlines Quad Band P4 chipset, extends AMD options

Intel
Though still without a Pentium 4 licence, and with the Intel-Via court cases almost ready to roll, the firm is already sampling its P4X600 chipset, which supports 400/533 buses, includes 128 bit dual channel DDR266 and 333 ECC support, and AGP8X and backwards. That chipset is aimed at the high performance and server/workstation market, and is due for release this quarter, probably in December, we'd say.

Via is also ready to sample its P4X800 which will support not only DDR, but DDR II, as well as Kentron's QBM memory. This chipset includes Ultra V-Link, uses the VT 8237 south bridge, and will be released in the first half of next year.

QBM, Via wil claim, wipes out the bandwidth map using a 133MHz by 4 memory and DDR clock, and giving a claimed bandwidth of 4264MB/s.

Its socket 478 chipsets, the P4M266A is also sampling now - this includes support for PC133 and DDR 266, integrated Pro Savage 8 graphics, and external 4X and backwards graphics. It will be aimed at the value and mainstream market, and will also be released in Q4 of this year.

The P4M400, another 478 pin chipset, builds on the 266A but supports DDR 333, includes "Castle Rock" graphics, and external AGP 8X. That samples in the first quarter of next year but there is no release date available yet.

AMD Chipsets
The KM400 samples in Q4 of this year, will support 333, 266 and 200 system buses for Athlons, again has integrated "Castle Rock" graphics and AGP 8X externally. It uses the VT8235 South Bridge chip.

Perhaps of more interest are its Hammer chipsets. The 800MHz Hypertransport chipsets come in three flavours. The K8T400 and the K8T400M are already sampling. The former uses wire bond ball grid array (BGA) packaging, and so does the latter, but this has pin to pin compatibility with the K8M400.

And the K8M400 includes integrated "Castle Rock Two" graphics, samples in Q4 of this year, with a slated release date of the first quarter next year.

What is this Castle Rock Two stuff? It's integrated 128-bit 2D/3D graphics, with two pixel pipes and two texture units, 8MB to 64MB UMA frame buffers, supports two monitors, has external TV out and LCD support, and a unified driver set.

The VT8237 South Bridge chip samples in Q1 of next year, has eight USB 2.0 ports, supports ATA 33-66-100-133, and has two S-ATA (serial ATA) ports as well as options for two additional S-ATA ports. It will support six PCI slots, has integrated 10/100 Ethernet, six channel enhanced audio and uses the 8X V-Link interconnect. µ