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Sis toots Atom design win
SIS HAS COME out of its tech-torpor to join in on the Atom fun and say it's managed to score a dual-core Atom design win with Dell.
The Dell FX160 is a slim client powered by the Atom N330 dual-core processor, but that's where things take a slight twist. The design itself involves a three-chip combo: the SiSM61 northbridge, the SiS968 southbridge and the SiS307DV video bridge chip.
These will support Atoms features and the run of the mill stuff like DDR2-667, SATA II, HD Audio, Gigabit LAN, 8x USB and so forth.
Dell even included some flash memory for embedded operating systems.
However, in terms of graphics, its Mirage 3 Direct X 9 part is very little in the way of 3D performance. It'll limp along nicely in Windows XP, but no special effects in Vista, so this isn't exactly a mounting achievement over current Atom chipsets.
You could be surprised by the three year old chipset or the graphics part that lacks significant HD features, or even that a three-chip combo won't do much more than Intel's current crop in the power efficiency department. We're just surprised there's an actual design win to go with it. µ
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"It'll limp along nicely in Windows XP, but no special effects in Vista, so this isn't exactly a mounting achievement over current Atom chipsets."
The Mirage 3 do support Vista Aero, since it is DX9.
@Atari
Although you could use VIA's CN800/PN800 northbridge and VT8251 southbridge combo in an Atom board and it would probably work. The fact that VIA released the Nano/Isiah processor means that it will not be making any Atom boards any time soon.You also must remember that VIA's legal battles with Intel regarding Patents most likely mean that VIA can't claim Atom compatibility, even if they wanted to.
So what happend to good old VIA? No Atom frm VIA? Remember the KT133/266A?
how much power the combo will use.
Is there finally a 4W chipset to match the 4W CPU?
Of course i am going by the assumption that anything has to be better then the 50 Watt, depreciated 3 4 years ago, stone age design chip intel has used in its atom offerings.