X-bit labs

Socket AM2 Platform: DDR2 SDRAM Support from AMD (page 8)

Category: CPU

by Ilya Gavrichenkov

[ 05/22/2006 | 09:00 PM ]

Chipsets

Since the chipsets are connected to the K8 micro-architecture through HyperTransport bus and the memory controller is integrated into the CPU, the transition of Athlon 64 processor family to the new socket type and new DDR2 SDRAM doesn’t really require any special chipsets. All the chipsets that have been previously used in Socket 939 mainboards can also be used for the new Socket AM2 mainboards.

However, it didn’t really matter for Nvidia – the today’s primary chipset supplier for AMD platforms. They launched a new family of chipsets designed specifically for the new AMD platform. The new Nvidia nForce chipset family (including nForce 590, nForce 570 and nForce 550) are positioned as “specially designed to support the new AMD platform”. However, there is nothing new in these chipsets from the CPU support standpoint. They have simply acquired new wider range of features. And the simultaneous launch of the new AMD processors and Nvidia chipsets is none other but a good marketing move.

Although you will still need to upgrade your mainboard is you wish to switch to a new Socket AM2 platform. Therefore, new chipsets from Nvidia appear just in the right place at the right time, because those users who decide to upgrade will most certainly want to get a better and newer set of features for their buck. This is exactly the target user group for the new solutions based on Nvidia nForce5xx series core logic.

The new Nvidia nForce chipset family includes 4 solutions targeted for different price groups.

All these chipsets are based on the same element base created around nForce 570. This is the chipset that should be regarded as a reference point for all the other members of the family: nForce 590 and 550.

Nvidia nForce 570 SLI chipset is a single-chip solution that can be called a continuation of the nForce4 SLI family.

This core logic set supports SLI mode but works only as PCI Express x8 + PCI Express x8. Nvidia nForce 570 Ultra is a similar solution with that only difference that it doesn’t have SLI support.