X-bit labs

X-bit Labs CeBIT Hannover 2004 Coverage: Part 1 (page 2)

Category: Editorial

by Anton Shilov

[ 03/21/2004 | 01:50 PM ]

VIA Technologies: Activities, Plans, Intentions

Chipsets, processors, platforms, mainboards – all the companies involved in their development  excite us from year to year. I will certainly not make a mistake if I say that this year the key technologies of CeBIT are AMD64 from AMD and EM64T from Intel – the two compatible enhancements of x86 architecture with 64-bit capability. Advanced Micro Devices is a log time optimist regarding the x86-64 approach, whereas Intel is pretty cautious about the transition to 64-bit computers.

We will certainly talk to AMD and Intel about the transition to 64-bit central processing units, but today I decided to ask a couple of questions on the matter to a more or less neutral company – VIA Technologies. And not only on that matter, as VIA is showcasing loads of other developments!

VIA Technologies is also pretty conservative about 64-bit transition as well. The company’s spokesperson Richard Brown also believes that prior to massive transition to 64-bit computing there should be software that works with such hardware faster than it would work with 32-bit processors. Currently there are only high-performance AMD64 platforms, while the majority of AMD’s and Intel’s chips shipping are still 32-bit only.

VIA does not see any problems with supporting Intel’s 64-bit capability as well. The firm’s upcoming LGA775 core-logic components are most likely to support Intel’s EM64T feature. Nevertheless, VIA considers PCI Express bus and DDR2 memory to be the main platform-related technologies this year. Needless to say that VIA is going to fully support both, but still with retained flexibility – ability to handle “outdated” AGP and DDR.

In fact, unlike suggested, PCI Express x16 and AGP 8x implementation is not something that should affect performance, according to VIA. Richard Brown says that AGP performance of the forthcoming PT890 is on par with than that of the PT880. Currently the company has engineering versions of its PT890 and KT890 chipsets, their performance is probably considered as “lower than expected” because VIA does not want to benchmark them right now. Revamped version of the PT890 is expected to emerge in 2 to 3 weeks and that one will be tangibly better in terms of speed.

As you see from the pictures, VIA and its mainboard partners demonstrate prototypes of PT890, KT890 and KT880-based mainboards as well as plethora of solutions based on already available chipsets.

  

  

Apart from its chipset business VIA also has CPU business. The company calls both businesses with one name – “platform business”. While chipsets and central processing units are developing at a rather quick pace, one of the company’s intentions today is to offer its customer reference designs of products featuring VIA’s core-logic products, microprocessors, graphics chips and so on. The main idea of such approach is to become a company that develops solutions rather than proposes a pack of chips and waits for its partners to bring something to the market based on those pieces of silicon. The approach should allow VIA to boost its sales and also to solidify its positions in the consumer electronics field. Given that in the consumer electronics market one product may successfully be sold for 3 to 5 years, VIA’s investments in development of reference designs should be definitely returned.

Currently VIA has its EPIA platforms as well as console reference designs to offer. The main idea of VIA’s console is its low-cost. In fact, ApexTreme gaming machine announced earlier this year will have so tiny price that its creators are going to earn money by simply selling hardware. Currently VIA proposes to sell gaming machines to some of its partners among PCB-based devices makers. One very well-known European company is seriously considering idea to start offering consoles similar to ApexTreme.