A Taiwanese web-site reports about Intel’s plans to replace i875P chipset with a core-logic called “Alderwood” in the second quarter next year. In case it is truth, Intel is very likely continue its tradition to launch three chipset families for high-end, mainstream and cost-sensitive market segments.

Intel’s code-named Canterwood aka i875P chipset was unveiled this April to support the Pentium 4 3.00GHz processor with 800MHz Quad Pumped Bus and the Hyper-Threading technology with a high-speed core-logic featuring dual-channel PC3200 DDR SDRAM memory, AGP 8x, Serial ATA-150 RAID and other cutting-edge technologies. The i875P not only came earlier than the i865PE aka Springdale, but also brought a special Performance Accelerating Technology to boost the speed beyond the levels provided by i865PE. In general, i875P is intended for power-users, gamers and users of workstation applications – customers, who typically need leading performance and massive set of features.

In 2002 Intel also provided the mentioned target group a power solution called i850/i850E. Being based on dual-channel RDRAM memory, those chipsets were substantially faster than single-channel DDR SDRAM-supporting platforms.

Looks like the history is repeating: according to DigiTimes, the world’s largest chipmaker plans to unleash a powerful core-logic code-named Alderwood in addition to its Grantsdale series of products for mainstream and cost-effective personal computers.

Intel Grantsdale-P will sport 533 and 800MHz Quad Pumped Bus for LGA775 processors, dual-channel DDR-II memory at up to 533MHz, PCI Express x16 port for graphics cards and a rich arsenal of I/O capabilities. Intel is also said to ship Grantsdale-G adding Intel Extreme Graphics 3 core to the mentioned list of specifications, Grantsdale-GV without PCI Express x16 as well as Grantsdale-GL with no graphics port and DDR-II support, featuring only 533MHz Quad Pumped Bus for future Celeron processors.

Keeping in mind that previously Intel has always had a way to improve performance of its higher-end chipsets by boosting memory performance, we may expect something of this kind to happen in case of Alderwood as well.

The Grantsdale and Alderwood series of chipsets are very likely to become the most revolutionary platforms of the decade since they bring us a lot of exiting technologies, such as PCI Express interconnection, DDR-II SDRAM memory and a fresh LGA775 socket for new microprocessors. In 2005 Intel Lakeport chipset will inherit a lot from its parents and will add something new to support sales of Intel Tejas processors. Surely, in 2005 Intel will also be in a position to offer a high-end core-logic as well.

Intel representatives did not comment on the story.