There is no secret that both Advanced Micro Devices and Intel Corp. are pushing their own platforms consisting of microprocessors and chipsets with or without their own integrated graphics core. As a consequence, companies who sell their own core-logic sets compatible with AMD or Intel chips do not have a lot of success opportunities. Considering the situation, Nvidia Corp. decided to offer core-logic for microprocessors developed by Via Technologies.
Nvidia Corp., the world's largest supplier of discrete graphics chips and a developer of chipsets for AMD and Intel processors, will offer core-logic dets for Via Isaiah microprocessors, various reports claim (1, 2). The decision is needed to stay on the market of chipsets, where the leading developers of x86 microprocessors expanding currently, and also rival AMD and Intel with low-cost low-power x86-based platform.
It is believed that Nvidia and Via has signed a strategic partnership under which Nvidia will offer feature-rich chipsets compatible with Via microprocessors.
Nevertheless, this does not mean that Via Technologies will cease to develop its own chipsets for its processors. Via's wholly-owned subsidiary S3 Graphics will also continue to develop discrete graphics chips.
Nvidia has an arsenal of feature-rich chipsets for AMD and Intel platforms. However, microprocessors from Via use proprietary bus incompatible with competing central processing units (CPUs), which means Nvidia will have to considerably redesign existing core-logic sets to make them work with Via CPUs. It is also crucial for Nvidia to make its Via-compatible chipsets low-power and low-cost so that to address the markets of inexpensive systems with low energy consumption.
Neither Nvidia nor Via commented on the news-story.
Comments currently: 12
Discussion started: 03/28/08 10:33:25 AM
Latest comment: 05/19/08 05:42:00 PM
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[1-9]
1.
I want to comment.
"The dollar (via) is looking strong."
As more news comes out, i get the feeling that nvidia knows something about Isaiah that we dont.
[Posted by: Joz | Date: 03/28/08 10:33:25 AM]
2.
Hi,
there are 2 errors in the article:
a) VIA dessoved his chipset division, there is no new development of VIA chipsets.
b) VIA has officially its own bus, that is correct, however, it is based on Intels P4 quad-pumped PSB, therefore I assume that it is quite easy for nvidia to develop a chipset for it. Actually I guess that the current nv-intel chipsets would run. In any case, definitly no "considerable redesign"
cheers
Alex
[Posted by: Alex | Date: 03/28/08 12:12:27 PM]
+ expand thread (2 answers)
- collapse thread
You sir, are in error. Inteligence DENIED!
1. VIA still has a chipset division, but ONLY for its own CPUs.
2. The VIA V4 bus is not based off of Intel's bus. It is unique.
Shall't I summon you a teacher schooled in the great arts of LEARN TO DO SOME FUCKING RESEARCH, sir?
[Posted by: Joz | Date: 03/28/08 02:40:53 PM]
Who are you ? 25 year old teenager still sitting in high school ? Please mind your words, otherwise you appear quite uneducated to others ... if that's not your intention, that is.
a)
VIA's chipset division is dissolved and merged with the CPU division:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/chipsets/display/2008010309592 4_Via_Chipset_Market_Withdrawal_Rumours_Resurface.html
So officially, there is a chipset devision, correct, however the engineers already left last year:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/chipsets/display/2007090707251 6.html
Granted, there are "some" engineers left at VIA, however as it is already mentioned here, a small chipset business without high volume is a burden:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/chipsets/display/2008010309592 4_Via_Chipset_Market_Withdrawal_Rumours_Resurface.html
Therefore it makes sense to cancel the chipset division an use some low cost nvidia chipsets. However, this just makes sense, if nvidia could easily reuse intel chipsets, otherwise a 3rd party chipset development would be even more expensive than in-house development.
and indeed ....
b) the V4 bus is mechanically based upon AGTL+ bus. The hardware is compatible, differences are on the protocol level, only.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/mobile/display/20050518045045. html
Just think about it, why should VIA reinvent the wheel ? They just have to avoid patent infringements. That is easily done by using a slightly different protocol. It was the same in the late 1990s with the Cyrix cache bus, using a linear burst, vs. Intel uses a patented interleaved burst:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5862154.html
There are also VIA chipsets available which support both, Intel AGTL+ & VIA V4 bus:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/mobile/display/20050817203056. html
Do you really think that there are two totally different chipsets in the package ?
cheers
Alex
[Posted by: Alex | Date: 03/29/08 08:03:40 AM]
3.
go competition... if the chipsets are really tht good then i would consider buying a VIA processor...
[Posted by: nick | Date: 03/29/08 12:41:07 AM]
4.
Too bad they are just single-core,but it should still beat the hell
out of the anemic C7's[like Everex used in their gPC's].Maybe Isaiah
will become"the little chip that could".
[Posted by: 939 | Date: 03/29/08 04:50:48 AM]
5.
Hi, just to mention that VIA processors use Pentium 3 and Pentium 4 FSB... So nVidia will NOT have to considerably redesign existing core-logic sets to make them work with Via CPUs...
Perhaps you missed a page or two in CPU history?
Regards
[Posted by: Darkie | Date: 03/29/08 06:37:46 AM]
6.
Low cost means low profit margins, so Nvidia is either desperate or believes Isaiah will bi big or is trying to push VIA out of the market of chipsets for it's own CPUs so they can take them over more easily.
I find the first possibility improbable, and the second or the combination of second or third much more likely to be true.
[Posted by: Ivan | Date: 03/29/08 12:06:13 PM]
7.
More buggy Nv chipsets to hit the market................no thanks
[Posted by: alpha0ne | Date: 03/29/08 11:59:25 PM]
8.
MCP79 for VIA:
http://www.vr-zone.com/articles/Nvidia_Prepares_MCP79_Chips et_For_VIA_Isaiah_CPUs/5671.html
MCP79, are these that chipsets:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/mcp_intel_techspecs.html ?
Alex
[Posted by: Alex | Date: 03/30/08 02:37:01 AM]
+ expand thread (1 answer)
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Finally! The VIA platform is growing some BALLS!
I'll hold out for a dual core Isaiah with Nvidia chipset! :-D
[Posted by: throi | Date: 03/30/08 02:37:10 PM]
9.
Intel and AMD don't need Nividia. They could cut them off and increase there own market shares. Nividia is simply getting ready just in case they do. There is alot of money to be got by doing this, don't be surprised if they already are doing something that Nividia knows about.
[Posted by: greg | Date: 05/19/08 05:42:00 PM]
[1-9]
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