by Anton Shilov
11/25/2002 | 09:27 AM
We told you on Tuesday that Intel planned to launch more powerful versions of its Pentium 4 processors with 800MHz Quad Pumped Bus and Hyper-Threading enabled in the second quarter next year (see this news-story). Because of this fact, the company also had to update the specifications of their upcoming Springdale core-logic that is now said to support 800MHz processor bus and dual-channel DDR400 memory. By now, Taiwan-based chipset makers also revised their plans in order to meet the specifications of the new Pentium 4 “Northwood” processors.
According to a report over DigiTimes, VIA Technologies plans to be the first one to announce core-logic for Socket 478 platforms with 800MHz PSB support. The P4X600 chipset will appear in the first quarter next year and the company will let its VPSD subsidiary and maybe some other manufacturing partners to declare 800MHz Quad Pumped Bus as well as dual-channel DDR400 support via overclocking. It means that although they can provide 800MHz processor bus speed, they do not want to guarantee this simply because the new processors will not be available by the time P4X600 (or should I call this version as P4X600A?) hits the market. <%BANNER[article]%>
ALi Corporation, who still has not managed to start selling its M1681 core-logic, now wants to “upgrade” it with dual-channel memory controller and 800MHz QPB support. Currently they say that the novelty will be available in the second quarter next year.
SiS will also launch an updated version of their SiS648 with single-channel DDR400 controller and 800MHz Quad Pumped Bus support in the first quarter 2003, though, this was not confirmed by the company’s representatives. More powerful SiS655 incarnation with dual-channel memory controller with DDR400 memory support and 800MHz Pentium 4 processor bus will make its appearance in the second quarter, approximately, at the same timeframe with Intel’s Springdale chipset.
At the moment there is no information if Intel plans to take additional licensing fees from ALi and SiS for the more powerful Quad Pumped Bus versions or not. The rumours that are circulating around the Web also allude that Intel may withdraw the license on advanced QPB from SiS (see this news-story) next year.