Third-Party Pentium 4 Chipsets
| SiS, the ALi Corporation, ATI, and VIA all produce chipsets for the Intel Pentium 4 and Celeron 4 processors. Although Intel's chipsets for the Pentium 4 have dominated the market up to this point, many of these chipsets offer unique features that are worth considering. The following sections discuss these chipsets by vendor. SiS Chipsets for Pentium 4 and Pentium DSiS offers several chipsets for the Pentium 4 and Pentium D, including integrated chipsets, chipsets for use with discrete video accelerator cards, and some that support Rambus RDRAM. Details of SiS's chipsets for the Pentium 4 are available in Tables 4.3235; chipsets for the Pentium D are listed in Tables 4.34 and 4.36. Unlike most of the chipsets SiS has created for the Pentium II/III/Celeron, the SiS chipsets for the Pentium 4 and Pentium D use one of several high-speed South Bridge equivalents (SiS 96x series Media I/O chips) instead of integrating North and South Bridge functions into a single chip. SiS North and South Bridge chips for the Pentium 4 and Pentium D use a high-speed 16-bit connection known as MuTIOL (Multi-Threaded I/O Link) instead of the slow PCI bus as with older chipsets.
Table 4.33 lists the SiS North Bridge chips for Pentium 4 processors with 800MHz FSB.
Table 4.34 lists the SiS North Bridge chips that support the dual-core Pentium D as well as Socket 775 Pentium 4 processors.
Table 4.35 lists the SiS Media I/O (South Bridge) chips referenced in Tables 4.3234.
SiS650/651 ChipsetsThe SiS650 and 651 chipsets enable Pentium 4 system builders to create low-cost systems with onboard video that can be enhanced with AGP 4x video cards at a later date. The integrated video features support for high-quality DVD playback and the optional SiS301B video bridge for TV-out and DVI LCD panels. Both chipsets also feature SiS's own MuTIOL technology for connecting the North Bridge and South Bridge chips with a three-layer high-speed (266MHz/533MBps bandwidth) data highway. The 650 and 651 both support SDRAM and DDR SDRAM, and the 651 adds support for DDR333 memory, the 533MHz system bus of the latest Pentium 4 processors, and hyper-threading in its B-stepping version. The 650's SiS961 South Bridge provides USB 1.1, ATA-100 (133 in its 961B version), AC'97 six-channel audio, and integrated Ethernet/HomePNA networking. The 651 also uses the newer SiS962 South Bridge, which provides ATA133 and USB 2.0 support. SiS645/645DXThe 645 family of SiS chipsets does not include the integrated graphics of the 650/651 family, but they are otherwise similar. They support SDRAM and DDR SDRAM, AGP 4x, and the high-speed MuTIOL North Bridge/South Bridge interface. The 645DX supports DDR333 memory, the 533MHz system bus, and the HT technologies found in the most recent Pentium 4 processors. Both the 645 and 645DX use the SiS961 South Bridge. SiS648/648FX/655/655FX/655TXThe SiS648 chipset is a development of the 645DX chipset, with the following differences:
The SiS655 chipset is essentially a dual-channel version of the 648, supporting up to 4GB of memory with DDR266/333 memory only. The SiS648FX chipset is a development of the 648 that supports 800MHz bus speeds of the Pentium 4. The SiS655FX is a development of the original SiS655 chipset with the following differences:
The SiS655TX is based on the SiS655FX but uses second-generation Advanced HyperStreaming Technology. SiS R658/R659The SiS R658 is the first SiS chipset ever to support Rambus RDRAM. Other features include
Essentially, the R658 is an RDRAM version of the 655 chipset, and, like the 655, it uses the SiS963 South Bridge. The R659 is based on the R658 with the following differences:
SiS661GX/SiS661FXThe SiS661GX is an integrated chipset with the following features:
The SiS661FX is an integrated chipset that is similar to the SiS661GX, but it supports Pentium D dual-core processors and Pentium 4 HT Technology processors up to 800MHz processor bus. SiS656/SiS656 FXThe SiS656 is the first SiS chipset to support PCI-Express and DDR2 memory. Thus, it is roughly similar to the Intel 915 series of Pentium 4 chipsets (shown earlier). Other features include
The SiS656FX is based on the SiS656 but offers a faster maximum FSB speed of 1066MHz. SiS649/SiS649FXThe SiS649 is a single-channel version of the SiS656. Its major features include
The SiS649FX is based on the SiS649 but offers a faster maximum FSB speed of 1066MHz and supports DDR2 667 or DDR 400 memory. ULi Electronics Chipsets for Pentium 4ULi Electronics (formerly known as ALi Corporation and Acer Laboratories) has produced several chipsets for the Pentium 4 and Celeron 4 processors. Tables 4.36 and 4.37 provide an overview of these chipsets, which are discussed in the following sections.
Table 4.37 provides an overview of the ALi South Bridge chips used in ALi Corporation's chipsets for the Pentium 4; some of these South Bridge chips also support the Athlon XP and Athlon 64 processors from AMD.
Aladdin P4 (M1671)The ALi Aladdin P4 was ALi's first Pentium 4-compatible chipset. Because it uses the same M1535-series South Bridge chips used by its earlier Pentium and Pentium II/III chipsets, the P4 is a traditional North Bridge/South Bridge solution. Thus, it relies on the slow (133MBps) PCI interface to carry data between the bridge chips. The P4's major features include the following:
The P4 is also available in a version for notebook computers: the ALADDiN-P4M, which uses the D1535+ South Bridge. M1681/M1683ALi's M1681 chipset for the Pentium 4 processor is the first ALi chipset to use the HyperTransport high-speed direct connection between North and South Bridge chips instead of relying on the PCI bus, as with previous designs. Its major features include
The M1683 chipset is based on the M1681 but supports the 800MHz system bus. M1685Although the M1685 chipset is numbered in series with ALi's earlier Pentium 4 chipsets, it represents a major departure from the M1681/M1683 generation. The M1685 is ALi's first chipset for the Pentium 4 to adopt PCI-Express and DDR2 memory. Its major features include
Although the M1685 North Bridge supports the same DDR2 memory and PCI-Express x16 technologies used by the latest Intel and SiS chipsets, the companion M1653 South Bridge lacks significant I/O support features, such as Serial ATA and ATA RAID. Thus, a motherboard using the M1685/M1563 chipset combination will not support the latest hard disks unless a discrete SATA host adapter chip is used. Some motherboards using the M1685 might use the newer M1567 (SATA RAID) or M1575 (SATA RAID 300MBps) South Bridge chips, either of which would be more satisfactory than the M1563. ATI Chipsets for Pentium 4ATI's original line of chipsets for the Pentium 4 integrate Radeon VE-level 3D graphics, DVD playback, and dual-display features with high-performance North Bridge and South Bridge designs. ATI uses its high-speed A-Link bus to connect its North and South Bridge chips. The Radeon IGP North Bridge chips for Pentium 4 include the ATI A4 family, comprised of
The Radeon 9x00 IGP family is ATI's second generation of chipsets for the Pentium 4. The 9x00 IGP North Bridge chips feature Radeon 9200-level graphics with DirectX 8.1 hardware support and support for multiple monitors. On the other hand, the companion IXP 300 South Bridge supports Serial ATA and USB 2.0 as well as six-channel audio. The Radeon 9x00 IGP family includes
ATI's current line of Pentium 4compatible chipsets includes the RC410 (integrates Radeon X300 3D graphics) and the RS400 (integrates Radeon X300 3D graphics and includes support for PCI-Express x16 video). Both are sold under the Radeon Xpress 200 brand name. Although ATI has made South Bridge chips in the past, its current Radeon Xpress 200 North Bridge chips can be paired with either ATI's own IXP 450 or ULi's M157x South Bridge chips. ATI's South Bridge chips include
Table 4.38 summarizes the major features of the North Bridge chips, and Table 4.39 summarizes the major features of the South Bridge chips used in ATI's integrated chipsets for the Pentium 4. The Radeon IGP 330 and 340 chipsets were not widely used in desktop computers and have now been discontinued.
VIA Chipsets for Pentium 4Although VIA Technologies produces a line of chipsets for the Pentium 4, it initially lacked a license from Intel for the Socket 478 interface. This slowed acceptance of VIA's chipsets by motherboard makers until VIA and Intel reached an agreement in April 2003. Before VIA received a license to the Socket 478 interface, it used its VIA Platform Solutions Division (VPSD) to produce Pentium 4compatible motherboards for sale under a variety of brand names. With the agreement between VIA and Intel, VIA's chipsets for the Pentium 4 are now being used by most of the major third-party motherboard makers. Tables 4.40 and 4.41 provide an overview of VIA's chipsets for the Pentium 4, including ProSavage chipsets with integrated graphics.
Table 4.42 lists the major features of the VIA South Bridge chips used in VIA's chipsets for the Pentium 4. Note that these same chips are also used by VIA chipsets for the AMD Athlon family of processors. All chipsets that use these South Bridge chips use VIA's high-speed V-Link interface between North and South Bridge chips. These chipsets connect to the VT1211 LPC (low pin count) or equivalent Super I/O chip for support of legacy devices such as serial, IR, and parallel ports and the floppy drive.
VIA Modular Architecture Platforms (V-MAP) for Pentium 4VIA's North and South Bridge chips for the Pentium 4 support VIA's Modular Architecture Platforms (V-MAP) designs, which enable motherboard designers to convert quickly to more advanced versions of a chipset because of a common pinout. The North Bridge chips used in all VIA Pentium 4compatible chipsets are all pin-compatible with each other, as are the 8233/8235/8237-series South Bridge chips. Thus, motherboards using these chipsets can be built in a variety of configurations. All these chipsets also support VIA's V-Link high-speed connection between the North and South Bridge chips. VIA Apollo P4X266 FamilyThe VIA Apollo P4X266 is its first chipset for the Pentium 4 and Celeron 4 processors, supporting AGP 4x, 4GB of RAM, and the 400MHz system bus used by early Pentium 4/Celeron 4 processors. The P4X266A improves the memory interface and queues more instructions (up to 12) in the processor bus interface to reduce latency and improve performance. The P4X266E adds support for the 533MHz bus used in the 2.53GHz (and faster) Pentium 4 processors. It also supports both the VT8233 and newer VT8235 series of South Bridge chips. ProSavage P4M266The VIA ProSavage P4M266 integrates the S3 Graphics ProSavage8 2D/3D graphics accelerators with the features of the P4X266 chipset. Unlike some other chipsets with integrated graphics, the P4M266 retains an AGP 4x slot, so users can upgrade to faster AGP 4x graphics in the future. The ProSavage8 core uses 32MB of system RAM for its frame buffer, supports AGP 8x bandwidth internally with 128-bit data paths, and features DVD DXVA Motion Compensation to improve the quality of DVD playback. In addition, it supports all members of the 8233 family of South Bridge chips. Apollo P4X400, P4X400A, and P4X533The VIA Apollo P4X400 chipset is an improved version of the short-lived P4X333. It's suitable for both server and workstation/desktop computer use, thanks to its support for up to 32GB of RAM and ECC memory. It also supports 400MHz and 533MHz system bus speeds and DDR memory up to 400MHz. It uses the VT8235 South Bridge, so it also supports the latest I/O standards (USB 2.0 and ATA-133). The P4X400A chipset features improved timings and support for DDR400 memory, supports HT Technology processors, and uses the VT8235 South Bridge. The P4X533 chipset is similar to the P4X400A but uses the VT8237 as its South Bridge chip, providing support for SATA and RAID as well as eight USB 2.0 ports and optional 7.1 audio. All three processors use the 8x V-Link connection (533MBps) between North and South Bridge chips. PT800/PM800/PT880/PM880The PT8xx-series chipsets are the first VIA Technologies chipsets to support the 800MHz processor bus versions of the Pentium 4. They use the VT8237R South Bridge chips (eight USB 2.0 ports, SATA, RAID, and optional 7.1 audio) or the new VT8251 (SATA 300 with NCQ, RAID 5, and integrated 7.1 audio). The major differences between these chipsets include
PT880 Ultra/PT894/PT894 ProThe VIA PT880 Ultra, PT894, and PT894 Pro are based on the PT880 chipset, with the following differences:
They use the VT8237R South Bridge chips (eight USB 2.0 ports, SATA, RAID, and optional 7.1 audio) or the new VT8251 (SATA 300 with NCQ, RAID 5, and integrated 7.1 audio). Figure 4.41 illustrates the PT894 Pro's block diagram. Figure 4.41. VIA's PT894 Pro chipset for the Pentium 4 combines dual-channel DDR/DDR2 memory support with dual PCI-Express video slots and the new VT8251 South Bridge. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EAN: 2147483647
Pages: 283
- The Second Wave ERP Market: An Australian Viewpoint
- Context Management of ERP Processes in Virtual Communities
- Data Mining for Business Process Reengineering
- Intrinsic and Contextual Data Quality: The Effect of Media and Personal Involvement
- Relevance and Micro-Relevance for the Professional as Determinants of IT-Diffusion and IT-Use in Healthcare
- Chapter IV How Consumers Think About Interactive Aspects of Web Advertising
- Chapter V Consumer Complaint Behavior in the Online Environment
- Chapter VI Web Site Quality and Usability in E-Commerce
- Chapter VIII Personalization Systems and Their Deployment as Web Site Interface Design Decisions
- Chapter XIII Shopping Agent Web Sites: A Comparative Shopping Environment