Tuesday, February 19, 2008

S3 Graphics Releases Chrome 400 Series Graphics Cards

S3 Graphics today announced the S3 Graphics Chrome 400 Series discrete graphics processors, designed to provide the latest gaming experience for energy-efficient desktop systems and portable notebook PCs coupled with outstanding HD content playback at the highest performance-per-watt ratio ever.

Using proven low power 65nm process technology, S3 Graphics Chrome 400 Series processors will support the latest Microsoft DirectX 10.1 game engine and the PCI Express 2.0 bus technology, bringing superb performance and improved 3D gaming image and texture rendering in a remarkably power-efficient, low heat package. Using the breakthrough ChromotionHD 2.0 fully programmable video architecture for true HD quality 1080p playback for Blu-ray and HD-DVD content, the Chrome 400 Series graphics processor will offer a state-of-the-art cinematic experience while remaining cool under the hood. The ChromotionHD engine will support the latest HD standards including H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VC-1, WMV-HD, and AVS.

Deneb 45nm K10.5 works just fine


Image

Samples up and running


AMD has samples of K10.5 quad core codenamed Deneb for some time now and the big customers such as HP and Dell have already seen this baby.
It looks promising and it works, but this doesn’t mean that the production will go flawlessly. The first samples of K10 were finished in December 2006 and it didn’t help AMD solve the problems that occurred at launch in September 2007.
Intel's Nehalem is also taped out in some point in August 2007 but it doesn’t mean that Nehalem will be on schedule and executed flawlessly either, but it is more likely to happen. For AMD’s sake, we hope that Deneb 45nm K10.5 will come in early second half of 2008 and that it will work well as the company needs a big comeback in the CPU arena.
Deneb is the hope that can get K10 based marchitecture to over 3.0GHz and this the least AMD needs to compete with Intel’s Core 2 Extreme quad core generation.

Mobile 45nm Core 2 goes over 3GHz


Image

Intel has a new mobile CPU that for the first time is set to break 3.0GHz barrier. It calls its CPU Core 2 Extreme X9100 and it is a Penryn 45nm based product. It works with FSB 1066MHz and fits in cFCPGA / Socket P. The new CPU works at 3.06GHz, has 6MB of cache memory and it will be fastest of its kind.

Together with 6MB of cache it is just a slight increase in speed compared with already available 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme X9000 but the new X9100 has FSB 1066 and ought to be faster than FSB 800 based X9000 .
The launch is set for June and we bet it’s Computex.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Intel Integrates Wireless Support On A Single Chip

Intel has designed a chip that can receive and transmit WiMax and multiple Wi-Fi signals. Intel on Monday said it has designed a chip that can receive and transmit WiMax and multiple Wi-Fi signals and has developed other on-die technology to lower power consumption and reduce the size of the processor.

Intel researchers outlined the achievements in four research papers presented at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco. The papers reflect some of the technology that may one day find its way in Intel chips for use in future mobile Internet devices. What Intel says it has accomplished is the building of a die that supports WiMax and Wi-Fi a/g/n. In integrating a transceiver capable of handling multiple frequencies on a single chip, Intel has eliminated the use of a "front-end module," technology that performs the same function today on a separate die, Hossein Alavi, director of communications circuits at Intel labs, told InformationWeek. Eliminating the separate module would ultimately enable the building of a smaller processor with lower power consumption, two important attributes for portable Internet devices.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

PhysX Experiment: Nvidia Acquires Ageia

Nvidia made a surprise announcement, acquiring Ageia Technologies and its PhysX line of hardware and software. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.


Ageia’s sale comes almost five months after rival physics technology maker Havok was acquired by Intel. Nvidia’s acquisition puts an even stronger emphasis on physics-focused hardware and software for gaming and also gives the Intel-Nvidia combination a leg up on rivals AMD and ATI in the physics department (AMD had reportedly considered a bit for Ageia late last year). “The AGEIA team is world class, and is passionate about the same thing we are—creating the most amazing and captivating game experiences,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO of Nvidia, in a press statement. "By combining the teams that created the world's most pervasive GPU and physics engine brands, we can now bring GeForce-accelerated PhysX to hundreds of millions of gamers around the world.”


Nvidia will now have the benefit of Ageia’s PhysX hardware, or physics processing unit, as well as the company’s PhysX SDK middleware offering for game developers. Ageia’s technology is currently being used in more than 140 titles that have shipped or are currently in development for both the PC as well as the next generation consoles. Some notable titles include Gears of War, Medal of Honor: Airborne, Tom Clamcy’s Rainbow Six Vegas, and Unreal Tournament 3. Recently Ageia increased its efforts to provide PhysX-based mod tools for Unreal Tournament 3, including a special UT3 mod kit and brand new maps for the multiplayer shooter.

“Nvidia is the perfect fit for us. They have the world's best parallel computing technology and are the thought leaders in GPUs and gaming. We are united by a common culture based on a passion for innovating and driving the consumer experience,”said Manju Hegde, co-founder and CEO of Ageia, in a press statement.

Nividia said the acquisition remains subject to customary closing conditions.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Via Presents Isaiah Micro-Architecture

Via Technologies, a struggling designer of chipsets, graphics chips and microprocessors, announced recently its new family of microprocessors that offer high clock-speeds, 64-bit capability, out-of-order execution along with promised tangible performance improvements. It remains to be seen whether single-core microprocessors will be able to compete against modern chips from AMD and Intel.


“Today is an exciting day for everyone at Centaur. With a team of less than one hundred first-class engineers, we have created from scratch the world’s most power-efficient x86 processor architecture with state of the art features, outstanding performance, and flexible scalability for the future,” said Glenn Henry, president of Centaur Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of Via Technologies that develops microprocessors.

Via Isaiah is the first x86 processor from Via Technologies that features 64-bit instruction set along with a superscalar and out of order execution engine, macro-fusion and micro-fusion functionality, advanced branch prediction mechanism, advanced floating point unit as well as support for virtualization technology and Via PadLock security engine.

Since Via Technologies has been concentrating primarily on low-power central processing units (CPUs) recently, the new chips that belong to the Isaiah family will also feature Adaptive PowerSaver Technology that further reduces power consumption and improve thermal management, including the unique TwinTurbo dual-PLL implementation, which permits smooth transitions between activity states within one clock cycle, ensuring always-on service and minimize latency, as well as new mechanisms for managing the die temperature.

The first Isaiah processors will support clock-speed up to 2.0GHz, will use 800MHz – 1333MHz processor system bus (PSB) and will be pin-to-pin compatible with Via C7 chips. The CPUs will have two 64KB L1 caches and 1MB exclusive L2 cache with 16-way associativity.

Processors implementing the Via Isaiah micro-achitecture are expected to start shipping in the first half of 2008 and will be manufactured using an advanced, low power 65nm process.

AMD 790GX chipset to replace discrete chipsets

AMD 790GX chipset to replace discrete chipsets? With integrated graphics support and CrossFire X support. We presume ATX boards with 2 PCIe full length slots with capabilities of CrossFire X (PCIe x 8 x2) and Hybrid CrossFire. It is said that it is capable of doing 3 way CFX using the on board 2*8 CF + UMA. Below is a description of the AMD 790GX aka RS780D.

Just when AMD 780G is selling like hot cakes in China, there is news of yet another chipset from AMD. This new chipset is known as AMD 790GX. Ths new 790GX chipset, also known as RS780D is integrated with Radeon HD 3300 graphics.

The AMD 790GX Chipset redefines 3D gaming on a mainstream PC. Enable ATI CrossFireX™ to enhance your gaming performance when playing the latest 3D games. The AMD 790GX Chipset is a gaming machine at an incredible value.

Experience AMD’s innovative ATI™ Hybrid graphics technology for scalable gaming action. Transform your gameplay with ATI CrossFireX™ powering two ATI Radeon™ graphics cards or plug in one graphics card to allow the AMD 790GX Chipset to boost your performance.

The AMD 790GX Chipset allows you to immerse yourself in a full HD cinematic experience at home while enabling a quiet entertainment PC. Enjoy more vibrant colors and lifelike picture quality with ATI Avivo™ HD. Get a full HD experience on your computer at an irresistible value.

The AMD 790G Chipset lets you connect to a wide range of the latest HD panels by supporting numerous display technologies. Take advantage of ATI SurroundView™ technology to support up to six monitors when you plug in two Radeon™ graphics cards. The 790G Chipset lets you attach your PC effortlessly to a myriad of storage and entertainment devices for a better user experience.

Be amazed by fast download times when storing, accessing and sharing digital data. Personalize your PC experience with AMD OverDrive™. Get state-of-the-art overclocking**, along with advanced system monitoring and amazing control options. With settings for novice to enthusiast users—tune your system easily, in real time.

ASIC Name Chipset Marketing Name
Chipset Brand Graphics Brand
RS780D AMD 790GX Chipset ATI Radeon™ HD 3300 graphics
RS780 AMD 780G Chipset ATI Radeon™ HD 3200 graphics
RS780C AMD 780V Chipset ATI Radeon™ 3100 graphics
RS740 AMD 740G Chipset ATI Radeon™ 2100 graphics