Microprocessor
Headline News

Top Stories for December 17, 1999 (details below)
EE Times	AMD demostrates 900 MHz chips
ZDNet News	Intel closes in on 1,000MHz chip
Electronic Buyers' News	Intel backs SDRAM for mobile systems in 2000
The Register Files
The Register	Rambus Intel contract set to expire
The Register	Intel Coppermines won't go in rockets... phew
The Register	First mobile RIMMs not expected until Q2

Microprocessor Headline News

Collected By Robert R. Collins

Week of December 12, 1999

Older News

December 17, 1999
AMD demostrates 900 MHz chips By Will Wade December 16, 1999 EE Times	Advanced Micro Devices Inc. has demonstrated two different versions of its Athlon microprocessor running at 900 MHz. One uses the company's standard 0.18-micron process with aluminum interconnects, while the second is produced at the same line width but comes from AMD's Dresden, Germany, fab and features copper interconnects. The news comes just days after reports that rival Intel Corp. has pushed up the release schedule for its 750 MHz and 800 MHz Pentium III chips. AMD's fastest chip currently available is the 750 MHz Athlon, and while Intel seems to have regained the lead in the megahertz race, industry observers have noted that the fastest Pentium III devices are in very short supply.
Intel closes in on 1,000MHz chip By John G. Spooner December 16, 1999 ZDNet News	Coming closer to breaking the next major chip barrier, Intel Corp. plans to disclose plans for a 1,000MHz Pentium III chip in February. The Santa Clara, Calif., chip maker will present a paper on the chip, which is based on its current Pentium III design, code-named Coppermine, at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference on Feb. 7.
Intel backs SDRAM for mobile systems in 2000 By Jack Robertson and Mark Hachman December 16, 1999 Electronic Buyers' News	Intel Corp.'s support of Direct Rambus DRAM in next-generation PCs has taken a surprising twist, as the company will now base its entire 2000 mobile computing platform upon synchronous DRAM, industry sources said. Earlier this week, sources said Intel has pulled the plug on Greendale, which was to be the company's first mobile chip set with support for Direct Rambus memory, and will instead look to devices that interface with PC100 and PC133 SDRAM.
The Register Files
Rambus Intel contract set to expire By Mike Magee December 16, 1999 The Register	Sources have told The Register that the 10th of January 2000 is an extremely important day for the Intel-Rambus partnership. On that date, Intel exclusivity with Rambus expires, allowing the chip giant to discuss other, alternative memory technologies. The clause in the contract means that Intel may get very excited by things such as double data rate (DDR) synchronous memory, and at the same time announce its Solano-II chipset has gone out for sampling.
Intel Coppermines won't go in rockets... phew By Mike Magee December 16, 1999 The Register	A source at a US defence firm has written us to re-assure the people of the world that they need not fear that missiles will use the elusive Coppermine microprocessor. That follows reports that we carried about an erratumnotbug found in some batches of the CuMine chip. The reader, who wishes to remain anonymous for entirely understandable reasons, said there is "absolutely zero chance" that Coppermines would get used in the control circuitry of missiles.
First mobile RIMMs not expected until Q2 By Mike Magee December 16, 1999 The Register	While Intel is still robustly in denial over the collapse of its Rambus strategy for notebook PCs, reliable sources have said that mobile RIMMs will not arrive in quantity until the second half of next year. According to a close Intel partner, companies will still manufacture SO-RIMMs for notebook machines, but technical and marketing issues are preventing the ramp from happening until later next year.
December 16, 1999
SDRAM to dominate Intel's 2000 mobile-PC roadmap By Jack Robertson and Mark Hachman December 15, 1999 Electronic Buyers' News	Intel Corp.'s support of Direct Rambus DRAM in next-generation PCs has taken an interesting twist, as industry sources now say the company is basing its entire 2000 mobile computing platform upon synchronous DRAM. Sources yesterday said Intel has pulled the plug on Greendale, the company's first mobile chipset to support Direct Rambus memory, and will instead look to devices that interface with PC100 and PC133 SDRAM.
The Register Files
Willamette, Foster 870 details leak By Mike Magee December 15, 1999 The Register	Sources have revealed some details about future Intel chip technologies Willamette and Foster. The former, which is IA-32 technology with large caches and clock speeds is slated to appear in the second half of next year with clock speeds greater than 1GHz. We are reliably informed that Willamette will have a 200MHz front side bus (FSB) and employ dual channels for Rambus technology.
Intel dismisses 'mobile Rambus dead' claims By Tony Smith December 15, 1999 The Register	Intel has denied that it has canned Rambus support in notebook computers -- despite claims from industry sources, cited by Electronic Buyer's News, to the contrary. According to the sources, Chipzilla's Greendale project is now dead. Greendale's remit was to develop a chipset to allow mobile PCs to use Rambus Direct DRAM. Intel, on the other hand, says it still plans to get a mobile Rambus chip-set out sometime next year. Or maybe the year after...
Intel will sample 800MHz Pentium IIIs next Monday By Mike Magee December 15, 1999 The Register	Chip giant Intel will provide samples of 800MHz Pentium IIIs to its OEMs at the beginning of next week and will also announce several flavours of other of its desktop processors. The 750MHz Pentium III parts which were intended for release in January next year, will also be announced, sources close to Intel's plans have confirmed. But although Intel is likely to make a very big splash about the fact that it has a 800MHz Coppermine part and also Coppermine 750MHz parts, the whole question of this announcement raises several important questions.
Lebanon no longer red at Intel By Mike Magee December 15, 1999 The Register	Reports on a Middle East wire have reported that the Lebanese government has snapped to its senses over a ban on the importation of Intel processors into the country. According to Arabia Online, the Lebanese ministry of finance has overturned the ban on Intel products, which was imposed many years ago, because the company has a fabrication plant in Israel. Customs officers imposed a ban on three containers of Intel products at the end of last week, despite the fact that they had turned a blind eye to the regulations in the recent past.
December 15, 1999
Intel reported to pull plug on Direct Rambus DRAM chipset for mobiles By Jack Robertson December 14, 1999 Electronic Buyers' News	Intel Corp. has pulled the plug on a project , code-named Greendale, to develop a chipset to support a mobile version of Direct Rambus DRAM, according to industry sources. An Intel spokesman, when asked about the veracity of this report, reiterated the company's policy of not commenting on unannounced programs in development. He said Intel still expects to see a mobile Direct Rambus chip come to market in 2000 or 2001, and added that the company will support all customer needs for mobile Direct Rambus DRAM.
Intel Aims To Regain Speed Title By By Marcia Savage December 14, 1999 Computer Reseller News	Intel Corp. is gunning to end the year ahead of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. in the megahertz race. Sources familiar with Intel's plans said the Santa Clara-based company will introduce 800MHz and 750MHz Pentium III chips next week. The speedy processors originally were scheduled for release early next year. One major computer manufacturer is ready to launch systems based on the new chips next week, sources said.
Intel to release 800-MHz chip early for symbolic victory By Michael Kanellos December 14, 1999 C/Net	Intel will announce 750-MHz and 800-MHz versions of the "Coppermine" Pentium III processors next week, according to sources, allowing the company to once again wrest the processor speed crown from AMD. Next week's announcement, however, will be symbolic to a certain extent and reflect the pressure Intel is experiencing in its core market. Few of the new chips, originally scheduled for the first quarter of 2000, have been shipped to PC makers, sources said, meaning consumers won't see many computers using them until next year.
December 14, 1999
Intel Makes Room For New Processors By Mark Hachman December 13, 1999 Electronic Buyers' News	Intel cut prices of some of its desktop and Xeon microprocessors yesterday, in what industry observers called a clearing of the decks for new processor introductions next week. According to OEMs and industry sources, Intel will formally announce three new desktop microprocessors next Monday: a 750-MHz Coppermine with a 100-MHz front-side bus; and two 800 MHz parts, one each with a 100- and 133-MHz bus interface. In what sources said was anticipation of the introductions, Intel yesterday nudged its top-of-the-line Coppermine chip prices slightly lower, on the order of 4 percent.
The Register Files
Intel making 800MHz-capable Pentium IIIs By Tony Smith December 12, 1999 The Register	Intel is already making Pentium III processors capable of operation at over 800MHz, it emerged yesterday. Speaking at the International Electron Devices conference, Chipzilla engineers described the modification the company has made to its 0.18 micron CMOS process. Afterwards, Tahir Ghani, an Intel senior engineer, said the company had "made Pentium III devices but not shipped yet", according to EE Times. He then said: "Some devices have shipped, but we haven't announced that yet... The clock frequency is better than 800 MHz."
Compaq avoids IA-64 question in Alpha push By Mike Magee December 13, 1999 The Register	The insiders at Digital, some of whom still remain after it was acquired by Compaq, are still asking long and hard questions about the future of Merced in the newly re-structured organisation. Although Jesse Lipcon, VP of Alpha strategy, who is in London today, took time out to remind people that, for example, the microprocessors are at the heart of scientific products worldwide, the strategy vis a vis Intel's up-and-coming Itanium-Merced project still remains unclear.
Transmeta confirms Crusoe launch date -- again By Drew Cullen December 13, 1999 The Register	Thanks to the readers who alerted us to today's big announcement (big in that it fills the screen) from Transmeta. The arch spin doctors of silicon have named 19 January as the public unveiling for the Crusoe microprocessor. Apparently, it creates a whole new world of mobility. Don't find out more at the Transmeta Web site. But if you check it out you may note a step or two forward in the design of Transmeta's famously minimalist Web site. That's right, they've added a couple of email contacts: one for job-seekers, the other for OEMs, resellers and the like.
December 13, 1999
Lebanon blocks import of Intel computers By Associated Press December 11, 1999 SiliconValley.com	Airport customs officials have blocked imports of computers using components from U.S.-based Intel because of a law that bans dealings with companies with links to Israel, local newspapers reported Saturday. As-Safir newspaper said that although Intel products have been entering Lebanon for more than 30 years, customs officials discovered only three days ago that the company was on the blacklist for doing business with Israel. A shipment of about 15 containers of Intel products has since been banned from entering the country, the paper said.
Intel flubs mobile Greendale chipset, moves on to Solano 2M December 10, 1999 Electronic Business Asia	Intel has been missing a few beats with chipsets supporting Direct Rambus memory in PCs. The latest news from several major notebook makers in Taiwan is that the US IC giant has killed its long-anticipated Greendale chipset for notebook PCs. Greendale was intended to support Rambus in portable PCs, but Intel quietly notified the Taiwan notebook makers in October of the project's cancelation. The Taiwanese manufacturers say that both technical and cost issues have led Intel to switch focus to an as yet unannounced mobile chipset, the Solano 2M.
Intel may alter mobile chipset plans related to Rambus December 10, 1999 Electronic News Online	While Intel has not talked about what chipset it will use for mobile computers in regard to Rambus, word has surfaced in Taiwan that the chipmaking giant will skip one chipset codenamed "Greendale" in favor of another codenamed "Solano 2M," reports Electronic Business Asia. "I can't tell you whether or not if Intel plans to use either of these," said Dan Francisco, an Intel spokesperson. He added that Intel has yet to discuss what chipset it will use for notebook PCs and other mobile systems. Several analysts who cover the chipset market could not be reached at presstime.
VIA Technologies takes wraps off Samuel CPU December 10, 1999 Electronic Business Asia	Following announcements of its Joshua processor, Taiwan's VIA Technologies has disclosed information on its follow-on Samuel CPU. The Samuel is essentially a migration of the Winchip 4 core which came from VIA's acquisition of the IDT Centaur division. Richard Brown, a spokesman for VIA in Taipei, confirmed that Samuel will run at clock speeds in the 500-700 MHz range and will most likely be fabbed by National Semiconductor with a 0.18 process. The resulting die size, coupled with low power consumption, should make it an ideal processor for embedded applications and information appliances, according to Brown.
VIA's November sales jump 101%, Samuel details emerge December 10, 1999 Electronic News Online	VIA Technologies recorded net sales of NT$ 2.0 billion ($65.3 million) for November 1999, the chipset maker revealed this week. Sales figures for November 1999 increased 101 percent compared to the year ago period. Meanwhile, on a year-to-date basis, sales increased 78 percent from January to November. Richard Brown, VIA's director of marketing, said that in addition to strong demand for PC133 products, VIA has received heavy interest in its 'Joshua' socket 370 processor and VIA Apollo KX133 chipset for the AMD Athlon."
AMD rolls out new K6-2Es, opens Athlon street price lead December 8, 1999 Electronic News Online	AMD rolled out four new versions of its AMD K6 2E embedded processor family this week and opened a lead in Athlon vs. Pentium III street pricing. The four embedded processors range in speeds up to 350MHz, including standard 350MHz and 333MHz versions and two low power versions at 333MHz and 300MHz. The 9.3 million transistor K6-2E processors support the 100MHz Super7 and Socket 7 platform-compatible infrastructure and are packaged in a 321-pin ceramic pin grid array (CPGA) using C4 flip-chip interconnection technology. AMD touts x86 software compatibility, chip sets, board designs, and development tools, which it says helps speed time to market, as a selling point for the processors.
Rambus to double speed, attack comms market By Will Wade December 10, 1999 EE Times	Rambus Inc., whose latest memory chips have barely begun to crack the desktop PC market, last week disclosed an ambitious road map for its high-speed architecture, including doubling the clock speed and expanding into non-PC markets that are likely to include communications. The RDRAM has been slow to ramp into PC designs because of yield problems among Rambus DRAM licensees and delays in the release of Intel Corp.'s 820 chip set, designed to interface with Rambus memory. In addition, some memory vendors are hedging their bets by shifting resources to the double-data-rate (DDR) DRAM architecture, which offers faster throughput than existing synchronous DRAM devices but has similar design constraints.

Microprocessor Headline News

Week of December 12, 1999

December 17, 1999

The Register Files

December 16, 1999

The Register Files

December 15, 1999

December 14, 1999

The Register Files

December 13, 1999

Microprocessor
Headline News