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| Top Stories for May 31, 2001 (details below) | |
| C/Net | AMD server chips face tough audience |
| C/Net | Itanium scores high in performance tests |
| EE Times | Rambus loses another court battle |
| EBN | JEDEC adopts standard for DDR333 |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
| The Inquirer | Intel warns of chip shortages |
| The Inquirer | AMD Hammer to hurt ALi, SiS, Via |
| The Inquirer | Intel launches Itanic again |
| The Inquirer | Itanic benchmarks up on site |
| The Inquirer | ATI + Intel = Love |
| The Inquirer | Via denies chipset bug |
| Microprocessor
Headline News Collected By Robert R. Collins |
Week of May 27, 2001 |
Older News |
| May 31, 2001 | |
AMD server chips face tough audienceBy John G. Spooner May 30, 2001 |
Advanced Micro Devices will try to reach out to new customers
next month with a line of Athlon processors aimed at
workstations and servers, but hardware makers so far are
passing on the chips. IBM and Compaq Computer both have said they have no plans to adopt the new 1.2GHz and 1.3GHz Athlon chips and the accompanying 760MP chipset that allows the processors to be used in dual-processor machines. Analysts say it's not surprising for server makers to turn up their noses at any new chip, even one from Intel. |
Itanium scores high in performance testsBy Stephen Shankland May 30, 2001 |
Even though Intel's new Itanium chip arrived years late, some
of its performance numbers have drawn qualified praise from
industry analysts. Two key chip speed measurements using standards set by testing organization Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC) show the 800MHz Itanium in some cases neck-in-neck with Sun Microsystems' newest UltraSparc III chip and in some cases soundly beating it. Sun is Intel's chief competitor when it comes to trying to win a place for Itanium, a chip Intel announced Tuesday. |
Rambus loses another court battleBy Will Wade May 30, 2001 |
Rambus Inc. has lost another round in its ongoing legal
campaign against several major memory chip vendors. A judge in
an Italian court has refused to grant the company's request
for an injunction that would bar the Italian subsidiary of
Micron Technology Inc. from producing certain types of SDRAM. The decision comes shortly after a jury in a Virginia court found that Infineon Technologies AG was not violating Rambus' patented technology — which may play a key role in other lawsuits Rambus is pursuing. |
JEDEC adopts standard for DDR333By Jack Robertson May 30, 2001 |
JEDEC Tuesday announced that a new industry standard has been
adopted for DDR333, the highest yet approved for double data
rate 167-MHz clock rate SDRAMs. The DDR333 standard memory chips will be used in a new PC2700 module package called a MicroDIMM with a peak throughput of 2.7-gigabytes/second on 64-bit or 72-bit bus lines. The MicroDIMM is a new smaller package of roughly 1 inch by 2 inches. |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
Intel warns of chip shortagesBy Mike Magee May 30, 2001 |
A REPORT IN THE TAIWANESE press said that the manager in
charge of Intel Taiwan has warned of a shortage of
semiconductors which could hit as early as September this
year. HY Wu was speaking to the Taiwan-based Economic News, which cites him as saying the reason for the shortfall is increased demand for computers from Red China. But Wu also reckons, the piece claims, that despite massive IT job cuts in the US, that market will start recovering around the time the leaves start going that nice russety colour. |
AMD Hammer to hurt ALi, SiS, ViaBy Cameron Rogers May 30, 2001 |
THE INTEGRATION of core logic into the processor itself could
have dire effects on third party chipset manufacturers, like
Taiwan's VIA Technologies, Acer Labs, and Silicon Integrated
Systems. AMD has committed to providing its K8 'Hammer' line of processors with an integrated memory controller and HyperTransport link to other processors and South Bridge components. This could greatly decrease the value of chipsets, as many of the functions normally assumed by the north bridge will be fulfilled by the components integrated onto the processor die itself. |
Intel launches Itanic againBy Mike Magee May 29, 2001 |
AS PREDICTED HERE AND in another place for at least the last
five years, Intel has once again launched the Itanic (Merced)
64-bit microprocessor. Yes, the Unobtanium has become the Obtainium. It will be manned by a motley crew of hardware and software partners as it commences its long journey out of dry dock and into deep corporate waters. |
Itanic benchmarks up on siteBy Mike Magee May 29, 2001 |
CHIPZILLA IS BEATING ITS CHEST wildly at the way its Itanic (ium)
processor is thrashing a Sun Ultrasparc processor. Over at this page, there are "comparative" bar charts which appear to show just how excellent its 64-bit chip is, when compared to Sun's offerings. Intel has a grudge against Sun. But the really interesting comparison would be the same benchmarks of an Intel Itanic up against an Intel Xeon, a comparison which we are unable to find right now. |
ATI + Intel = LoveBy Fuad Abazovic May 30, 2001 |
WE ALL KNOW that ATI and Intel have a special agreement but
few of us know what kind of cooperation we are talking about. ATI's chipset will be an Intel chipset and may the technology god bless both of them, along with the Pearly King, the Pearly Queen, and the Old Bamboo. According to ATI, it has had a very close cooperation with La Intel for many a year. Implementing state-of-the-art 3D graphics technology often demands advancements in the PC system architecture itself, and ATI continues to work closely with all the key companies in the PC industry who are involved in shaping the future of the PC architecture. |
Via denies chipset bugBy Cameron Rogers May 28, 2001 |
VIA DENIES THERE IS A FURTHER bug with its chipsets. Chip Online had claimed that problems had been discovered in certain steppings of the VIA VT8363A North Bridge, in this story. Via previously had a problem with an element of its best selling KT133A chipset but claims this time there's no such problem. |
| May 29, 2001 | |
Intel finally unwraps the ItaniumBy Jack Robertson May 25, 2001 |
After years of delay, Intel Corp. on Tuesday will formally
introduce its 64-bit Itanium microprocessor, offering the
high-end enterprise server sector its first look at a
commodity-based architecture. Several server OEMs, including Dell Computer, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM, are expected to concurrently unveil systems using Intel's first 64-bit chip to penetrate the high-end enterprise server and workstation market. |
With Merced in hand, OEMs await follow-onBy Jerry Ascierto and David Lammers May 25, 2001 |
Will the server industry's habit of "waiting for Itanium" now
become "waiting for McKinley"? Next week, Intel Corp. will roll out the long-anticipated and much-delayed Itanium architecture, its first commercial iteration of the IA-64 family, with an 800-MHz processor code-named Merced. And though large system OEMs are ramping two-, four- and 16-processor computers for imminent introduction, many of them are opting to wait a little longer for the superior McKinley chip, the next Itanium generation, to launch more complete product lines. |
Intel set to rattle server market with ItaniumBy John G. Spooner May 25, 2001 |
At long last, Intel will lift the veil of silence next week
from its Itanium chip, setting off a new round of competition
in the market for servers and advanced workstation PCs. Intel on Tuesday will announce that it has started shipping of production versions of the 64-bit chip, according to sources familiar with Intel's plans. Itanium workstations and servers will begin hitting the market as soon as next month, the sources said. |
Intel prepares new PIIIsBy Paul Grant May 27, 2001 |
Intel is paving the way for the July launch of its new Pentium
III chips, built on 0.13 micron technology, by further
trimming the prices of its current Pentium III range. It has
also released new low-power chips to compete with Transmeta's
Crusoe processor. The result could be lower prices for desktop
and mobile computers for corporates. Seven processors based on 0.13 micron technology, codenamed Tualatin, are planned, five designed for mobile devices. They will go head-to-head against the recently launched Athlon 4 chips from AMD. The mobile processors will run at speeds of 1.13GHz, 1.06GHz, 1GHz, 933MHz and 866MHz, and feature a larger 512kB Level 2 cache along with a 133MHz front-side bus. |
Intel co-founder Moore retires, predicts new fields will fuel faster processorsBy Mark LaPedus May 25, 2001 |
Intel Corp. co-founder Gordon Moore here on Thursday
officially retired and stepped down from the company's board.
The semiconductor legend will continue to serve as chairman
emeritus and director emeritus for Santa Clara-based Intel. Speaking to reporters after Intel's annual shareholders meeting on Thursday, Moore said he has no plans to slow down after a long and brilliant career in the semiconductor industry. |
Via rolls out processor line with small, low-cost EBGA packageMay 25, 2001 |
Taiwan's Via Technologies Inc. here today announced an
x86-based microprocessor line that features a new, low-cost
package. Available at speed grades up to 733-MHz, the new VIA C3 E-Series microprocessor line from Via comes in a small EBGA package. Applications for the chip include low-cost PCs, digital set-top boxes, embedded systems, and other products. |
AMD strikes 'alliance' with Transmeta, licenses 64-bit and bus technologiesMay 25, 2001 |
In a move to increase competition with Intel Corp. in PC
processors, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. today announced it has
licensed the company's 64-bit x86-64 technology and
HyperTransport chip-interconnect format to microprocessor
startup Transmeta Corp. Transmeta, in nearby Santa Clara, plans to use AMD's technologies in future x86-compatible processors to extend its product line from 32-bit to 64-bit computing. AMD and Transmeta described their licensing agreement as an alliance to promote next-generation microprocessor standards. |
Transmeta taps AMD's 64-bitBy Will Wade May 25, 2001 |
Transmeta Corp. has struck a licensing deal with Advanced
Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) to use AMD's 64-bit microprocessor
architecture and proprietary HyperTransport bus design. The
deal will bolster Transmeta's efforts to gain a foothold in
the server market and increase AMD's clout in processors, as
its technology migrates into more systems. Under the agreement, AMD will pass on to Transmeta all the intellectual property required to develop processors based on AMD's X86-64 technology, as well as the designs for the HyperTransport technology. Exact terms of the deal, including whether Transmeta will pay any royalties or a licensing fee, remain under wraps. |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
AMD implicated in Via-Nvidia battleBy Mike Magee May 27, 2001 |
THE Taiwan Economic News is now also reporting that Via will
sue Nvidia for alleged patent infringement, as we reported
earlier in the week. Quoting unnamed "industry sources", however, the newspaper is implicating AMD in the case. The report says that Via suspected AMD of transferring core chipset technologies from it to Nvidia. Nvidia will shortly demonstrate Crush 11 and Crush 12 chipsets at the Computex show in Taipei. |
Another VIA bug emerges?By Cameron Rogers May 28, 2001 |
PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED in certain steppings of the VIA
VT8363A North Bridge, Chip Online is reporting. This is the second major bug that has cropped up in as many months for VIA's best selling KT133A chipset. Apparently, VT8363A North Bridges with the stepping "1EA0" or "1EA4" are liable to the bug, which manifests itself as failure to warm reboot with a 133/266MHz bus Athlon installed. The problem appears spotty at best… many boards with the 'buggy steppings' are not exhibiting this behavior. |
PIII remarking spreads furtherMay 27, 2001 |
WE REPORTED LAST WEEK that the sinister spectre of chip
remarking has become rife in India, and now it appears it is
spreading its tentacles further afield. According to OC Workbench, the phenomenon has now hit South Korea. The site reports that Pentium III 65Es, which have a 100MHz front side bus (FSB), are being sold as Pentium 866EBs, with a 133MHz FSB. |
Intel P4 may reach 5GHz by next yearBy Mike Magee May 25, 2001 |
INTEL ROADMAPS we saw at the beginning of this month not only
showed that the firm was pressing ahead with Pentium 4
notebooks for the beginning of next year, but also that it
will easily hit 2.2GHz on Northwood by the end of this year,
and 2.4GHz by Q2 of next year. By that time, INTC hopes that the 2GHz Pentium 4 will occupy mainstream three - the $1,500 end of the market. |
Intel at RISC of fibbing over CISCBy the Letterredacteur May 27, 2001 |
YES, the letters are flying in as if it wasn't a holiday
weekend and quite a few make the same points as the chap below
on both RISCy platforms and other related INQ'y matters: I would like to add a few of my own rants to those of my peers.... [We think he means these rants, Ed.] #1 In the article "Now it's McKinley's turn to be late" [this one, Ed.], At the bottom, Mike Fister is quoted as saying his firm (Intel) has shipped more Merceds since it was introduced last year than the combined mass of the RISC community - 30,000+ parts. |
AMD havers over "Smart MP" nameBy Mike Magee May 27, 2001 |
RELIABLE SOURCES tell of AMD spin doctors and marketeers
infuriated beyond endurance by Inquirer and other leaks and
who have decided to change the Athlon 4 for Smart MP name only
a week before its launch at Computex in Taipei. The sources say that the platform, which will use Palomino core processors in a point-to-point system is strangely, or perhaps not so strangely, close to Alpha technology. |
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