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Microprocessor
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| Top Stories for June 7, 2000 (details below) | |
| Electronic Buyers' News | Intel delays Timna chip until Q1 2001, cancels Memory Translator Hub |
| C/Net |
Chips are down again for Intel: Gartner Viewpoint |
| Financial Times | Chip bug hurts Intel product |
| C/Net | Via gears up to battle Intel |
| Electronic Buyers' News | Via Technologies looks to Centaur subsidiary to propel processor road map |
| The Register Files | |
| The Register | Intel gives up on SDRAM version of Caminogate |
| The Register | Intel 815e bursts into early existence |
| The Register | Board makers wonder if AMD, VIA can keep up |
| Today's Related Stories | |
| EE Times | Intel delays Timna after finding glitch in Rambus component |
| ZDNet News | Intel's Timna processor delayed |
| Semiconductor Business News | Taiwan's Via debuts Cyrix III processor for PCs, notebooks, Internet appliances |
| eWEEK | Via offers new version of Cyrix III chip |
| Microprocessor
Headline News Collected By Robert R. Collins |
Week of June 4, 2000 |
Older News |
| June 7, 2000 | ||
Intel delays Timna chip until Q1 2001, cancels Memory Translator HubBy Mark Hachman June 6, 2000 |
Intel Corp. here said it has canceled the controversial Memory Translator Hub (MTH) component, and the delay will push out the company's Timna integrated processor until the first quarter of 2001.
According to a spokesman for Intel, the company discovered that certain combinations of temperature and signals caused errors in the MTH, the component that has currently caused a recall of all Intel and third-party-manufactured motherboards which integrate it. Previously, Intel said it was designing a replacement, due sometime in the third quarter. Now, that chip has been canceled, pushing out the Timna chip in its wake. |
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Chips are down again for Intel:
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Without question, Intel's latest chip delay exacerbates the company's already bruised credibility in terms of delivering products on time.
As with its 820 and 840 integrated chipsets, Intel has been forced to use technology for Timna that is outside initial design specifications--a challenge that has been at the heart of Intel's continued chip flaws. |
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Chip bug hurts Intel productBy Tom Foremski June 6 2000 |
Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, said it had delayed the introduction of a low-cost microprocessor as Via Technologies, a leading Taiwan personal computer chip company, on Tuesday introduced a competing chip.
The delay in Intel's microprocessor, code-named Timna, is related to a major bug in one of its memory chip controller devices, which forced the company recently to recall about 1m PC boards and report a charge against earnings. |
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Via gears up to battle IntelBy Michael Kanellos June 6, 2000 |
Chipmaker Via Technologies introduced a new round of microprocessors for low-budget PCs today, as the company's CEO predicted that Via has a chance to pass Intel to become the leader in chipsets.
The company introduced a new version of its Cyrix III processors at the Computex trade show here this morning. Running at speeds between 533 MHz and 667 MHz, the new processors are priced between $75 and $160 and will be targeted at budget PCs and notebooks. |
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Via Technologies looks to Centaur subsidiary to propel processor road mapBy Mark Hachman June 6, 2000 |
Via Technologies Inc. has shifted its product development to the microprocessor core it acquired from Centaur Technology, apparently the final blow to its Cyrix Corp. processor subsidiary.
At the Computex 2000 trade show in Taiwan yesterday, Via announced a "new version" of the Cyrix III chip, designed by its Centaur team in Austin, that runs at speeds from 533 to 667 MHz. While Via executives were unavailable for confirmation, the chip is believed to contain the WinChip 4 core developed by Centaur. |
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The Register Files |
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Intel gives up on SDRAM version of CaminogateBy Andrew Thomas June 6, 2000 |
As we reported earlier today, MTH flaw forces Intel Timna delay Intel has moved the entry level Timna system on a chip out to Q1 2001 due to an inability to make the accursed memory translator hub (MTH) work properly. Chipzilla is now working on a new memory interface – wisely dropping the MTH nomenclature – enabling Timna to support SDRAM. An Intel Europe spokesman refused to be drawn on the memory specification, saying only that Timna would work with 'widely available' SDRAM technology, which could mean either PC100 or PC133 – our money's on the latter. |
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Intel 815e bursts into early existenceBy Mike Magee June 6, 2000 |
The official launch date of Intel's 815e chipset is the 19th of this month but you can forget all that because at the Computex trade show there's stacks of the pesky things.
And not just 815e mobos, but boards of the i820e and the i810e flavour too, over at Intel's stand arranged in a humungous wall display. According to the motherboard manufacturers displaying these items, while they are all still held to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for the i815e, Intel has given them especial permission not only to show their own offerings but also to give samples for review and generally dish the details they want. |
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Board makers wonder if AMD, VIA can keep upBy Mike Magee June 6, 2000 |
Customers are crying out for Athlons based on the latest KT-133 Via chipset, but can Via pump out the volumes?
Motherboard manufacturers at the Computex trade show today expressed concern with VIA's ability to match demand. AMD launched its Thunderbird Athlons on Monday, but a source at a major mobo manufacturer said today that it had been encouraged to launch designs based on a Via solution rather than one from the microprocessor company. |
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Today's Related Stories |
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Intel delays Timna after finding glitch in Rambus componentBy Will Wade June 6, 2000 |
Intel Corp. has delayed the rollout of its highly integrated Timna processor by as many as two quarters, after the company confirmed that a supporting component linking the Rambus memory controller to standard synchronous DRAM
(SDRAM) devices is flawed.
While the company does not expect the delay to hurt revenues for the rest of the year, the move is yet another pothole in the bumpy road of deploying Rambus memory technology. |
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Intel's Timna processor delayedBy John G. Spooner June 6, 2000 |
Intel Corp. will delay the introduction of its Timna processor for value PCs until the first quarter of 2001.
The delay is due to problems with a component called a |
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Taiwan's Via debuts Cyrix III processor for PCs, notebooks, Internet appliancesJune 6, 2000 |
Via Technologies Inc. here today introduced its new Cyrix III processor, which operates at 533- to 667-MHz speeds for desktop systems and mobile computers. The new microprocessor is compatible with the Socket 370 interface and features Via's Dynamic Power Caching Architecture.
The new PC processor is aimed at next-generation "value" PCs, ultra-light notebook systems, and Internet Appliances, said Wen Chi Chen, president and CEO of the Taiwan chip company, which unveiled the Cyrix III during the Computex 2000 trade show in Taipei. |
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Via offers new version of Cyrix III chipBy Ken Popovich June 6, 2000 |
Via Technologies Inc. today announced a reworked version of its Cyrix III processor designed for use in low-cost PCs.
Known primarily in the United States as a manufacturer of chip sets, the Taiwan-based company launched its first microprocessors in February. The processors are designed to compete in the budget PC market, with the company initially focusing its energies on garnering a share of the rapidly growing Asian market. |
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| June 6, 2000 | ||
Intel delays release of Timna due to component glitchBy Ian Fried June 5, 2000 |
Intel has delayed by several months the launch of integrated processor, code-named Timna, because it needs to develop a new method to connect the integrated processor to standard memory.
The delay, from the second half of this year until the first quarter of 2001, is related to problems with a component known as a memory translation hub (MTH) that allows Intel processors designed for specialized Rambus memory to instead use traditional synchronous memory. |
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IBM to demo Transmeta-based notebook at PC ExpoBy Ian Fried June 5, 2000 |
IBM said today that it plans to show off a ThinkPad notebook based on a processor from upstart Transmeta at a trade show later this month.
A spokeswoman for Big Blue said the laptop to be shown at PC Expo in New York is only a technology demonstration. IBM, she said, is considering offering Transmeta-based models later this year. |
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AMD debuts new chips, eyes corporate marketBy Michael Kanellos and Stephanie Miles June 5, 2000 |
Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices today debuted a high-performance version of its Athlon processor.
As expected, AMD today introduced Thunderbird, the code name for the newest Athlon chip. The new chip is essentially an enhanced version of the Athlon, a line of processors that has been credited with turning the company's fortunes around. Its release is expected to spark a new round of competitive battles with Intel. |
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AMD debuts Athlon processorsBy Ken Popovich, eWeek and John G. Spooner June 5, 2000 |
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is looking to further chip away at Intel Corp.'s share of the retail market with the announcement Monday of 15 new processors, including the first copper-wired Athlons and a new low-cost chip, the
Duron.
Leading the assault are 12 new Athlon processors, known by the code name Thunderbird, that are being offered at six clock speeds and in two packaging configurations at speeds of up to 1GHz (1,000MHz). |
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Taiwan's computer makers size up Intel's new 820E chipsetBy Faith Hung June 5, 2000 |
Intel Corp. unveiled an update to its 820 chipset today, promising improved performance and flexibility for the desktop market segment.
The chipset, dubbed the 820E, features a new I/O Controller Hub, the ICH2, and uses the same Direct Rambus DRAM Memory Controller Hub as the original 820 chipset, Intel spokesmen said here at the Computex 2000 trade show, the largest computer show in Asia. |
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SDRAM makers explore new techniques to push DDR bandwidthBy Jack Robertson June 5, 2000 |
They may not be making the same advances in clock speed as their counterparts in the microprocessor arena, but DRAM makers are promising their customers samples later this year that will improve throughput by up to 50%.
Even as suppliers ramp up double-data-rate SDRAM this summer, manufacturers say new techniques will quickly supplant the 2.1-Gbyte/s bandwidth of their PC2100 DDR modules with PC2600 devices able to deliver throughput of 2.6 Gbytes/s. By year's end, that speed could increase to 3.2 Gbytes/s, although volumes will likely be limited, according to observers. |
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The Register Files |
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Return of the Son of CaminogateBy Andrew Thomas June 5, 2000 |
Intel's revamped i820E chipset starts shipping today, a couple of weeks earlier than expected. Featuring a new ICH2 I/O controller hub supporting four USB ports, the 820E also has an integrated LAN controller, dual Ultra ATA/100 IDE controllers and Dolby surround-capable six-channel audio.
The new chipset uses the same RDRAM Memory Controller Hub (MCH) found on the original 820, meaning there will still be a maximum of two RIMM slots on the mobo. A reworked (aka functional) Memory Translator Hub (MTH), enabling SDRAM support is still on track for Q3, said an Intel Europe spokesman. |
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1GHz Thunderbird shipping todayBy Andrew Thomas June 5, 2000 |
As predicted by The Register last week, Thunderbirds are go! AMD today duly unveiled the Thunderbird variant of its Athlon processor at Computex in Taiwan earlier today.
The chip comes in six flavours – 1,000 MHz at $990; 950 MHz at $759; 900 MHz at $589; 850 MHz at $507; 800 MHz at $359; and 750 MHz at $319. An AMD Europe spokesman said that all six frequencies are available for immediate delivery. Intel has announced a 1GHz part – coincidentally also priced at $990 - which will not be available until Q3. The slower Tbirds are priced slightly below the Intel equivalents. |
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| June 5, 2000 | ||
AMD's Thunderbird Takes Flight
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Advanced Micro Devices seems to have erased the last, small performance edge enjoyed by Intel's high-end desktop CPUs. AMD's Thunderbird, which debuts on Monday, features an integrated level-2 memory cache, a design trick that buys more performance at no cost to the customer.
Systems powered by the Thunderbird, a catchy code name that AMD is changing to "Athlon with |
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SiS unveils single chip with 3C technology for AMD Athlon processorsJune 2, 2000 |
SiS has rolled out its new integrated single chip for high performance PCs built on the AMD (Advanced Micro Devices Inc.) platform.
The SiS730S is built on the SiS630 and integrates the north bridge chip, the south bridge chip and an enhanced 128-bit 3D graphics accelerator (SiS300) into a single chip. It includes a 56K modem, fast Ethernet and 1/10Mbit Home PNA and IDE ATA100. It also provides hardware DVD playback, flexible dual view display and 3D positional audio, the Taiwanese chipmaker said. |
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Intel chip will be bigger, more expensive to makeBy Ian Fried June 2, 2000 |
Intel's upcoming Willamette processor eventually will reach speeds beyond 2 GHz, but the size of the chip is raising questions about how much it will cost to make.
Willamette, Intel's next-generation desktop processor expected to emerge later this year, will debut at 170 square millimeters, according to estimates from analysts. At that size, it will be 60 percent larger than today's Pentium III. While the larger size will allow Intel to pack more transistors onto the chip and add more features, it also means fewer chips can be produced out of a single wafer, which raises Intel's costs. |
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Alliance Poses Serious Challenge to Microsoft, IntelBy Charles Piller May 31, 2000 |
Gateway will use Transmeta chips, Linux software as it tries to take the lead in promising Net appliance market.
Gateway Inc.'s announcement Tuesday that it will use a microprocessor from Transmeta Corp. and the Linux operating system to power a new line of Internet appliances is the latest sign that Microsoft and Intel face serious competition in an emerging world where PCs compete against more simple devices. Gateway's products, under development in partnership with America Online, are due out this year. They will be designed for easy Web surfing and e-mail, such as wireless touch-screen-based Web pads. |
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The Register Files |
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Intel withdraws boxed Xeons, admits 933MHz CuMine problemsBy Mike Magee June 4, 2000 |
Just as love goes with marriage [seen the divorce figures, Ed?], and the Moon is a balloon, so Intel's long suffering distributor and dealer channel get the thin end of the wedge when supplies of CuMines and Celerwhines are being doled out -- as this internal document leaked to us by an Intel employee -- proves.
The highlights? Refunds on boxed Xeons because of lack of motherboard support, 933MHz has thermal problems which may take until the end of June to solve, supply is tight. And for tight, read tight. Originally, Intel was talking Q3 for good supplies but that now extends to the whole of the second half of this year. Nevertheless, for the dealers, there's jam tomorrow as AMD introduces it's T'Bird Athlons... |
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Incoming! - Intel goes launch crazyBy Andrew Thomas June 2, 2000 |
It'll be a busy month for Chipzilla as it launches a whole slew of new products that it doubt hopes will take the shine off the arrival of AMD's Thunderbird and Duron processors.
The Solano i815 and i815E chipsets aren't even here yet and they're already getting rave reviews, albeit by being compared extremely favourably with the chipset you love to hate, the Caminogate i820. With ATA100, four USB ports, six AC97 channels and inbuilt networking, the E variant has the improved I/O controller hub, ICH2, as will its big brother, the i820E. |
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