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Microprocessor
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| Top Stories for August 10, 2000 (details below) | |
| Financial Times | AMD completes chip design |
| The Register Files | |
| The Register | SiS airs Athlon integrated chip in public |
| Microprocessor
Headline News Collected By Robert R. Collins |
Week of August 6, 2000 |
Older News |
| August 10, 2000 | ||
AMD completes chip designBy Tom Foremski August 9, 2000 |
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), the chief competitor in microprocessors to Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, has completed the design of a 64-bit microprocessor that would challenge Intel's delayed Itanium chip.
It represents a further thorn in the side of Intel, which has lost some major PC customers to AMD. The X86-64 chip will provide AMD with entry into the lucrative server market and for high performance graphics workstations. |
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The Register Files |
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SiS airs Athlon integrated chip in publicBy Drew Cullen August 9, 2000 |
SiS has supplied the world with a fresh viewing of the SiS730s, an integrated single chip for the AMD Athlon and Duron platforms, in the run-up to launch day.
The SiS730S begins pre-production in September in its own 0.18 micron wafer fab. It is assembled in what SiS claims is the highest pin count (672) plastic BGA package in the world. The SiS730S costs US$42 for OEM quantities of 10,000 units. Already, there is a fairly hefty roster of confirmed OEMs on the SiS Web site, with Acer, Asus and PC Chips among heavyweight customers. |
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| August 9, 2000 | ||
AMD Downgraded over Profit WorriesAugust 8, 2000 |
Citing moderate desktop growth, a looming oversupply supply of flash memory and a slow transition from K6 to Duron, USB Piper Jaffray analyst Ashok Kumar today downgraded Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) to neutral from buy.
Although Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD introduced the Duron in June, it missed the back to school season because PC makers had already completed designing systems for that season. As a result, the Duron will only hit shelves in time for the holiday season. |
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Transmeta investigating Taiwan foundriesBy Matthew Broersma August 8, 2000 |
Upstart chip startup looks to increase production capacity as it takes on giant rivals Intel and AMD.
The chip startup taking on Intel may be getting into a whole new ballgame with factories-for-hire. Transmeta Corp. is testing the waters with Taiwan-based manufacturing plants, in a move that could eventually boost the company's capacity to manufacture its Intel-compatible chips for the featherweight laptop market. |
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The Register Files |
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Intel engineers AMD's success, Dham itBy Mike Magee August 8, 2000 |
If you fast flip back to The Register No. 18, dated 22 May 1995, you will find us reporting the exit of Intel senior VP Vinod Dham to Nexgen - the hi-tech firm which AMD finally bought and which helped catapult it into the big time.
Just two years later, we reported in issue No. 62 on the mysterious disappearance of Dham, although Dana Krelle - a Nexgeneer and who also worked for Intel in the past - helped us out in his absence. |
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| August 8, 2000 | ||
Transmeta running test chips in possible production expansionBy Michael Kanellos August 6, 2000 |
Processor start-up Transmeta is producing experimental samples of its Crusoe processor at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and other chip foundries in what could be the first stages of a larger manufacturing strategy for the company.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) has produced proof-of-concept versions of Transmeta's Crusoe chip, a low-powered chip designed for notebooks and Internet appliances, Transmeta representatives confirmed. Experimental versions of Crusoe have also been produced at United Microelectronics (UMC), TSMC's main rival in the contract chip manufacturing business. |
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Upstart Transmeta tries to break the rulesBy Mark Margevicius, Gartner Analyst August 7, 2000 |
Transmeta is attempting to change traditional thinking about microprocessor performance, compatibility and sellers, through Crusoe, a chip targeted at notebook and Internet appliance manufacturers.
Transmeta splits microprocessor functionality between simpler microprocessors and software through code-morphing. For example, hardware translation that simulates standard microprocessors is one such function. The result: chips are simpler, consume less power and cost less to manufacture. Crusoe even stores most commonly repeated instructions to bolster performance further. |
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Via's HDIT DDR chip set to support Intel, AMD processors in 2001August 7, 2000 |
Via Technologies Inc. here today disclosed details about its scaleable High-Bandwidth Differential Interconnect
(HDIT) architecture for a next-generation chip set supporting double data rate (DDR) memories in PCs and other computer systems.
The first Via Apollo HDIT chip set is scheduled to be available in sample quantities during the first half of 2001. Via Technologies said the new chip set will be implemented for high-end desktop PCs, workstations, and server applications, supporting microprocessors from both Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. |
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SiS Announces Single-Chip Athlon Chip SetAugust 7, 2000 |
Silicon Integrated Systems announced a single-chip graphics/core logic IC for the Athlon and Duron microprocessors designed by Advanced Micro Devices (stock: AMD). SiS, a Taiwan chip set manufacturer, said its new SiS730S combines both an integrated 2-D/3-D graphics chip and an AGP 4X graphics card slot. The chip set addresses up to 1.5 Gbytes of PC133 SDRAM, and contains an ATA-100 storage interface and six USB connections. SiS will manufacture the chip set at its own fab, the company said, adding that pre-production shipments will begin in September at $42 per unit in 10,000-unit lots. | |
The Register Files |
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Via takes aim at AMD, Intel server chipset marketBy Mike Magee August 7, 2000 |
Up-and-coming firm Via said today it will introduce a high bandwidth differential interconnect technology (HDIT) for future versions of its Apollo chipsets.
Although disguised in the jargon of technology, the significance of the announcement is that chipsets will be able to support server and workstation platforms using double data rate (DDR) memory, for both AMD and Intel microprocessors. |
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The gutting of Cyrix...By Mike Magee August 7, 2000 |
The former home of Cyrix at 2703 Northern Central Expressway in Richardson, Texas, has now been sold for a cool $30 million.
Last week, we reported that the site was up for sale. SWB Communications paid the price in the last month, and the East Cyrix building is currently being gutted by The Beck Company to make way for the new. |
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AMD: the boyz'n'girlz done wellBy Mike Magee August 7, 2000 |
The share price of AMD closed on Wall Street at $62.75 on Friday, a pretty big drop from its $97 high just a couple of months ago, prompting the good old tabloid question, why, oh why?
Because AMD, despite dire predictions from Wall Street analysts and a handful of hax only 14 months ago, has executed on its microprocessor strategy. In the process, it has confounded the Cassandras and the Dad's Army journalists chanting doom, dismay, death and destruction for W.J. Sanders III and his cohorts. |
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| August 7, 2000 | ||
At IDF, Intel to address SDRAM use in next-generation processorsBy Jack Robertson August 4, 2000 |
Something you wouldn't expect to hear at the Intel Developer Forum later this month but will: Intel executives recommending single-data-rate SDRAMs for the company's next-generation IA-32 and IA-64 processors.
At the same time, double-data-rate (DDR) SDRAMs will get scant notice at the IDF, scheduled for Aug. 22-24 in San Jose. Instead, Intel Corp., Santa Clara, Calif., will showcase its broad push into the networking and telecommunications markets, while the company's traditional processor and memory road maps will be scoured closely for clues to Intel's shifting business strategies. |
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Rambus Hopes to Speed to RecoveryBy Paul Kallender August 4, 2000 |
Recovering from Intel Corp.'s announcement that it has abandoned its requirement that RDRAM be the sole memory for its Pentium 4 microprocessor, Rambus Inc. this week fought back by announcing a faster version of its RDRAM operating at 1066MHz.
Aimed at consumer, graphics and communications applications, and based on a simple bin split of the 800MHz RDRAM, Rambus touted the speedy 1066MHz parts as a win-win prospect for makers to find new markets while ramping 800MHz RDRAM. |
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S3, Via will try again to win Taiwan approval of graphics chip ventureAugust 4, 2000 |
S3 Inc. here said it is working with Via Technologies Inc. to present a revised proposal for a graphics chip joint venture, which was unexpectedly blocked a month ago by Taiwan's new government.
S3 was set to transfer its graphics assets to the Taiwan joint venture by the end of July, but the transaction was derailed when the government denied approval of the venture and asked for additional undisclosed information. When the deal was blocked, S3 officials expressed concerns over the new government's policies on international cooperation in the chip business, but those worries were later downplayed by the company and Via officials. |
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The Register Files |
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Flip-chip 1GHz Pentium IIIs hit JapanBy Mike Magee August 6, 2000 |
Intel's expected onslaught on the market with flip chip versions of its Pentium III Coppermine 1GHz processor has started, with versions now available in Tokyo's high tech zone, Akihabara.
Price Watch Japan, which monitors the arrival of new technology in Akihabara, has information on the small core processors, which you can find here. |
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What the Hell is... a flip-chip?By Andrew Thomas August 4, 2000 |
With world+dog merrily dropping terms like FC-PGA into polite conversation, here's a layperson-friendly explanation of what they're on about:
The Flip Chip Pin Grid Array (FC-PGA) package is used on Pentium III processors, while Plastic Pin Grid Array (PPGA) packaging is used on Celerons. This does not mean Celerons have plastic pins - that would be silly. |
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Intel's 200MHz cunning plan to scupper AMDBy Mike Magee August 4, 2000 |
Pressure from its PC customers and other partners forced Intel to decide to implement synchronous memory with its up and coming Pentium 4 ("Willamette") microprocessor, it has emerged.
A source close to Intel in South East Asia, has shed light on the thinking -- reminiscent of Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus -- that caused Chipzilla to perform a complete u-turn and decide that Rambus alone would not cut it in the future. |
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Cyrix Richardson site up for saleBy Mike Magee August 4, 2000 |
A drive-by mole has sent us definitive evidence that the former Cyrix site in Richardson, Texas, is up for sale.
The photograph shows that the site, which is a total of 174, 825 square feet, is For Sale, with real estate firm The Morse Company handling the deal. We can vouch for the authenticity of the picture. Ten years ago, we visited the site and met ebullient Jerry Rogers, the ex-CEO, who, when he saw us, bellowed down the corridor: "Who let that man in here?" |
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Intel files suit against HadronBy Mike Magee August 4, 2000 |
The Intel Corporation has filed a trademark case against Hadron Inc, a firm which provides information management and technical services to US federal agencies and commercial businesses.
The case, docket number 5:00cv20811, was filed in the San Jose District Court on the 31st of July, and relates to alleged trademark infringement (statute 15:1114). |
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