[Sabastian]

This seems like it would be a powerful integrated solution. What do you guys think of this anyhow?

Sabastian

Wistron, FIC adopting ATI’s RS200 core logic and graphics chips

ATI Technologies has landed two more clients, Wistron and First International Computer (FIC), for its Pentium 4-based RS200 (formerly named A4) core logic integrated chipset. Related motherboards from the two Taiwan-based manufacturers will be showcased at CeBIT Hannover.

ATI’s current card-manufacturing partner, CP Technology, will also showcase an RS200-based motherboard at the trade show, but an actual launch schedule will depend on market response.

Sources said that new clients Wistron and FIC plan to further extend their cooperation with ATI to the notebook and PDA (personal digital assistant) sectors as well. The RS200 chipset can be used for notebooks and desktops, plus ATI can further offer a line of graphics chips, for which they are renowned, in handheld devices. In the past few years, ATI has extended its graphics chips to PDAs and mobile phones.

In the graphics chip business, the Canadian company revealed that three more manufacturers have decided to become card-manufacturing partners. They are Taiwanese memory module maker Transcend Information and Hong Kong-based Sapphire Technology and High Tech. Transcend will start manufacturing ATI based-cards at the end of this month.

To expand its graphics chip business, ATI has adopted an open platform strategy – allowing card manufacturers to produce graphics cards based on its chips.

Although it has successfully won orders from major PC makers such as Wistron and FIC, ATI’s core logic chipset business is regarded by the market as risky when considering the stiff competition from veteran core logic chipset designers, like Intel. Graphics card manufacturers said that given its well-known image for graphics technology, and input/output advantage in the RS200’s south bridge, ATI’s chipset may have a better chance in the game console market.

http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/Ar...ePublish=2002/ 03/08&pages=06&seq=42

[Dave Baumann]

RS200 sounds like a confusing name - it makes it sound like its based upon R200 graphics core, however, AFAIK, its based off the Radeon VE...

[Althornin]

yeah, they should call it the r8500MX to be more clear

[Sabastian]

On 2002-03-08 18:00, DaveBaumann wrote:
RS200 sounds like a confusing name - it makes it sound like its based upon R200 graphics core, however, AFAIK, its based off the Radeon VE...

That is almost as perplexing as the GF4MX brand naming scam.(But not really.) Gesh, I am almost at the point where I will wait to see what the benchmarks are before making any conclusions about any new products coming out. Thanks for the clarification Dave. The Radeon VE is not that impressive really. Kind of disappointing, but I bet the thing will be considerably cheaper then nForce with relatively the same performance.

Sabastian

[Dave Baumann]

Actually, come to think of it, it might not be the VE. Initial reports pegged this as an integrated 7500, its only later reports that have said the ‘VE’; however Radeon 7500’s internal name is Rv200, so perhaps the graphics are based off the Radeon 7500 core rather than the VE core.

I don’t think we are really going to know what its based off, and where its performance will be until its actually released (and even then we may not get the full story!!).

[Sabastian]

On 2002-03-08 18:45, Althornin wrote:
yeah, they should call it the r8500MX to be more clear

How about R300MX? hehe.

Sabastian

[ben6]

Hrm it's based on Radeon 7000 (VE) core according to someone who shall remain anonymous but is in the know