SIS Xaber II, PowerVR Series 5(Kyro??), S3 Columbia?

[Johnathan256]

Hey does anyone have any good info on these new chipsets? I have heard a few rumors but not heard a whole lot (especially Columbia). The new PowerVR Series 5 tiler could be very interesting. All are rumored to be high end (not to sure about Columbia though).

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ailuros]

It's too early for any of those I guess

 

[no_way]

Those are all aimed to take a serious stab at GF4TI both in price and performance. Each and every one of them will have at least 20% better performance than average GF4Ti4600.
In two years time.

 

[Simon F]

What a wag you are, no_way

 

[Mummy]

In two years time.

Optimistic

 

[Johnathan256]

Two years seems like a long time away for a Geforce4 type card to be affective. I have read reports that the PowerVR Series 5 is due to begin production in early 2003 on the .13 process. Imagination Tech. is looking for a licencee but it is rumored that they might simply produce them in Taiwan fabs and sell them on their own. SIS is probably in a better postion than any of them to make their deadline for the eight pipeline Xaber II which is also planned for early next year.

 

[ActionNews]

I can't say something about S3 Columbia or SiS Xabre II, but i "know" something about PowerVR Series 5 !
At EE Times was an interesting Interview with John Metcalfe from PowerVR ( http://www.eet.com/semi/news/OEG20021003S0016 ).

Some Interessting quotes:

Series-5 architecture-based implementations will include additional features such as pixel shading and full programmability, according to John Metcalfe, vice president of business development at Imagination.

....

Metcalfe said that Series-5 architecture would be based on a primary processing pipeline and a series of hardware accelerators that can be optionally switched in and out to render graphics.
?As well as class-leading functionality, there will be some unique features enabled by tile-based rendering,? said Metcalfe.

....

Metcalfe added that the Series-5 architecture would debut in 2003 in a 0.13-micron process technology. He said that it was not yet decided whether Imagination would get first silicon implementations or test chips made at a licensee's wafer fab or at a foundry wafer fab in Taiwan.

I hope PowerVR learned from failures such as NEC and STMicro and really produce Series 5 themself (last sentence of this EE Times article could be a hint)! I'm really looking forward to PowerVRs Series 5 !
BTW: Teasy from Total VR ( http://www.powervr.org.uk/ ) says that PowerVRs Series 5 will show up first half of 2003. IMHO it could be CeBIT 2003 !

CU ActionNews

PS: Kristof surly knows more about Serie 5, but i don't think that he will give us any info !

 

[Kristof]

PS: Kristof surly knows more about Serie 5, but i don't think that he will give us any info !

Well DUH !

K-

 

[Johnathan256]

Yes, that article is one of the few I found on the subject, however it is a good read still. I think Imagination Tech would be better off on their own as far as getting the chips fabbed. I just wish I could get some estimated specs for the Series 5 or any of these 3 for that matter.

 

[MfA]

I hope they made/make the decision in time, it seems unlikely they found a license without announcing it ... if they delay the tape out beyond the point where the design was/is ready to just wait for a licensee "a little longer" they are just setting themselves up for a heap of trouble.

 

[Ailuros]

I hope they made/make the decision in time, it seems unlikely they found a license without announcing it ... if they delay the tape out beyond the point where the design was/is ready to just wait for a licensee "a little longer" they are just setting themselves up for a heap of trouble.

If you underestimate the design, then it might very well be "late". Any other case it might be "on track" with the competition.

There isn't even one graphics card yet sitting on shelves based on a .13um manufacturing process anyway...

 

[Evildeus]

There isn't even one graphics card yet sitting on shelves based on a .13um manufacturing process anyway...

Even ATI?

 

[Johnathan256]

Ailuros wrote:
There isn't even one graphics card yet sitting on shelves based on a .13um manufacturing process anyway...
Even ATI?

Nope Ati's Radeon 9700 is based on the older but reliable .15 process.

 

[Evildeus]

Ailuros wrote:
There isn't even one graphics card yet sitting on shelves based on a .13um manufacturing process anyway...
Even ATI?

Nope Ati's Radeon 9700 is based on the older but reliable .15 process.

I'm talking about the next boards of ATI not the 9700 pro

 

[Randell]

how can the next boards be considered when Ail said 'not even yet one sitting on shelves' i.e in stores currently.

sheesh

 

[Evildeus]

how can the next boards be considered when Ail said 'not even yet one sitting on shelves' i.e in stores currently.

sheesh

Just wqanted to know if Ati is on track or not for its 0.13um card

 

[Nappe1]

Include "Parhelia 2" to that list.
I doubt that Matrox is sitting arms crossed...

 

[Randell]

how can the next boards be considered when Ail said 'not even yet one sitting on shelves' i.e in stores currently.

sheesh

Just wqanted to know if Ati is on track or not for its 0.13um card

sorry.

Not aware of where ATI are, they havent been as vocal about going to that process. People are debating whether R350 (or is it RV350?) will be 0.15. I would have though R400 is scheduled for 0.13, but thats a while off yet.

Sure ATI, Matrox and others are pencilling in 0.13 as the next step. Let nVidia troubleshoot the process first though eh?

 

[DadUM]

Even in a thread titled about non-big-three graphics card vendors (nVidia, Ati and Intel hold a combined 95% of the market), we get into squabaling about NV30 and R300. Wow, is the subject of PC graphics ever dying.

I am afraid nVidia's Engine Room video got it right, the multi-hundred million dollar investment necessary to start a new graphics chip architecture will severly limit the ability of anyone to enter this market.

This could be a good thing, we may finally get a true standard API/HLSL that can actually use the features of new chips in reasonable amounts of time.

 

[Randell]

Even in a thread titled about non-big-three graphics card vendors (nVidia, Ati and Intel hold a combined 95% of the market), we get into squabaling about NV30 and R300. Wow, is the subject of PC graphics ever dying.

dont be silly, there wasnt any squabbling about the merits or not of the Nv30 v R300.