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| Microprocessor
Headline News Collected By Robert R. Collins |
Week of August 1, 1999 |
Older News |
| August 6, 1999 | ||
Taiwan's Via to buy IDT's x86 processor business, expanding competition with IntelAugust 5, 1999 |
Expanding its moves to challenge Intel Corp. in PC microprocessors, Taiwan's Via Technologies Inc. here announced an agreement to acquire the x86-compatible processor business from Integrated Device Technology Inc. Only two days ago, Via Technologies completed an agreement to buy the Cyrix PC processor subsidiary from National Semiconductor Corp. for $167 million (see Aug. 3 story).
"Via's acquisition of IDT's Centaur design subsidiary further solidifies our design capability in the x86 arena," said Wen-Chi Chen, president of VIA Technologies. "This represents an exciting step forward in our vision to connect with our industry partners." The financial terms of the acquisition were not released by the two companies. |
See Today's Related Stories |
Via Technologies' WinChip purchase roils low-end processor marketBy Mark Hachman August 5, 1999 |
Will Via Technologies Inc. prove to be the Intel Corp. of the low-end PC?
That's the question the industry is asking in the wake of Via's unexpected purchase today of the Centaur Technologies microprocessor division of Integrated Device Technology Inc. The deal brings with it Centaur's WinChip line, its patent portfolio, and its design team, which will complement the |
See Today's Related Stories |
Intel denies fault over delayed launch of Mobile Pentium IIIBy Dan Briody August 5, 1999 |
Intel has once again come under fire for failure to deliver a chip on time, though this time the company is claiming that it is not at fault and has nothing to hide.
Published reports on Thursday suggested that Intel was forced to delay the launch of the Mobile Pentium III processor from September to November because of product glitches. However, the chip giant had a very different story to tell. Intel officials said that the confusion dates from one month ago, when the desktop version of the 0.18-micron processor -- code-named Coppermine -- was delayed from September to November. At that time, the officials said, PC OEMs were given a choice of launching Mobile Pentium III processor-based notebooks in September, as originally planned, or in November in conjunction with the desktop chips. |
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Which comes first at Intel: Halloween or Coppermine?By John G. Spooner August 5, 1999 |
Who ever thought the processor market could be democratic or that a product delay could lead to a vote?
But that's just what happened recently after Intel Corp. delayed the next version of Coppermine.
Coppermine is the code name for Pentium III processors that will be made using Intel's 0.18 micron manufacturing process. The design will allow for several performance improvements for the Pentium III, including integrated Level 2 cache for desktop versions of the chip, lower power consumption for mobile chips and cooler thermals for small -form-factor PCs. The manufacturing process will also allow Intel to push the Pentium III to higher clock speeds on Coppermine, which was originally slated for a September introduction. |
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Pentium IIIs planned with faster system busBy Marcia Savage August 5, 1999 |
When Intel Corp. introduces a new version of its Pentium III chips with a faster system bus, VARs
will not have to pay a price premium for the advanced feature, according to sources.
On Sept. 27, Intel plans to roll out two Pentium III processors operating at 600MHz and 533MHz, both with a 133MHz front-side bus, sources said. The new chips will accompany the introduction of the 820 chipset, formerly code-named Camino, which will support the 133MHz system bus. |
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AMD to unveil branding strategy for new chipBy James Niccolai August 5, 1999 |
Advanced Micro Devices will officially launch its Athlon processor on Monday, along with an Intel-type branding strategy designed to help the company target different segments of the computing market, sources close to AMD said Wednesday.
Athlon, formerly known as the K7, will compete initially with Intel's Pentium III processor. The new chip is seen by many as AMD's big hope for breaking into the profitable high-performance desktop and workstation markets, and eventually taking a slice of the market for powerful servers. Athlon will debut at 500 MHz, 550 MHz, and 600 MHz, AMD has said, matching the clock speed of Intel's fastest Pentium III processor launched on Monday. Top-tier PC makers are expected to offer the first Athlon systems in mid-August. |
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Intel Shares Dip Amid Market Rally Chip maker warns of Pentium III chip delay for notebooksBy Warren S. Hersch August 5, 1999 |
A market rally on Thursday failed to buoy shares of Intel Corp., which dipped nearly 2 percent.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 119 points to 10,794. The technology-heavy Nasdaq edged up 26 points to 2,566, while the S&P 500 finished at 1,314, up 8 points. Shares of Intel Corp. closed $1.38 lower at $71.44. On Thursday, Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel said it was delaying until October or November the release of Pentium III chips for notebook computers, delaying sales for notebook computer manufacturers. And, aiming to strengthen its position against Intel, rival chip maker Via Technologies Inc., Tapei, Taiwan, said it agreed to buy the WinChip microprocessing unit of Integrated Device Technology Inc., also based in Santa Clara. |
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| The Register Files | ||
Intel Coppermine delay caused by fear of AMDBy Peter Sherriff August 5, 1999 |
Reliable sources close to Intel said today that the so-called delay in its first desktop processor using Coppermine was a knee-jerk reaction to AMD's K7 Athlon.
However, an Intel representative has denied that claim. According to the source, Intel released its .25 micron Pentium III/600 to soften the market for AMD's up-and-coming launch on August 10 next. The first Coppermine processor was also scheduled to run at a clock speed of 600MHz, but now Intel will, instead, introduce the first Coppermine at 700MHz, swiftly following that introduction with further, faster processors. |
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Intel to send PIII/450 to gulagBy Mike Magee August 5, 1999 |
The 450MHz flavour of the Pentium III is set to be phased out within the next week or two, sources close to Intel confirmed today.
That probably sets a record for the quickest movement of any Intel processor from birth to banishment. It also indicates -- quite clearly -- that despite advice from senior chip analysts, Intel is going to play the price game in a bid to upset the AMD Athlon applecart. |
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AMD uses Intel Inside top Fab SandpitBy Mike Magee August 5, 1999 |
We tipped up at Fab 30 in Dresden blissfully, and unaware of a document called a non-disclosure agreement and so were ready and willing to walk around and admire AMD's fancy collection of electron microscopes, unfettered by bits of paper we'd never seen or even discussed.
In one of the offices, we talked to a crystallographer whose main task in life seemed to be to use a beam electron microscope to examine copper wafers for bugs. We asked him if he was bored by this task and he claimed he wasn't. Indeed, he said, the microscopes he was allowed to use in the Fab were much quicker than the ones in the university... |
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Intel Coppermine: the facts emergeBy Mike Magee August 5, 1999 |
After we filed Peter Sherriff's earlier story about Coppermine being delayed because of marchitecture rather than architecture issues, an Intel engineer in Israel has emailed us to put the record straight.
At the same time, she also commented on our stories about AMD's process in Dresden. Our source, who wishes to stay anonymous because she wants to keep her job, but who is nevertheless, extremely reliable, said: "I can assure you that Coppermine's delay had nothing to do with marketing. For once, Intel's PR is telling the truth. There was a RASH of unexpected problems with it, mostly due to last minute problems hitting the frequency target." |
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Samsung unveils SDRAM-beating SGRAMAugust 5, 1999 |
Samsung yesterday claimed its latest 32Mb SGRAM part is up to 55 per cent faster than "best of class" 32Mb SDRAM.
The new chip, operating at 222MHz, was also described by the company as an "evolutionary alternative" to Rambus Direct DRAM, at least in graphics applications. Samsung claimed the part can deliver 1.8GBps throughput on a 64-bit bus and 3.5GBps on a 128-bit bus. |
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| Today's Related Stories | ||
Via adds Intel cloning skills, buys IDT's CentaurBy Nancy Weil August 5, 1999 |
Chip maker IDT is selling its x86 business to Intel rival Via Technologies, which in late June also acquired National Semiconductor's Cyrix microprocessor business.
Via and IDT announced the deal in a joint statement Thursday. Financial details of the acquisition were not provided, but the deal will give Via, based in Taipei, Taiwan, assets of IDT's Centaur design subsidiary, including intellectual property related to the WinChip microprocessor technology and IDT's x86 microprocessor design team in Austin, Texas. The two companies further have agreed to a patent cross-license deal that allows each to use the intellectual property covered by the other's patents. |
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Via aims at Intel with IDT chip unit buyBy Bloomberg News August 5, 1999 |
Via Technologies, the world's No. 2 computer chipset maker, said it will buy the microprocessor division of Integrated Device Technology and will share technology with the company, stepping up its effort to challenge Intel in the chipset market.
Via said it will buy IDT's WinChip microprocessor unit and its X86 microprocessor design team and will cross-license technology used in computer and communications chips. Financial details of the arrangement have yet to be decided. "IDT is an extremely abundant source of microprocessor design and production," said Frank Jeng, a spokesman for Taipei- based Via. "The purchase will further solidify our strategy" and improve Via's competitive edge, he added. |
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Via extends X86 reach with purchase of IDT's Centaur groupBy Margaret Quan August 5, 1999 |
PC chip-set provider Via Technologies Inc. surprised the industry this week by announcing that it has signed a letter of intent to purchase certain assets of the Centaur design subsidiary of Integrated Device Technology Inc., including intellectual property (IP) related to WinChip microprocessor technology and the X86 microprocessor design team located in Austin, Texas.
The news follows the July 14, 1999 announcement that IDT will exit the X86 microprocessor market. It also comes close on the heels of Via's June acquisition of Cyrix, the microprocessor subsidiary of National Semiconductor Corp. Wen-Chi Chen, president of Via Technologies, said the acquisition was intended to "further solidify our design capability in the X86 arena." |
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Via Technologies aiming for Intel with recent acquisitionsAugust 5, 1999 |
In another move to take on Intel Corp. in the chip-set-making industry, Via Technologies Inc. said it has agreed to buy the microprocessing unit of Integrated Device Technology.
The Taipei-based Via said in a statement Thursday that it will acquire the WinChip microprocessor unit and x86-architecture microprocessing design team from Integrated Device Technology, based in Santa Clara, Calif. Via and Integrated also agreed to a patent cross-license agreement for each company's chip technology. |
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| August 5, 1999 | ||
Intel delays release of mobile Pentium IIIBy John G. Spooner and Carmen Nobel August 4, 1999 |
Intel Corp. has delayed the introduction of its mobile Pentium III processor,
according to sources.
The chip, which was to be announced in September at 400MHz, 450MHz and 500MHz clock speeds, has been pushed back about a month to late October or possibly early November, the sources said. Intel (INTC) officials confirmed the later launch, but would not commit to a firm date. |
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Qualification issues stall Intel's mobile Coppermine processorBy Mark Hachman August 4, 1999 |
Intel Corp. will release both of its Coppermine chips later this fall, delaying the version used in notebook PCs to allow a roughly simultaneous release.
According to industry sources and one OEM, PC makers have pushed out the introduction of systems equipped with the mobile version of the Coppermine until they can resolve qualification issues. The resulting delay will postpone the availability of notebook PCs that support the new chip, which in turn will affect Intel's volume production timetable. Coppermine is the code name for Intel's Pentium III microprocessor, manufactured on a 0.18-micron process and integrating 256 Kbytes of level 2 cache. |
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Rambus memory expanding to serversBy Stephen Shankland August 4, 1999 |
Memory technology maker Rambus is readying the next phase of its push into Intel-based computers, expanding from fast desktops into servers.
To back that push, the company will announce on Monday support for a technology that allows computers to keep working even if a memory chip fails completely, said Subodh Toprani, general manager of Rambus logic products division. The technology, called "chipkill" in the industry, is a feature demanded by computer makers selling machines that stay up and running even when major components fail. |
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| The Register Files | ||
Is Intel pressuring mobo maker rumour returnsBy Mike Magee August 4, 1999 |
A veil of silence has descended over whether or not Intel has put pressure on Gigabyte and Asustek to slow down on their K7 motherboard activities.
One rumour -- and we stress this is only one of the rumours -- is that Intel asked the Taiwanese firms to slow down on developing solutions for the up-and-coming Athlon. But the third rumour is that both companies turned round to Intel and gave Chipzilla the Sanders Salute. |
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AMD to intro non-legacy PC pushBy Mike Magee August 4, 1999 |
Chip manufacturer AMD will next year introduce a non-legacy PC initiative.
That news emerged during a trip to AMD's Dresden fabrication ("fab") plant. The initiative, starting next year, is aimed at assisting motherboard manufacturers to produce boards devoid of legacy devices such as the ISA bus. Intel announced earlier this year that it, in conjunction with Microsoft, would push for a similar scheme -- the so-called Concept PC. |
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Confusion reigns over Celeron 100MHz FSBBy Mike Magee August 4, 1999 |
A few days ago we published news that Intel would deploy a 100MHz front side bus
(FSB) in Q3.
That elicited a response from the Intel PR spinola department which puzzled us. It goes a lot like this:"Don't forget that currently 810 chipset DOES support 100MHz FSB because it's also used with Pentium II and Pentium III processors (for "value" systems). So even though we also use 810 for Celeron - the Celeron processor itself is and will remain (at least for the near term) at 66MHz FSB. Also remember that since Celeron is mostly a retail consumer focused processor and consumers buy mainly on MHz, there isn't an immediate need to introduce a higher FSB! Now, at some point in the future we realize that it will be a need to implement 100MHz FSB on our Celeron Processors - but it's just not now." |
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AMD and its Dresden Sandpit: Part IIBy Mike Magee August 4, 1999 |
The good Doktor Hans Deppe, the AMD Geschaftsfuhrer at Fab 30, made it clear, straight away, that he wanted to be open about what the bunnies were doing at the factory.
To that end, he said: "It's AMD's policy not to behave like Intel has -- we're very proud of what we've achieved so far." And he was pretty open, although trying to scribble the details was real tricky, especially when he showed complicated slides. |
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| August 4, 1999 | ||
AMD expanding Athlon chip familyBy John G. Spooner August 3, 1999 |
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is planning a family.
The Sunnyvale, Calif., company on Monday will make public plans for a family of several new Athlon brand names, including a high-performance desktop brand and enterprise and consumer Athlon versions, sources close to the chip maker confirmed today. The Athlon will be branded first as a high-performance desktop chip. The processor, formerly known as K7, will be called Athlon Professional, and it will grace high-performance desktop PCs from companies such as Gateway Inc., sources said. |
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Via signs $167M deal to acquire National's MPU subsidiary, CyrixBy EBN staff August 3, 1999 |
Taiwan's Via Technologies Inc. today signed the agreement, originally reported last month, to buy the assets of National Semiconductor Corp.'s microprocessor subsidiary, Cyrix, for $167 million.
A certain portion of the sale price for Cyrix, National's stand-alone PC processor business, will be paid at the close, in approximately a month. The balance will be contingent on future sales of the Cyrix product line. National will retain the integrated Media GX processor, which forms the core of its new Geode chip for the information appliance market. |
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Via, National Semi finish Cyrix saleBy Reuters August 3, 1999 |
Taiwan's Via Technologies said today that it has agreed to buy the assets of U.S. chipmaker National Semiconductor's money-losing Cyrix PC processor business for $167 million.
The price, which had not been disclosed until now, is less than one third the price National paid for the company just two years ago and reflects the changes in the PC industry. In July 1997, National bought Cyrix for $550 million with the plan of dominating a market that both Intel and AMD seemed uninterested in, supplying chips for sub-$1,000 PCs. PCs below this price now occupy the lion's share of the retail market, and both Intel and AMD participate heavily in it. |
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| The Register Files | ||
Rumours ramp about Rise guys' demiseBy Mike Magee August 3, 1999 |
Reports from Taiwan suggested that Rise had laid staff off last week.
The staff no longer working there, according to a source who worked there, include the human resource and finance teams, as well as engineers. The source said that the company could now be up for sale. If true, that would mean another x86 rival to Intel has fallen by the wayside. |
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Via-AMD finalise chipset dealBy Simon Burns August 3, 1999 |
Taiwanese chipset designer VIA Technologies will formally announce a K7/Athlon chipset on 10 August, a source at the company's Taipei office said today (5.30pm Taipei time). The unnamed chipset will be announced at an AMD press conference in Taipei.
According to the VIA source, AMD is already incorporating one of VIA's south bridge chips in a provisional chipset for the Athlon CPU -- used mainly for testing purposes. However, said the VIA source, VIA's new chipset "has many more high-end features than AMD's chipset". |
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AMD and its Dresden Sandpit: Part IBy Mike Magee August 3, 1999 |
One of the guys flying into Dresden first thing yesterday morning said to us: "Hey, is that the AMD Fab?"
We looked out of the window and saw a great big facility with the AMD green and this is what alerted our travelling companion, a streetwise native New Yorker, to the possibility. But although he knew Dresden was hammered to destruction by the Brits et al in World War II, he didn't know about Kurt Vonnegut and Slaughterhouse Five -- more of that later… |
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| August 3, 1999 | ||
Intel steals a march on its I/O rivalsAugust 2, 1999 |
The Intel-backed NGIO Forum is leading the race to produce a switched-fabric I/O replacement for the ageing PCI bus with the release last week of version 1.0 of the Next Generation I/O specification.
The replacement of the PCI bus is widely seen as the next big challenge facing the server industry, and will revolutionise the way servers are bought and deployed. "It will have implications beyond the datacentre," said Alan Priestley, Intel's European enterprise server group marketing manager. Priestley said NGIO could appear in both standard high-volume servers and dual-processor servers costing as little as £3000. The switched fabric architecture will let IT managers buy servers in pieces, linking processor boxes to cases containing expansion cards using long serial cables. |
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IDT expands embedded processor lineBy Will Wade August 2, 1999 |
Don't count Integrated Device Technology Inc. out of the microprocessor market just yet. Only a few weeks after announcing it will exit the X86 MPU market, the company has affirmed its commitment to the embedded space by expanding its line of RISC processors.
"Microprocessors are one of the cornerstones of our company," said Nick Kucharewski, vice president of the microprocessor division at IDT (Santa Clara, Calif.). About 14 percent of the company's total revenue comes from CPUs, up from some 10 percent a few years ago. "The X86 products were definitely not synergistic with our other activities, but embedded processors very clearly fit in," Kucharewski said. |
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Intel shares climb on earnings upgrade, processor launchAugust 2, 1999 |
Shares of chip maker Intel Corp. rose more than 3 percent today after Salomon Smith Barney analyst Jonathon Joseph raised his earnings estimates on the stock due to stronger-than-expected average selling prices and unit shipments. News that Intel had unveiled its two new processors also gave the stock a boost today.
Santa Clara, California-based Intel today launched its Pentium III processor 600 MHz for Internet and mainstream computing, and the Intel Celeron processor 500 MHz for sub-$1,000 personal computers. |
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| The Register Files | ||
AMD succeeds in producing copper K6By Mike Magee August 2, 1999 |
The director of AMD's Fab 30 in Dresden said today that the company had succeeded this month in producing a K6 using its copper technology.
But success with the K6 in copper is merely a warm up for production of the K7 Athlon, according to Hans Jeppe, who runs the facility, He confirmed that the fab was capable of producing 5,500 wafer starts a week, but declined to say how many of the dies would be good ones. There will be 300 K7 Athlons per wafer at .18 micron. |
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| August 2, 1999 | ||
Credit rating for AMD lowered; reports surface of possible search for fab partnerJuly 30, 1999 |
Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co. here said it has downgraded the ratings of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. because of continuing operating losses and AMD's attempt to establish its next-generation microprocessors as a strong competitor to Intel Corp.'s PC processors. The credit-rating company said AMD needs substantial additional capital expenditures to make its processor strategy successful.
The downgraded rating came after the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that AMD was looking to reduce its financial pressures by seeking a partner in its $1.8 billion wafer fab, located in Dresden, Germany. The 8-inch wafer fab is slated to become operational in the first quarter of next year and will be used to produce AMD's Athlon MPUs. AMD officials in Sunnyvale, Calif., confirmed that the company was analyzing whether it needed a partner to help finance the plant's operations, according to the Wall Street Journal, but today a spokesman for the chip maker said the option was not currently being pursued. |
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AMD completes wafer qualification at Dresden fabBy Jack Robertson July 30, 1999 |
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. has completed the wafer qualification process, including copper deposition, at its new 8-inch fabrication facility in Dresden, Germany.
AMD used a standard K6 microprocessor with 0.25-micron design rules as the test wafer to verify that the production line at its Fab 30 is meeting target specifications, an AMD spokesman said. The next step is to qualify the line on 0.18-micron design rules using the new Athlon processor as a test wafer. The Dresden fab is on schedule to start production of the Athlon using copper processing early in 2000, the spokesman said. |
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'Lintel:' The new frontierBy Michael Lattig and Ed Scannell July 30, 1999 |
Operating system choices for the forthcoming IA-64 platform will become much more abundant when a group of vendors finishes collaborating on a port of Linux to Intel's 64-bit architecture.
The "Lintel" effort, known as the Trillian Project and funded by Intel, is currently being cobbled together by a consortium led by Linux developer V.A. Linux Systems. It includes Hewlett-Packard, SGI, Intel, and Cygnus, and will soon include IBM. The first open-source code should be available early next year, or about the time Intel's IA-64 chip -- Merced -- is ready. |
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| The Register Files | ||
Intel stops wavering on 100MHz Celeron front side busBy Mike Magee August 1, 1999 |
After humming and hawing throughout the year, Intel has now decided to introduce Celeron processors which will use a 100MHz front side bus
(FSB).
The first parts to support the faster bus speed will be the 400MHz, 433MHz and 466MHz parts in Q3 of this year, which will depend on the i810 chipset. They will be followed towards the end of this year with the 500MHz Celeron at 100MHz FSB, which Intel will introduce tomorrow in its 66MHz FSB recension. |
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Will Willamette be a Year 2000 bet?By Mike Magee August 1, 1999 |
Our friend Kyle over at HardOCP has managed to get his mitts on an intriguing page from a secret Intel roadmap.
The page shows packaging for Intel processors through until the second quarter of next year and states that customers do not need to think about 418 pin grid array (PGA) sockets for Pentium IIIs for the whole of next year. One processor, however, which does and will have 418 pins next year is the infamous slow moving river Merced, as reported here earlier. (Chipzilla sockets it to us). |
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Intel Itanium now part of Web craniumBy Mike Magee August 1, 1999 |
Just a few months after registering the word Itanium as a trademark, as reported here, Intel has now registered the word as a domain name.
But, so far, the site is not yet up and running. The move highlights an issue which to the best of our knowledge has not yet been aired. |
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