Intel on November 15 notified its motherboard clients that it has decided to change its Springdale chipset's FSB (front-side bus) speed from 667MHz to 800MHz and its memory architecture from dual-channel DDR333 to dual-channel DDR400, motherboard company sources said.
Though they still need some time to study whether they have to alter the board layouts to accommodate the new specifications, manufacturers said that they expected changes would be limited in general.
Besides the specification changes, Intel also slightly adjusted its product portfolio by adding one Canterwood and one Springdale PE chipsets, both set to be introduced in the second quarter of 2003. Extended from the server sector, the Canterwood chipset is expected to be positioned as Intel's most top-end desktop-use product with its better performance and higher price of US$50 per unit.
Among the three Springdale products, the integrated Springdale G and discrete Springdale PE chipsets will support the 800MHz FSB and dual-channel DDR400, while the Springdale P will be based on the 533MHz FSB and dual-channel DDR333, serving as a more simplified version for the entry-level market.
Significantly enhancing the company's chipset specifications, Intel's move, though highly welcomed by board makers, is expected to pose a new threat to VIA Technologies and Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS) in 2003.
For memory makers, the impact from the latest specification changes may appear more positive. Previously, DDR400 memory had been regarded as a transitional product before the industry moved to DDRII. Now, with the chip giant adopting the standard, demand for DDR400 memory is expected to soar. At present, manufacturers of DDR400 memories include South Korea-based Samsung Electronics and Taiwan-based Nanya Technology and Winbond Electronics.

Source: DigiTimes

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