INDUSTRY SOURCES confirmed that next generation ATI chipsets will be able to run hot games at playable frame rates.
We are talking about both AMD and Intel PCIe chipsets, the first called RS480 and the second RS400. Both chipsets are taped out and up and running with expected availability after October time, lets say Q4 2004.

Both of those chipsets are able to run all top three games including Doom 3, Far Cry and Half Life 2 at playable frame rates just using the power of chipset graphics. We haven’t any specifics what playable frame rates are, but we suspect 24 plus FPS.

Just for the record, the Grantsdale 915G cannot run any of those games - at least that’s what we understand. The 915G core is just too weak for these games.

We also learned that the ATI chipset is based on a 9600XT core - the one that is still the fastest AGP mainstream card in ATI's offering.

We are talking about full DirectX 9 core inside the chipset.

OEMs and system integrators seemsto be very interested in both of the products especially as the RS480 will be one of the first PCIe chipsets for Athlon CPUs on the market. Nvidia won't have anything to compete against it and Via and SIS won't be able to pump any hard core graphic chipset to compete against it.

The RS400 might face tougher competitor as Intel is very strong with its integrated chipsets, but still has nothing to run Doom 3 in the integrated sector.

Both chipsets, on paper, sound promising. ATI's use of the RS400 and the RS480 will give it an edge.

The question is what Nvidia will do to compete against ATI's Pentium 4 chipset and what its integrated chipset will be. Will the spectre of Nforce 5 raise its head above the waters of the rumour mill pond, we wonder?


Source : TheInquirer