Intel 975X chipset slips out 'early'

Chip giant restarts low-end chipset production, too

By Tony Smith • Get more from this author

Posted in PC Builder, 9th November 2005 10:39 GMT

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Intel will this quarter begin making 865GV mainstream desktop PC chipsets again, even as it brings forward the release of the high-end 975X chipset.

So claim Taiwanese motherboard maker sources, cited by DigiTimes. Whether they're the same sources who in June claimed Intel was getting out of the low-end chipset market altogether isn't known.

Whatever, the moles now claim Intel has seen "huge" demand for the 865GV from the channel and as a result will start making the part again. Production was suspended in the summer to allow Intel to target its production capacity on high-end products.

Restarting production of the 865GV also allows Intel to ensure the chipset meets RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) regulations due to come into force in Europe on 1 July 2006.

The arrival of the revived 865GV will be accompanied by the demise of the 915 family, the sources claimed. The chipset is to be phased out in a bid to encourage manufacturers to migrate to the 945 series, which supports DDR 2 SDRAM.

The appearance of the 975X, originally expected to ship in Q1 2006, was heralded recently by motherboard maker Gigabyte. Its GA-G1975X mobo is based on the part and will ship on 14 November, the company said recently.

The 975X is the follow-up to the 955X, adding support for both Nvidia's SLi and ATI's CrossFire, both of which technologies Intel is believed to have licensed during the summer. ®

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