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Digest 2004: Chipsets – Summary Tables of all Modern Solution Features





Chipset: northbridge ALi/ULi M16891 ATI Radeon Xpress 200 ATI Radeon Xpress 200P NVIDIA nForce3 250/Gb1 NVIDIA nForce3 Ultra1 NVIDIA nForce4/Ultra1 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI1 SiS7602 SiS755FX SiS756 VIA K8M800 VIA K8T800 Pro VIA K8T890
CPU support
AMD Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, Opteron, Sempron
Frequency and capacity of HT bus before the CPU
800 MHz, 16/8 bit
1 GHz, 16/16 bit
1 GHz, 16/16 bit
800 MHz, 16/16 bit
1 GHz, 16/16 bit
1 GHz, 16/16 bit
1 GHz, 16/16 bit
800 MHz, 16/8 bit
1 GHz, 16/8 bit
1 GHz, 16/8 bit
800 MHz, 16/16 bit
1 GHz, 16/16 bit
1 GHz, 16/16 bit
Memory/ECC support, maximum capacity
processor-defined
Graphics interface
AGP 8x
PCIEx16
PCIEx16
AGP 8x
AGP 8x
PCIEx16
PCIEx16 or 2x8(SLI)
AGP 8x
AGP 8x
PCIEx16
AGP 8x
AGP 8x
PCIEx16
PCI Express
?
x16 + 4x1
x16 + 4x1
?
?
x16 + 3x1
x16 or 2x8(SLI) + 3x1
?
?
x16
?
?
x16 + 4x1
Integrated video
?
Radeon X300
?
?
?
?
?
Mirage 2
?
?
UniChrome Pro
?
?
Southbridge connection
?
PCI Express, 1 GB/sec
PCI Express, 1 GB/sec
?
?
?
?
MuTIOL 1G, 1 GB/sec
MuTIOL 1G, 1 GB/sec
MuTIOL 1G, 1 GB/sec
8X V-Link, 533 MB/sec
Ultra V-Link, 1 GB/sec
Ultra V-Link, 1 GB/sec
Official southbridge
?
IXP400
IXP400
?
?
?
?
SiS964
SiS964
SiS965
VT8237
VT8237
VT8237 (VT8251?)

1: A single chip, but the functionality is published in two separate tables to facilitate comparisons

2: There are two chip modifications: the 760 supports a local frame buffer (separate memory chip(s) on the motherboard), and the 760GX can work only with the frame buffer allocated in the system memory

Chipset: northbridge ALi/ULi M1683 ALi/ULi M1685 ATI Radeon 9100/Pro IGP1 ATI RX300 Intel 910GL Express Intel 915GV Express Intel 915G Express Intel 915P Express Intel 925X/XE Express SiS661FX SiS649 SiS655TX SiS656 VIA PM880 VIA PT800 VIA PT880
CPU support
Intel Pentium 4, Pentium 4 XE, Celeron, Celeron D
FSB frequency
400/533/800 MHz
400/533/800 MHz
400/533/800 MHz
400/533/800 MHz
533 MHz
533/800 MHz
533/800 MHz
533/800 MHz
800 MHz/800 and 1066 MHz
400/533/800 MHz
400/533/800 MHz
400/533/800 MHz
400/533/800 MHz
400/533/800 MHz
400/533/800 MHz
400/533/800 MHz
Memory support
one DDR266/333/400 or SDR133 channel
one DDR266/333/400 or DDR2-400/533/667 channel
two DDR266/333/400 channels2
two DDR266/333/400 channels
two DDR333/400 channels
two DDR333/400 or DDR2-400/533 channels
two DDR333/400 or DDR2-400/533 channels
two DDR333/400 or DDR2-400/533 channels
two DDR2-400/533 channels
one DDR266/333/400 channel
one DDR266/333/400 or DDR2-400/533 channel
two DDR266/333/400 channels
two DDR266/333/400 or DDR2-400/533/667 channels
two DDR266/333/400 channels
one DDR266/333/400 channel
two DDR266/333/400 channels
ECC support
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
+
?
?
?
+
+
+
+
Maximum memory capacity
3 modules/4 GB
3 modules/4 GB
2 modules/4 GB
2 modules/4 GB
2 modules/2 GB
4 modules/4 GB
4 modules/4 GB
4 modules/4 GB
4 modules/4 GB
3 modules/3 GB (DDR 266/333) or 2 modules/2 GB (DDR 400)
2 modules/2 GB
4 modules/4 GB
4 modules/4 GB
4 modules/8 GB
4 modules/8 GB
4 modules/8 GB
Graphics interface
AGP 8x
PCIEx16
AGP 8x
AGP 8x
?
?
PCIEx16
PCIEx16
PCIEx16
AGP 8x
AGP 8x
PCIEx16
PCIEx16
AGP 8x
AGP 8x
AGP 8x
PCI Express
?
x16
?
?
?
?
x16
x16
x16
?
?
x16
x16
?
?
?
Integrated video
?
?
Radeon 9200
?
GMA900
GMA900
GMA900
?
?
Mirage
?
?
?
UniChrome Pro
?
?
Southbridge connection
HyperTransport, 1.6 GB/sec
HyperTransport, 1.6 GB/sec
A-Link, 266 MB/sec
A-Link, 266 MB/sec
DMI (PCI Express), 2 GB/sec
DMI (PCI Express), 2 GB/sec
DMI (PCI Express), 2 GB/sec
DMI (PCI Express), 2 GB/sec
DMI (PCI Express), 2 GB/sec
MuTIOL 1G, 1 GB/sec
MuTIOL 1G, 1 GB/sec
MuTIOL 1G, 1 GB/sec
MuTIOL 1G, 1 GB/sec
Ultra V-Link, 1 GB/sec
Ultra V-Link, 1 GB/sec
Ultra V-Link, 1 GB/sec
Official southbridge
M1563
M1563
IXP150/300
IXP300
ICH6/R
ICH6/R
ICH6/R
ICH6/R
ICH6/R
SiS964
SiS964
SiS965
SiS965
VT8237
VT8237
VT8237

1: ATI 9100 and 9100 Pro chipsets differ only in the official southbridge: IXP150 in the 9100, IXP300 in the 9100 Pro

2: There also exists a one-channel modification of these chipsets (ATI Radeon 9000 Pro IGP), but it's not widely spread

Chipset: southbridge ALi/ULi M1563 ALi/ULi M15731 ALi/ULi M1689 ATI IXP150 ATI IXP300 ATI IXP400 Intel ICH62 Intel ICH6R2 NVIDIA nForce3 250 NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb/Ultra NVIDIA nForce4 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra/SLI SiS964L SiS964 SiS965L SiS965 VIA VT8237 VIA VT8251
PCI Express
?
2x1
?
?
?
?
4x1
4x1
?
?
3x15
3x15
?
?
2x1
2x1
?
2x1
PCI
up to 6 devices
up to 7 devices
up to 7 devices
up to 7 devices
up to 7 devices
up to 7 devices
up to 6 devices
up to 6 devices
up to 6 devices
up to 6 devices
up to 6 devices
up to 6 devices
up to 6 devices
up to 6 devices
up to 6 devices
up to 6 devices
up to 6 devices
up to 6 devices
Parallel ATA (IDE)
2x2 ATA133
2x2 ATA133
2x2 ATA133
2x2 ATA100
2x2 ATA100
2x2 ATA133
1x2 ATA100
1x2 ATA100
2x2 ATA133 supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+13
2x2 ATA133 supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+13
2x2 ATA133 supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+13
2x2 ATA133 supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+13
2x2 ATA133
2x2 ATA133
2x2 ATA133
2x2 ATA133
2x2 ATA133
2x2 ATA133
Serial ATA
?
4 ports supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+1
2 ports
?
2 ports
4 ports supporting RAID 0, 1
4 ports
4 ports supporting RAID 0, 1, Matrix RAID
2 ports (+2 with external PHY controller) supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+13
2 ports (+2 with external PHY controller) supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+13
2 ports (+2 with external PHY controller) supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+13
2 ports (+2 with external PHY controller) SATA II (3 Gbit/sec) supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+13
?
2 ports supporting RAID 0, 1
2 ports supporting RAID 0, 1
4 ports supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+1
2 ports (+2 with external PHY controller) supporting RAID 0, 1 (and 0+1 in case of 4 ports)
4 ports supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+1
USB
6 ports
8 ports
8 ports
6 ports
8 ports
8 ports
8 ports
8 ports
8 ports
8 ports
10 ports
10 ports
8 ports
8 ports
8 ports
8 ports
8 ports
8 ports
Audio
AC'97 interface, up to 6 channels
HDA or AC'97 interface, up to 6 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 6 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 6 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 6 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 8 channels
HDA or AC'97 interface, up to 6 channels
HDA or AC'97 interface, up to 6 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 8 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 8 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 8 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 8 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 6 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 6 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 8 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 8 channels
AC'97 interface, up to 6 channels
HDA or AC'97 interface, up to 6 channels
Network controller
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)
?
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100/1000 Mbit/sec (MAC)4
10/100/1000 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100/1000 Mbit/sec (MAC)4
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100/1000 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)
10/100 Mbit/sec (MAC)

1: ULi does not currently offer northbridges, which can use M1573 as a southbridge, but this southbridge can be used for new ATI chipsets, for example

2: ICH6W and ICH6RW southbridge modifications (with wireless network controller) were not widely used, and thus their production has been stopped

3: RAID can be formed by hard disks connected to different controllers (including SATA+PATA)

4: The network controller is announced to support a hardware firewall feature (details are not provided)

5: Support for PCI Express slots is duplicated in both tables (for the northbridge and southbridge) to provide more illustrative comparison

 
Sergei Pikalov (peek@ixbt.com)
January 27, 2005



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