ATI's Athlon 64 Chipset with Integrated Graphics

EconolineCrush writes "ATI has released the first Athlon 64 chipset with DirectX 9-class integrated graphics and PCI Express. The Tech Report has an in-depth review of the Radeon Xpress 200 that highlights the chipset's impressive performance and surprisingly competent integrated graphics. It looks like the Radeon Xpress 200 could be the missing link that helps AMD crack Intel's dominance of the consumer and corporate desktop markets."

Comments

I wonder

[Gonzman2000]

I wonder if On-Board video will ever replace the need for PCI-E and AGP for gamers. On-board audio now is good enough for most gamers, and we have on-board LAN, etc.

Re:I wonder

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a feeling we'll be seeing more video cards with multiple GPUs showing up as they reach the 93nm limitations, since the creation of a frame of video is such an ideal task for parallel processing.

That being said, I think that on-board video will replace the add-on card for most average users. High-end power gamers that want to see 60 fps at 1600x1200 with all the AA, AF and sfx goodies turned on will still pay the big bucks for the add-on space heaters.

Re:I wonder

[drinkypoo]

The last best hope for game consoles that can be used for some basic computer functions is the future of the Xbox. If we can just convince them that being essentially a PC isn't a death sentence if you can prove you have enough developers (developers developers developers developers!) on board, then maybe we can get a system that will allow us to have mice and keyboards and plug in arbitrary HID-compatible input device in general. People will still buy the official controllers like mad anyway, I hate to say it but I have an old microsoft force feedback wheel and it's pretty good.

If the PS2 had more memory, I could have gotten excited about the Linux kit... but it didn't. The Xbox is the first console system worth being a computer, with the possible exception of the Gamecube, which Nintendo has locked up tighter than the first day singing in the choir. I know you can get in through the network (what a dirty little console) but that doesn't do it for me. Then again, I haven't gotten the necessary software for that yet, so I'm not sure just how well it would work anyway.

Anyway I want a game console that I can use as a desktop, but with good graphics. Basically I'd like to put it on a KVM with my PC on my 21" VGA monitor and have it look good. From what I understand, it actually will look okay with a VGA box, so I'm thinking about that one too. It has to also be able to function as a basic computer, browse the web with mozilla (the web is damned annoying without it) and play media.

The future of video is digital, so at least we should all be able to hook our big screens up to our game consoles and get high-quality graphics in short order. I'd really like to get away from using a PC for tasks for which it's not required, though, and just do it all on the game console. If the Xbox had higher resolution I could be happy doing it now... if only I could use a mouse and keyboard playing halo. Is that little kb/mouse adapter any good?

I don't see how this helps them crack anything

[Sycraft-fu]

They've already had a chip like this in the form of the nForce. Integrated graphics AND sound. This is better graphics, and newer technology, but I don't really see any magic bullet that will wow people. Just looks like a good new chipset to me.

AMD's problem in the corperate world is mostly just one of repuation. Corperations tend to like to stay with proven solutions. If something works, don't change to something else. Well, Intel works, and has for a long time, so there is inertia to stick with it.

Also AMD has a really rocky history. For a long time their processors did NOT perform up to their numbers. Also when the Athlons first came out the motherboard situation was abysmal and incompatabilities were rampant. Now granted that's been fixed, but it's easy to break trust and hard to earn it back.

Ultimately, I don't think this chipset will make any large difference. It'll be another nice chipset for AMD chips and more options when you buy one, but it's nothing earth shattering.

Step in the right direction

[Average_Joe_Sixpack]

I really wish AMD would have developed the 761 further but the nForce and now ATI chipsets should provide a good stable alternative to the VIA/SiS garbage.

I just wish AMD had a motherboard manuf that was as good as Intel. Currently the stability crown seems to be passed back and forth between ASUS and MSI ... which IMO are crap compared to Intel.

Re:Step in the right direction

[Average_Joe_Sixpack]

The problems with instability often come from incompetent people who think they know how to put a computer together from parts pulled from dumpsters or low-sellers on pricewatch after eating chocolate cake with their fingers...

Yes, well you get what you pay for, and when I pay for an Intel solution I can expect 24x7xYears reliability. When I've gone with Abit/Asus/Gigabyte/MSI/Shuttle it's been a mixed stability bag, that is I might get years of reliability or only a couple of months till a mobo capacitor goes.

Like I said, I love AMD processors ... but their reliance on 3rd party chipsets and motherboards is a major liability.

Re:Step in the right direction

[Anonymous Coward]

Interestingly enough, I've had exactly the opposite experience. The DELL dual Xeon workstations at work (the 650 series, pretty much then "best" workstation made by x86 OEMs) weren't dual for nearly a year. We had random crashes and lockups until our own shop tech narrowed it down to the components relating to the CPU and/or chipset. The few AMD machines we have were trouble-free... except for that one hard drive. O.o

It is decent, but won't change the market...

[Fallen Kell]

It especially will not make any difference in the general corporate world. Most companies are in longtime buying relationships with certain OEM's and will only purchase through them. Performance can and will make a difference (eventually), but that takes a backseat to current vendor relationships. Unless and until all vendors embrace AMD, you will not see a significant number of them sold to large corporations, and will only see small numbers purchased only with intense demand by individual users (typically engineers who follow actual hardware performance and not market speak).

The best thing that AMD can have happen for them on the corporate front would be to get major vendors like Dell, HP, and IBM to offer their chips in their products.

Re:actually...

[Laebshade]

Egads, I never though ATi wouldn't have an rpm that is compatible with Xorg. My apologies. Guess that blows my upgrading to SuSE 9.2 (which comes with Xorg) out of the water...

Re:Which distros?

[Anonymous Cowdog]

Right, to clarify, I'm talking about the entire picture, whether each piece of hardware is made by AMD or not. But specifically asking about solutions that involve AMD CPUs and chipsets.

I'd be happy to jump (back) from Intel to AMD processors and chipsets (and compatible hardware) if I knew my OS could take advantage of them. My question is, which of FreeBSD or OpenBSD or any flavor of GNU/Linux are a good choice to use the new performance features like 64 bit architecture?

First OB video for x86-64's

[WoTG]

nForce4 chipsets for the Athlon 64's do NOT have integrated graphics, not yet at least. I don't think any of the other chipset mfg's do either. On board video is different on the AMD K8's than other processors, the onchip memory controller is great for the CPU, but it makes shared memory slower for the integrated graphics (ATI has a dedicated frame buffer in this new chipset to more than offset this problem).

So, yes, this ATI chipset could be just the ticket for getting Athlon64's into OEM models - you know, the mass market jobs that corp's tend to buy. Decent video for office apps and good prices, when compared to a system with a separate graphics card.

Ahem.

[AusG4]

What i'm quite surprised about is that nobody has mentioned the XBox in all of this. If rumors hold true, Microsoft intends to ship the XBox Next (err, XBox 2, err XBox: Reloaded, whatever you want to call it) with a PowerPC 970 CPU and a GPU and chipset provided by ATI.

That said, this may be a relatively decent look at what is to come in the form of the next XBox product.

I know that this chipset is for Athlon 64. Don't point that out in a reply. I said "look at what is to come", not, "this is clearly the Xbox 2 chipset".

At any rate, if I -was- the kind of person who bought PC hardware (which I'm not), I'd be likely to check out this ATI offering. The performance will probably be more than acceptable, and I do think it's important to support companies who have their headquarters within eye sight of your office. :)

Re:Ahem.

[n6mod]

Actually, since both the 970 and the A64 use HyperTransport, you might not be far off the mark.

Doesn't explain the lack of ethernet, though...unless MS wanted that unbundled so they could go wireless.

Re:Ahem.

[TrancePhreak]

I am lead to believe that the GFX chip in the XBox 2 is more similar to ATI's next flagship chip. IE something with shader 3.0 support.

Didn't Nvidia try this and gave up?

[tangent3]

Remember the Nforce2 IGPs? They were the best performing integrated graphics solution and an excellent buy for non-gamers. Yet you hardly see any of them selling. I don't understand why, I've built many office PCs at very nice prices thanks to these things. But somehow it didn't seem such a good idea for Nvidia and they gave up IGP for the Nforce3 and Nforce4, as apparently there is not enough demand in the market for it.

Does ATI really expect something different to happen with their IGP solution?