i845 Chipset to start trickling into the market in September. (has changed to discussion of new AMD SMP boards coming out).

[Double Trouble]

This Cnet article indicates that OEM's will start selling systems based on the i845 around mid-September, which means boards based on the chipset should be available shortly before that.

I'm guessing this is not the DDR version of the i845, but rather the SDRAM only version. Given how this chipset seems really slow (based on the various benchies available around the net), I think I'd rather wait for a DDR-happy chipset for the P4, or go with an Athlon and DDR memory.

Any scoop as to whether the i845 chipset can be used for SMP (dual)?? At present there aren't any good dual processor options..... I don't like the cheap VIA dual boards (too many 'issues'), the BX chipset is getting really old and doesn't officially do 133 FSB, the AMD 760MP chipset is only available in one board, and it's 'enterprise priced'.....

 

[AndyHui]

Information that I have from ASUS shows that the P4B (based on the i845-S...S denotes SDRAM) will be released September....while the P4B266 (based on the i845-D) will be released in Q1/02.

As for a DP solution, the A7M266-D looks good: dual Athlon, 4 DDR DIMMs, AGP Pro, 2 64-bit PCI, 3 32-bit PCI, and optional combined LAN/SCSI card like that found on the CUSL2-LS. Release is supposedly some time in August.

 

[Double Trouble]

Hmmmmm.. A7M266-D sounds just like what the doctor ordered. Is it based on the 760MP or 760MPX chipset? Of course, the real question is how much the board will cost.

I hear rumors that MSI will release a dual athlon board in the sub-$250 range very shortly..... I've had no problems using MSI boards in the past, so I wouldn't mind trying that out

 

[AndyHui]

I have AMD 762/768 chipset listed here....so which one is that? MP or MPX?

[Edit]: OK...this is an MPX board.

 

[Double Trouble]

Excellent Asus usually makes quality stuff, so that might be the board that I'm targeting. Thanks for the info Andy!