Will there be a new chipset out for Conroe's launch?

[orion23]

Will there be a new chipset out for Conroe's launch?


Or is the Intel 975X it?

 

[MBrown]

i965 i think

 

[coldpower27]

A new mianstream chipset of 965 Series for Conroe, as well as updated 975X motherboards with the VRM11 or something voltage regulator, as well as updated 945 motherboards as there prices are quite low now, for the lower Conroes.

 

[Gepidae]

Yea the different Q,P,G 965x series for the Conroe. Does anyone know enough about the Bearlake chips in 07 to shed some light about it for me?

 

[pcoffman]

Originally posted by: orion23
Will there be a new chipset out for Conroe's launch?


Or is the Intel 975X it?

The P965 Express was launched at Computex. A G965 and Q965 should follow soon. The G965 is for integrated graphics, of course, and the Q965 is supposed to be for business PCs. So far, the 975X is the only Intel chipset that is to support CrossFire, if you want dual graphics. The 975X, however, uses the older ICH7R, as opposed to the more recent ICH8 or ICH8R. The ICH (I/O Controller Hub) affects your storage options, but this shouldn't be a big deal, as the changes are gradual and evolutionary.

There are also NVIDIA and ATI chipsets that support Core 2 (& SLI & CrossFire).

 

[Gepidae]

Originally posted by: pcoffman

Originally posted by: orion23
Will there be a new chipset out for Conroe's launch?


Or is the Intel 975X it?

The P965 Express was launched at Computex. A G965 and Q965 should follow soon. The G965 is for integrated graphics, of course, and the Q965 is supposed to be for business PCs. So far, the 975X is the only Intel chipset that is to support CrossFire, if you want dual graphics. The 975X, however, uses the older ICH7R, as opposed to the more recent ICH8 or ICH8R. The ICH (I/O Controller Hub) affects your storage options, but this shouldn't be a big deal, as the changes are gradual and evolutionary.

There are also NVIDIA and ATI chipsets that support Core 2 (& SLI & CrossFire).

Yea I actually have a question about the whole ICH_R thing. Whats the big deal with the changes from the 7 to the 8 except a newer version of the chipset? I guess Im trying to ask please explain it to me in english =)

 

[VivienM]

The ICH (I/O Controller Hub) affects your storage options, but this shouldn't be a big deal, as the changes are gradual and evolutionary.

Dropping PATA isn't "gradual and evolutionary."

For people who prefer their Intel CPUs and Intel chipsets on an actual Intel motherboard, this is going to be a Big Huge Issue unless a gazillion SATA optical drives hit the market in the next 6 weeks. ASUS/ABIT/etc may 'solve' the problem with add-on PATA controllers, but I doubt Intel will put those on their own P965 boards...

 

[pcoffman]

Originally posted by: Gepidae
Does anyone know enough about the Bearlake chips in 07 to shed some light about it for me?

Hi

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=2551

Bearlake is to support a 1333MHz FSB. Not much else is known, e.g. details of ICH9.

 

[Gepidae]

So right now comparing the ICH7 and ICH8 what are the differences? Sorry for these noob questions but Im still trying to understand all these things =P

 

[pcoffman]

Originally posted by: VivienM
Dropping PATA isn't "gradual and evolutionary."

I stand corrected.

However, not having PATA in the ICH8 should not pose much of a problem, since motherboard makers will almost certainly provide PATA through third party hard drive controller chips.

See this page: Intel's ICH8R doesn't support any PATA ports natively so you will see all motherboard manufacturers resorting to a similar sort of arrangement.

Using an Intel chipset does not preclude motherboard manufacturers from using a third-party controller. The workaround, if you do like Intel motherboards, and they don't provide such a controller chip, is just buy a SATA optical drive.

 

[pcoffman]

Originally posted by: Gepidae
comparing the ICH7 and ICH8 what are the differences?

Intel is dropping support for parallel ATA entirely in the ICH8 and ICH8R. The south bridge only provides built-in support for serial ATA drives. This affects optical drives mostly, since there are comparatively few SATA optical drives being made. However, the industry is not quite ready to drop PATA entirely, so expect to see PATA on most motherboards anyway. For a while.

 

[VivienM]

Originally posted by: pcoffman

Originally posted by: VivienM
Dropping PATA isn't "gradual and evolutionary."

I stand corrected.

However, not having PATA in the ICH8 should not pose much of a problem, since motherboard makers will almost certainly provide PATA through third party hard drive controller chips.

See this page: Intel's ICH8R doesn't support any PATA ports natively so you will see all motherboard manufacturers resorting to a similar sort of arrangement.

Using an Intel chipset does not preclude motherboard manufacturers from using a third-party controller. The workaround, if you do like Intel motherboards, and they don't provide such a controller chip, is just buy a SATA optical drive.

There are no SATA optical drives, though... aside from one Plextor model that's Plextor-priced. That's the entire problem. This isn't a "but I have to replace my brand new IDE optical drive and I don't want to" situation; it's a "the only suitable drive on the market costs 3X the going price" situation.

The solution, unless SATA drives come out of nowhere in the next 6 weeks, is either to buy a board from $favourite_taiwanese_mobo_company (which negates half the reason some Intel bigots buy Intel in the first place), or... be stuck with an Intel board with no way to install an OS on the thing. Or buy the ridiculously expensive Intel i975 board for no real reason...

 

[pcoffman]

Originally posted by: VivienM
There are no SATA optical drives, though... aside from one Plextor model

Give it time. Ben-Q drives should be 5% SATA by he end of this year. Intel manufactured 965 boards are not even out yet. If someone insists on having an Intel-made 965 board, they don't have to build rightaway.

... be stuck with an Intel board with no way to install an OS

I've installed an OS using a SATA optical drive. It's not a big deal.

Or buy the ridiculously expensive Intel i975 board

$200 is alot to pay for a motherboard. Even so, this has been the going rate for high performance motherboards for quite some time. I don't care if it's Intel, Asus, or another motherboard manufacturer.

 

[VivienM]

There are no SATA optical drives, though... aside from one Plextor model

Give it time. Ben-Q drives should be 5% SATA by he end of this year. Intel manufactured 965 boards are not even out yet. If someone insists on having an Intel-made 965 board, they don't have to build rightaway.[/quote]

That's not too encouraging for me... my ancient willamette system is long overdue for replacement. I was going to get an 8xx, but then found out it was a spaceheater... so let's wait for 9xx. Then the rumour was the big late April price cut on 9xx NetBursts. So I was going to get one of those (was busy with class anyways before, so no real point to having a new rig)... but then Anand got his hands on a Conroe and buying NetBurst seemed absolutely idiotic.

So now here I am, credit card in hand, desperate to get my hands on the first E6600 and compatible Intel board to make its way to Canada... and facing the very real possibility that they'd be sitting on my floor Aug. 1 with no way to install an OS on the thing.

... be stuck with an Intel board with no way to install an OS

I've installed an OS using a SATA optical drive. It's not a big deal.

It's not a big deal... if you have a SATA optical drive. If you don't... oops.

Or buy the ridiculously expensive Intel i975 board

$200 is alot to pay for a motherboard. Even so, this has been the going rate for high performance motherboards for quite some time. I don't care if it's Intel, Asus, or another motherboard manufacturer.[/quote]

Up here, for comparison, the "high end" Intel D945PVS is $190 (CAD) (the D945PSN with the ICH7 instead of ICH7 is $128), while the D975XBX is $303. I'm not looking for a high performance motherboard - all I want is a stable Intel board (whatever the P965 replacement for the D945PVS will be) running at stock speed with a way to hook up an optical drive to it! Paying $110 for a PATA channel seems so wasteful...

OTOH, the Plextor SATA DVD burner is also $100 more than any other brand's.

Now, let's hope the BenQs and NECs and LiteOns of the world are going to ship SATA DVD-RWs by Jul. 23...

 

[bongsteen]

going 865 does not seem to be smart buy for sure. old school chipset dont cut it anymore. well, i dont think i can get conroe this year. let the dust settle down.

 

[coldpower27]

Originally posted by: VivienM

There are no SATA optical drives, though... aside from one Plextor model

Give it time. Ben-Q drives should be 5% SATA by he end of this year. Intel manufactured 965 boards are not even out yet. If someone insists on having an Intel-made 965 board, they don't have to build rightaway.

That's not too encouraging for me... my ancient willamette system is long overdue for replacement. I was going to get an 8xx, but then found out it was a spaceheater... so let's wait for 9xx. Then the rumour was the big late April price cut on 9xx NetBursts. So I was going to get one of those (was busy with class anyways before, so no real point to having a new rig)... but then Anand got his hands on a Conroe and buying NetBurst seemed absolutely idiotic.

So now here I am, credit card in hand, desperate to get my hands on the first E6600 and compatible Intel board to make its way to Canada... and facing the very real possibility that they'd be sitting on my floor Aug. 1 with no way to install an OS on the thing.

... be stuck with an Intel board with no way to install an OS

I've installed an OS using a SATA optical drive. It's not a big deal.

It's not a big deal... if you have a SATA optical drive. If you don't... oops.

Or buy the ridiculously expensive Intel i975 board

$200 is alot to pay for a motherboard. Even so, this has been the going rate for high performance motherboards for quite some time. I don't care if it's Intel, Asus, or another motherboard manufacturer.[/quote]

Up here, for comparison, the "high end" Intel D945PVS is $190 (CAD) (the D945PSN with the ICH7 instead of ICH7 is $128), while the D975XBX is $303. I'm not looking for a high performance motherboard - all I want is a stable Intel board (whatever the P965 replacement for the D945PVS will be) running at stock speed with a way to hook up an optical drive to it! Paying $110 for a PATA channel seems so wasteful...

OTOH, the Plextor SATA DVD burner is also $100 more than any other brand's.

Now, let's hope the BenQs and NECs and LiteOns of the world are going to ship SATA DVD-RWs by Jul. 23...[/quote]

Yeh that maybe an issue there are some makers of SATA drives, but I am not sure if they ship to Canada.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=2679

I am also looking forward to Conroe but ain't insisting on a built by Intel 965 Series motherboard, I want a third party one so it will have at least 2 PATA slots for optical drives.

 

[classy]

Anand's 6800 extreme tests were run on 965 chipset, 6800 extreme.

 

[Shimmishim]

good discussion!

i too am kind of confused by this drop of PATA support all of a sudden especially when there are not very many optical SATA drives...

but like others have been saying, SATA drives will become more mainstream and we'll see manufacturers releasing mass SATA drives soon (at least I hope so).

 

[VivienM]

Originally posted by: coldpower27
Yeh that maybe an issue there are some makers of SATA drives, but I am not sure if they ship to Canada.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=2679

I am also looking forward to Conroe but ain't insisting on a built by Intel 965 Series motherboard, I want a third party one so it will have at least 2 PATA slots for optical drives.

I can't even find that Samsung SATA drive at Newegg... which makes me think North American availability in general is going to be very limited...

 

[orion23]

OK

Here is something I don't understand.

Most of the new chipsets launched at computex are based on the 965 series, is that right?

Does this new 965 chipset support ICH8?

What about the 975X (higher number)

I guess we will be waiting for a revision of the 975X to support ICH8...

And many thanks for the comments!

 

[coldpower27]

Originally posted by: orion23
OK

Here is something I don't understand.

Most of the new chipsets launched at computex are based on the 965 series, is that right?

Does this new 965 chipset support ICH8?

What about the 975X (higher number)

I guess we will be waiting for a revision of the 975X to support ICH8...

And many thanks for the comments!

Maybe not, there isn't much point with the Bearlake and Weybridge ICH9 based chipsets coming out in Q2/Q3 2007.

With bearlake being the mainstream and Weybridge being the enthusiast chipset.

 

[mb]

You could always buy something like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812156010

 

[pcoffman]

Originally posted by: orion23
Most of the new chipsets launched at computex are based on the 965 series, is that right?

The only Intel chipset announced at Computex was the P965 Express. A G965 and Q965 are expected, but I don't think they're out yet. ATI and NVIDIA's chipsets had already been released, I believe.

Does this new 965 chipset support ICH8?

Yes. Also ICH8R.

What about the 975X

The 975X includes one of the ICH7 family, which is usually either ICH7 or ICH7R. See the ICH7 datasheet at: http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/975X/documentation.htm.

I guess we will be waiting for a revision of the 975X to support ICH8...

Possibly. Let's hope!

 

[pcoffman]

It looks like Intel shall supply a parallel ATA port after all, on at least one of its Intel manufactured P965 chipset motherboards, even though it is dropping PATA support from its ICH8 south bridge. See http://www.intel.com/products/motherboard/dp965lt/index.htm. PATA support has to come from a separate hard drive controller chip on the motherboard.

I know that at least one of you was concerned, because you wanted an Intel motherboard, but was afraid of no PATA.