VIA Express steams ahead

VIA Technologies is targeting integrators and OEMs with its latest PCI Express chipset

VIA Technologies is targeting integrators and OEMs with its latest PCI Express chipset for AMD Athlon 64 - and Sempron-based systems.

The K8M890 core logic chipset features the S3 Graphics DeltaChrome integrated graphics processor (IGP) core, which has been designed for the upcoming Microsoft Windows Vista operating system and high-definition video standards.

The new addition is riding on the back of strong growth in the integrated graphics chipsets market, where many PCs and notebooks now feature more powerful integrated graphics rather than standalone graphics solutions.

The chipset supports both DirectX 9.0 and Pixel Shader 2.0 for high-quality video processing. The chromotion video display engine boosts visual output to support the high-definition video resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels. The chipset also supports PCI Express 16x discrete graphics cards, to let users easily upgrade graphics with add-in cards. VIA is positioning the K8M890 chipset as a flexible all-rounder for system builders looking to address multiple markets with a single motherboard.

Chewei Lin, vice-president of product marketing at VIA Technologies, said: “The VIA K8M890 builds on our strong position as the leading supplier of IGP chipsets for the AMD64 platform. It reinforces our commitment to OEMs and system integrators to develop powerful, versatile platforms. With the new S3 Graphics DeltaChrome IGP core, we have included graphics and video headroom to ensure AMD64 platforms are equipped to support future graphics and high-definition multimedia requirements.”

Other media features include VIA’s Vinyl High Definition Audio for better sound reproduction, and additional PCI Express connections for adding a range of high-speed peripherals.

According to Jon Peddie, head of analyst firm Jon Peddie Research, integrated graphics is a growing marketplace. “The IGP chipset market has been growing at a fantastic rate for the past five years, representing 52 per cent of the total PC market in 2004. This is expected to grow to 69 per cent by the end of the year,” Peddie said.