Silicon Integrated Systems Corp. (SiS) and S3 Graphics Inc. are preparing to face off against PC graphics leaders as they strive to maintain share in value and mainstream applications with newly launched discrete graphics controllers.
On one level, the companies face competition from Intel Corp.'s mid- to low-end integrated graphics products. At the same time, they must prove their mettle against high-end discrete graphics leaders ATI Technologies Inc. and Nvidia Corp., which also supply discrete graphics ICs for mainstream applications.
SiS and S3, a Via Technologies Inc. subsidiary, can elbow their way into the low-end market against Intel by offering better performance, and enter the high end against ATI and Nvidia by competing on price, said Jon Peddie, an analyst at Jon Peddie Research, Tiburon, Calif.
News source: EBN - SiS, S3 prepare to challenge discrete graphics leaders
On one level, the companies face competition from Intel Corp.'s mid- to low-end integrated graphics products. At the same time, they must prove their mettle against high-end discrete graphics leaders ATI Technologies Inc. and Nvidia Corp., which also supply discrete graphics ICs for mainstream applications.
SiS and S3, a Via Technologies Inc. subsidiary, can elbow their way into the low-end market against Intel by offering better performance, and enter the high end against ATI and Nvidia by competing on price, said Jon Peddie, an analyst at Jon Peddie Research, Tiburon, Calif.
News source: EBN - SiS, S3 prepare to challenge discrete graphics leaders
“This year there will be close to 1.3 graphics controllers shipped for every CPU. That's because ODMs and OEMs will use integrated graphics controllers for a broad range of motherboards and then put in a better graphics card for different market segments,” Peddie said. “So systems will ship with Intel 845Gs and SiS, Trident, and S3/Via [graphics devices] in the value segment, and ATI, Nvidia, SiS, [and] S3 in midrange applications.”
Cost-conscious OEMs and board makers are first implementing integrated graphics controllers before deciding whether to design in a discrete graphics processor, Peddie said. OEMs and board makers can later differentiate their offerings with add-in cards for enhanced graphics.
As recently announced at the Computex computer show in Taiwan, board makers are already implementing SiS' discrete offering. Shipments of its Xabre400 graphics chip began in May.
Via did not give a date for the launch of its AlphaChrome discrete graphics device, but said it is in “preproduction.” AlphaChrome's smallest discrete package is a 23mm2 PBGA for 64-bit memory interface and a 27mm2 PBGA for the full 128-bit interface. Neither company disclosed pricing.
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