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ATI and Nvidia roll out last AGP8X chips before PCI Express

Daniel Fleshbourne   on 24 March 2004 - 09:28 · 16 comments & 1016 views

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ATI Technologies and Nvidia will both launch new-generation AGP8X chips in the second quarter aiming to sustain their market shares before they start marketing chips supporting PCI Express standards, according to sources familiar with the roadmaps of the two companies. The two new chips are ATI’s R420 and Nvidia’s NV40. Both chips were highlighted at CeBIT 2004 held in Hannover, Germany, this week. The two chips will be the last generation mainstream AGP8X chips before the PCI Express chips take the reins, said the sources.

The launches of the two chips are important for ATI and Nvidia to enforce their current market positions because Intel’s new chipsets supporting the PCI Express technology will not be available until the end of the second quarter, undermining the chance for PCI Express to become mainstream before the end of this year, the sources said. The NV40 will have eight physical pipelines, but they can act like 16, according to the sources. According to information available on several websites, ATI’s R420 will feature 12 working pipelines, with a possible maximum of 16.

View: The full story
News source: DigiTimes


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#1 petroid on 24 Mar 2004 - 10:36
Yay... A new card to update to. And I just upgraded...
#2 GamblerFEXonlin on 24 Mar 2004 - 10:38
With my new powercolor 9600 pro 256mb quake 3 stutters and theres a brightness bug. I also cant use large system cache any longer.

I dont wanto go back to nvidia. Slide-out control panel and Digital Vibrance cheese nooooo aaaaaaahhhhh
#3 iczman on 24 Mar 2004 - 10:54
Will PCI Express become mainstream before the end of this year?
What do you think guys? Becuase I'm hesitating on buying a 9800Pro or wait for R420....
#4 TwiztedCam on 24 Mar 2004 - 11:04
Does this mean that they are no longer making AGP cards...or just this year they aren't? Im confused.
#5 musicmaster on 24 Mar 2004 - 12:43
they gotta make at least one more series of AGP... i mean, theyd loose a hell of a lot of business if they just went PCIE... hell, i wont upgrade to a PCIE board for at least 2 years....
#6 donachello on 24 Mar 2004 - 13:34
I agree it's a little confusing but, going back to the 80's and 90's Voodoo cards were the dominants over AGP and you could connect to cards in SLI mode linked to the AGP card... ATI and nvidia are going back to those days when PCI cards ruled the world...

So one would say that it's not the end of the road for AGP manufacturers will still be producing these cards but, whether or not they will continue to produce the chips for them is another point... I would imagine other manufacturers will contimue to teak these cards...

I would imagine some other manufacturer will continue making these
#7 quanta on 24 Mar 2004 - 14:43
You will still be able to BUY AGP8x cards in the near future (much like you can still buy some PCI cards now), but don't expect any NEW AGP products by the end of this year.

I expect all new mobos and videocards to be PCIe by next year. Don't worry folks, it'll be like 1998 all over again.
#8 donachello on 24 Mar 2004 - 15:14
LOL

Yeah I remember back in the days... having two Voodoo cards running in SLI mode; and spent £1000.00 on two cards connected with a cross link cable to the AGP card...

Is it me or what but, technology is taking a leep forwards but, we are reverting back to PCI...

Odd or what...

So does this mean then no 9900 Pro instead PCI Express from ATI...?

I hope Hercules bring out a PCI card and would imagine this will be awesome...

(1 reply) #9 tntomek on 24 Mar 2004 - 17:07
People...PCI Express is NOT PCI the only similarities are in the ("PCI" found in the name.

#9.1 Grappa on 24 Mar 2004 - 17:45
Welcome to the discussion.
#10 DjmUK on 24 Mar 2004 - 18:29
I'm in literally no rush to upgrade to PCIX because of the limited advancements. Just look at benchmarks between AGP 4x & AGP 8x, you can see little to no improvements...then again, there are very few games that can actually take full advantage of the increase in bus bandwidth (and then again PCIX can send/receive simultaneously).

Anyways, does this mean the ATi R420 will be the chip for the Radeon 9900 Pro..? and when do you guys predict that this GPU will be available in the UK - because I'm sooooo close to updating my card.
(1 reply) #11 Boogiman on 24 Mar 2004 - 21:53
Crap, and I just bought my 9800 PRO
#11.1 donachello on 25 Mar 2004 - 09:39
Boogiman It's OK you have a good card there HL2, D3 and DXIW will all work on this card... I have this card and I have all the setting up to the max on my machine while playing Deus Ex 2 and UT2004 runs like lightening when playing this game with all the settings to the max...

Don't worry dude you have a good card... I have the Hurcules 3D Prophet 9800 Pro 128mb DDR card and it runs like a dream running ATI drivers 4.3... not worrying about upgrading this card for a while...
#12 INFERNO2k on 24 Mar 2004 - 22:00
PCIE != PCI
#13 Zepolcire on 25 Mar 2004 - 17:03
I am such a techno whore. I will say I wont get it, but when they come out, guess what is going to happen. Time to save up some mula for my new rig...
#14 DJ Specs on 25 Mar 2004 - 22:48
Why do they bother... to make thing more difficult!

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