Although that is the general idea, I wouldn't place a bet on it since Ati is known for the way it can switch from one position to another. And the fact that it belongs to AMD didn't seem to change this sometimes erratic behavior. This statement perfectly applies to RD600 because this soon to be released speed demon wasn't even in the roadmaps until few months ago.

DFI seems to be the only company that is brave enough to make an RD600 board. At first, Asus also announced that they will release a RD600 based board but it seems that they've kind of given up. I say that because this is an assumption, not a verified fact. Moreover, it seems that the abandon of the RD600 chipset based Asus motherboard was closely related to INTEL's pressures regarding what could turn out to be the best LGA 775 overclocking platform. It's quite natural for INTEL to be worried since RD600 will probably not only be faster than 965/975 chipsets but also have more overclocking potential that the 680i based motherboards that come from Nvidia.

INTEL is definitely not happy about the fact that DFI will release an RD600 board, but it can hope that there won't be many boards available. It seems that whether they intent to do it or not, the guys at DFI have a special way of leaving legendary products behind. Let's hope that this one too will enter the hall of fame. And not because it will be hard to find.

AMD will probably stop making INTEL chipsets but that doesn't mean it will also stop developing the Ati chipset line. Late rumors have suggested that AMD has readied an Ati chipset that will be turned into a future 4x4 motherboard. Nvidia, beware!