14 DAY TRIAL // Intel has just announced that the company’s next-generation Panther Point chipsets designed to be used together with the 2012 Ivy Bridge processors have just received certification for USB 3.0 from the USB Implementers Forum.
This certification covers both the consumer 7-series platform controller hubs (PCHs) as well as the server and workstation version of the Panther Point chipset, the C216 product family.
“SuperSpeed USB certification of our Intel 7 Series Chipset and Intel C216 Chipset Family helps ensure interoperability and backward compatibility within the broad USB ecosystem,” said Ahmad Zaidi, General Manager, Intel Corporation Chipset and SoC IP Group.
“The Intel 7 Series Chipset and Intel C216 Chipset Family offers OEMs and consumers many exciting features, and Intel is excited to integrate SuperSpeed USB technology into our upcoming chipsets,” concluded the company’s rep.
On the consumer side, the Panther Point chipset will be available in six different versions, three targeting home users (the Z77, Z75 and H77), while the remaining three are destined to be installed in business systems (the Q77, A75, and B75).
Despite this split, all the six chipsets feature native USB 3.0 support and can include as much as four SuperSpeed ports, although it’s up to motherboard makers to decide just how many such ports will enable in their LGA 1155 solutions.
As far as the server version of Panther Point is concerned, we don’t know at this point in time on just how many version of the C216 Intel plans to introduce USB 3.0, but is expected that not all of these will integrate the interface as this feature isn’t as important in the server market as in the consumer space.
The 7-series Panther Point chipsets will launch together with Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors in April of 2012. The C216-based chipsets will be launched at the same time.
