Will support AM3 processors

Feb 22, 2010 14:33 GMT  ·  By
AMD reportedly planning on launching its first next-generation chipset on March 1
   AMD reportedly planning on launching its first next-generation chipset on March 1

While Advanced Micro Devices is currently in the lead when it comes to its race against NVIDIA, the CPU and GPU maker is still somewhat behind Intel on the central processing unit (CPU) front. While the company does plan to introduce the Thuban six-core processor, the main issue is the lack of chipset support for the new chip. AMD has been planning on alleviating this problem by launching its next-generation 8-series chipsets ahead of its chip. The exact date of launch for the new technology has not been known so far, but a recent report claims to have finally discovered it.

According to DonanimHaber, the 890GX chipset from Advanced Micro Devices will be launched next week, namely on the 1st of March. It will be compatible with AM3 processors and will feature the ATI Radeon HD 4200 integrated graphics chipset, which has support for DirectX 10.1.

The report doesn't limit itself to just the first of the chipsets, however, as it claims to have also come across the exact launch date of the 880G. This chipset will debut on April 26 and will boast the Radeon HD 4250 integrated graphics processor (IGP). AMD is also reportedly planning on releasing two platforms without integrated graphics capabilities, namely the high-end 890FX and the mainstream 870.

All motherboards based on any of these next-generation chipsets are expected to have on-board support for the SATA 6.0 Gbps interface, considering that AMD's southbridge chips have built-in support for the new standard.

If the rumor proves to be genuine, the Sunnyvale, California-based chip maker will have the new platform up and running just in time to make waves at CeBIT 2010, where motherboards based on it are expected to be showcased. Of course, whether the rumors prove true and the launches occur as suggested remains to be seen.