14 DAY TRIAL // It looks like we should be expecting a few more products from the Santa Clara, California-based graphics chip maker, NVIDIA, as recent rumors point to a new nForce 980a SLI chipset. Said product is slated to be released next month, which could mean that motherboard makers might be showcasing some new products, based on the aforementioned chipset, at the CeBIT show in Hanover, Germany. However, according to a recent news-article on vr-zone, the chipset will come out as a rebranded version of NVIDIA's current nForce 780a SLI.
The first details on this new product were leaked when ASUS first announced its upcoming M4N82 Deluxe board, back in early January. According to the available info, the chipset will provide enthusiasts with a high-end board supporting the latest Phenom II processors from AMD. Details made available by vr-zone suggest that NVIDIA's partners will be able tot take advantage of the new chipset in March, which is probably when the chip maker will also officially introduce the new product.
“The NVIDIA nForce 980a SLI SPP is an enthusiast-class high performance interface to AMD AM3 CPUs. It is RoHS-compliant. It includes 2×16 PCI Express 2.0 lanes (also configurable as 1 x16, 2 x8) and 3×1 PCI Express 1.0 lanes, 12 USB ports, six SATA ports, and single GigE. To ensure timely availability and flexibility, we encourage customers to qualify and release products using the NVIDIA nForce 980a SLI SPP,” reads a message from NVIDIA to its partners.
The new chipset will enable motherboard makers to create high-end motherboards with support for AMD's latest 45nm Phenom II processors. This is one market segment that NVIDIA doesn't want to miss out on, as the new Phenoms are capable of providing an impressive performance level at a competitive price tag.