AMD Integrated Graphics Chipset

The first product since AMD's much talked about, $5.4 billion ATI acquisition last year, has been unveiled.

At an event in San Francisco yesterday, AMD announced its new 690 chipset, calling it the company's first hardware platform to feature an ATI graphics processor integrated into its chipset for Athlon 64 processors.

The AMD 690 chipset incorporates an ATI Radeon X1250 graphics processor to enable demanding graphics in Vista's Aero UI (user interface) like 3D application switching.

Those users who want high end graphics can still buy a discrete graphics card.

Unveiling the new chipset, Executive Vice President of AMD's Visual and Media Business, Dave Orton, said the 690 is not just about graphics - but about graphics and high definition video. Orton said the 690 brings to the table decoding of HD stream in real time and displaying it on the screen.

A chipset is a key link in a PC, and connects the processor with memory and input/output ports. Introducing integrated graphics means freeing PC users of the need to buy a separate graphics card.

Traditionally, AMD processors have been using integrated graphics chipsets from partners such as Nvidia. By contrast, arch rival, Intel, has been building chipsets with integrated graphics for several years.

An industry analyst though, was quick to point out that even if 690 is being touted as the first chipset to come out of the AMD-ATI merger, the design work for it had started long before the acquisition - as part of a regular partnership between AMD and ATI.

The analyst did add that the development augurs well for the overall success of the ATI acquisition.

And, while AMD now has its own brand of products to offer, it will continue using chipsets from partners as before, company sources said.

Source:http://www.techtree.com/India/News/AMD_Integrated_Graphics_Chipset/551-79444-581.html

Regards,
Kumar Thirumal.