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Reports over Japanese web-sites claim that ASUSTeK Computer will start to put up for sale its Socket 939 mainboards in late May, days before AMD will reportedly officially unveil its AMD64 chips in PGA939 form-factor.

No PCI Express So Far

ASUSTeK’s mainboard for the new 64-bit microprocessors from AMD will not feature new technologies, such as PCI Express interconnection, despite of being very advanced in terms of capabilities. Because VIA Technologies had delayed the commercial release of its VIA KT890 core-logic from the second quarter to the third quarter of the year, ASUS had to stick with VIA’s latest K8T800 Pro chipset that sports 1000MHz HyperTransport bus – a requirement for all AMD’s new Athlon 64 and Athlon 64 FX products, but does not bring PCI Express bus – the next-generation interconnection bus for add-in graphics cards.

Sources familiar with certain plans of ASUSTeK Computer told X-bit labs earlier this year that there was A8V DX mainboard in the firm’s roadmap. The device was said to be based on VIA K8T890 North Bridge and VIA VT8237 I/O controller. The solution also features all necessary expansion capabilities, USB 2.0, Serial ATA-150 as well as 8-channel audio.

VIA K8T890 chipset sports 1GHz HyperTransport bus for next-generation AMD Athlon 64 and AMD Athlon 64 FX processors. The chip also boasts PCI Express x16 bus for upcoming graphics cards as well as Ultra V-Link interconnection for VIA’s VT8237 and VT8239 South Bridges.

Apparently, ASUS might be in a position to begin volume manufacturing of its A8V DX as early as in the first half of March and would be quite naturally deliver the actual commercial products by the time AMD formally starts to sell its new microprocessors. However, AMD delayed the release of its processors for Socket 939 a number of times, while VIA Technologies also does not seem to be in hurry with its PCI Express-supporting core-logic for AMD’s 64-bit platform.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/mainboa...516144104.html

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