Intel preps Grantsdale for launch

By Alun Williams

Posted on 18 Jun 2004 at 12:32

Next week sees the official release of 'Grantsdale' - the codename for the Intel 915 chipset - but details of Intel's third-generation desktop graphics core have already been widely leaked.

The chipset is designed to provide better video and audio support for entertainment-focused PCs

With support for the latest graphics standards, such as DirectX9 and Open GL 1.4, and incorporation of 3D support, the chipset relies on the higher-bar of desktop processing power provided by such as the Prescott P4. There is also support for PCI Express and DDR2 memory.

The integrated graphics chipset is designed to be quieter, draw less power and generate less heat. While admitting that Grantsdale does not provide a full-blown, cutting-edge gaming platform, Intel is hoping that the chipset will increasingly obviate the need for an add-in graphics card for the general desktop market. In the longer run, such integrated graphics support should mean cheaper systems.

Grantsdale and the accompanying Alderwood 925 chipset also herald the release of 775-pin compatible P4s, with a new top-of-the-range 775-pin P4 leading the way. Also widely anticipated is the announcement of Celeron D (a version of the Prescott core) and Nocona, the Xeon server processor with extensions for 64-bit processing.

Intel's recent decision to move away from processor clock speeds as the primary means of identifying chips was seen as an important shift in focus of the chip giant. And now, its emphasis on the importance of a chipset, Grantsdale, rather than yet another faster processor, is another sign of the changing times.