🚀 go-pugleaf

Rajesh Varia <raj@c4rv.demon.co.uk> writes:
>> ... do Asus boards come with Socket-8 ie support for P5 CPUs to 200Mhz
>                               ^^^^^^^^^
> ... The latest is socket-7 (with VRM support).

Ooops, yes, lost track of the damn things.
- Socket 8 is designated for P6-150/166/180/200. Not P5 m/bs. This suggests
  Intel have no more P5 sockets up their sleeve to annoy P5 upgraders ... 
  still, VRE/VRM etc never stopped them. Forward planning or marketing?


> > So far, I'm awaiting further reports and to be honest would rather
> > await a dual SMP Triton-II m/b. Perhaps the P7 will be here first.
>
> Is the Triton-II going to use a shared cache design or seperate 
> caches for each processor.

It theoretically utilises a L2 for each P5 CPU, rumours for the
delay of even an official announcement are put down to SMP problems.
- Considering SMP w.r.t. the P6 this sounds plausible. 

Should provide a welcome boost to performance (30-40%) especially as P5
prices seem to fall like snow. The chipset shouldn't demand more than a
4-layer PCB (a la other P5s & unlike the P6) so maybe keen pricing.
Old dual P5 m/bs are now dirt cheap especially Toys 'R Us versions.

Continued official denials of information from Intel about the 
Triton-II product suggests it will not be here before late Q1 96 :(

This is a pity as it was supposed to be a teeth-cutting exercise
for P6 SMP design. Asus have two P6 m/bs out anyway, one is dual P6.
Triton-I was meant as a "desktop" m/b, ie, cheap, no-parity.

o The Triton-II will supposedly also have ECC & parity support,
  and cache the full amount of RAM (ie >64MB) unlike Triton-I.
  (Which will come as a considerable relief to PS & CAD users ;)
o Memory support is extended to 512MB. However this will probably be in
  the form of 4x 128MB simms. I'd hate to get errors on a 128MB simm ...

Much of the above is confirmed from various places unofficially.
Intel boards are likely to stay with simms, others favour dimms.


Hopefully a 486-166 hits shelves quickly to keep Intels pricing keen.
Already some planned P6 m/cs seem to be at odd market segments (cheap).
Unless someone quickly ramps up a P5-133 competitor this seems rather odd.

There could be a cunning plan to get everyone to u/g to P6, in an ATX
form-factor & 3.3v PSU and DIMMS so we have to go buy /entirely/ new PCs.
MS, stop drooling, you'll electrocute yourself.

Already there's a "multimedia PCI slot" which I can't find specs for.


Still no mention of ED-RAM etc support, even for P6 products.
Then again ED-RAM isn't exactly falling off the shelves.

Bored. Where's the P7, something interesting ;)
-- 
J.
Ergonomics & IT FAQs    http://194.72.60.96/www/3b