Intel's Ideal Platform: E7525 + 6300ESB + 6700PXH + ICH5R + IOP332
The E7525 now offers a x16 PCI Express Interface instead of AGP, so that future high-end graphics cards can be used.
As the launch of the 775 chipset has demonstrated, the highlights this year are PCI Express and DDR2 memory. This is now followed by the corresponding technology for the workstation platform. The code name of the corresponding E7525 chipset is Tumwater, while the server version E7520, alias Lindenhurst, has a different PCI-Express configuration (three x8 PCIEs instead of one x16 and one x8). In contrast to the desktop chipsets, the professional versions have a total of over 24 PCIE circuits. According to Intel's specifications, the x16 PCIE port of the E7525 cannot be split up into smaller units.
Furthermore, Intel is making the PCI X-Bridge 6700PXH available, which offers a PCI X-Bus for up to 133 MHz clockspeed. The connection to the E7520 or E7520 can either be made via x4 PCI Express ports or one x8 port, so that either 2 or 4 GB/s can be achieved as required. PCI X-slots are longer than conventional PCI slots, and offer 64 bit bus width and up to 133 MHz clockspeed.
There is still a regular Southbridge, but this is somewhat technically inferior to the ICH6 of the 915/925 chipsets: only the ICH5-R is used, which, in contrast to the ICH6, only offers two serial-ATA ports instead of four. For the workstation market this is less important, however. In its place, the 6300ESB can also be used, which has a PCI X-port. Both Southbridge components are still connected via the hub interface 1.5.
The block diagram for the Intel E7525 chipset.
System driver of E7525 with the 6700PXH under Windows XP.
