Single-Chip Technology: SiS 735 And SiS 635, Continued
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Chipset
SiS 635
VIA Apollo Pro 266
Intel 815E
Launch
May 2001
October 2000
June 2000
Processor Platform
Socket 370
Slot 1, Socket 370
Socket 370
CPUs supported
Intel Celeron I/II, Intel Pentium II/III, VIA Cyrix III
Intel Celeron I/II, Intel Pentium II/III, VIA Cyrix III
Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium III
Frequency Range
233 bis 1250 MHz
233 bis 1250 MHz
266 bis 1500 MHz
Multiprocessor Support
no
no
yes
Northbridge (Package)
SiS 635
VIA VT8633 (BGA)
Intel 82815 (BGA)
Southbridge (Package)
-
VIA VT8233 (BGA)
Intel 82801 BA (BGA)
Front Side Bus Clock
66/100/133 MHz
66/100/133 MHz
66/100/133 MHz
Memory Clock
66/100/133 MHz DDR
66/100/133 MHz DDR
66/100/133 MHz
asynchronous Memory Clock
yes
yes
yes
33 MHz PCI at 133 MHz FSB
yes
yes
yes
FSB Overclocking*
no
yes
bis 166 MHz
max. # DIMM or RIMM Slots
3 DDR-DIMMs / 3 SDRAM-DIMMs
4 DDR-DIMMs / 2 SDRAM-DIMMs
3
max. Memory
1536 MB
4096 MB
512 MB
DDR SDRAM Support
yes
yes
no
VC SDRAM Support
no
yes
no
RIMM Support (Rambus)
no
no
no
Dual Rambus Support
no
no
no
Ultra-DMA/33/66/100
yes/yes/yes
yes/yes/yes
yes/yes/yes
Max. # USB Ports
6
6
4
Max. # PCI Slots
5
6
6
# IRQs for PCI
4
5
6
Integrated Graphics Core
no
no
yes
Onboard Graphics Chip
no
no
Intel 752
Video Memory
no
no
max. 16 MB
AGP Slot
yes
yes
yes
AGP 1x / 2x / 4x
yes / yes / yes
yes / yes / yes
yes / yes / yes
ACPI Features
yes
yes
yes
* depends on clock generator
Comparison of all the important chipsets for the socket 370 platform.
Good marketing strategists know the recipe for success in the end-user market: If you want to be successful, don't touch integrated graphics solutions. Nobody needs this function. So, outside of the OEM business, this sort of feature is taboo. Unless, of course, you give the board an extra AGP interface so you can switch off the on-board graphics when you need to. SiS seems to have learned its lesson well, as neither of the new chipsets has integrated graphics.
Some motherboard manufacturers have already jumped aboard the SiS bandwagon. Currently, Asus (CUS266), Elitegroup (P6S5MT and P6S5AT), Jetway (635CS) and PC Chips (M700) use the SiS 635 chipset. Chaintech is the first manufacturer to bring the SiS 735 onto the market, with its 7SID. Other firms will follow.
For Intel - And AMD CPUs: Reference Boards From SiS
The two reference boards from SiS formed the basis for our test, one was equipped with the 635-chipset for the Intel platform and the other with the 735 chipset for the AMD platform. Most motherboard manufacturers will be working on these reference designs in the coming weeks and launching their own boards in the market. Notable features on both SiS boards are the three FireWire connections (IEEE 1394). For this, a controller chip from Texas Instruments has been used only on the SiS 735 board.
Both boards are factory-equipped with three FireWire interfaces (IEEE 1394).
SiS 735 For AMD Athlon/Duron
A look at our comparison table makes it clear that the SiS 735 chipset is almost indistinguishable from the competition in terms of the functions it offers. The SiS reference board represents a mid-range board, equipped with almost all the important features.
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Reference board with the SiS 735 chipset.
On the socket 462 board SiS has installed only DIMM slots for DDR-SDRAM memory modules. The 735 chipset will, however, work with conventional SDRAM memory if required.
Function scheme for the SiS 735 chipset.
Some of the transistors for the system controller have been positioned on the upper and lower surfaces of the board.
The layout of two transistors in the three-phase controller is striking: They are on the underside of the board. The other functions read as follows: the chipset permits a total of six USB connections and three DIMM slots. The test board has 3 integrated PCI slots and 1 ACR, and hardly anyone will be eager to use the latter. The use of the AC'97 sound codec, which costs less than 40 cents per module in production, is also a money-saving feature.
