Instead of targeting the ultralow-end market, SiS will offer its SiS620 chip set as an alternative to Intel's core logic for PCs based on Pentium II or Mendocino processors. SiS expressed confidence that its product does not infringe Intel's intellectual-property rights. Nevertheless, the company said it is looking to obtain a license for the technology.

The 620's announcement came only a month after SiS announced the SiS530 integrated core logic for Socket 7 motherboards. The 620 allows SiS to hedge its bets on whether Socket 7 will remain a viable platform into 1999. Despite the introduction of the 620, SiS said it isn't discounting a future for the Socket 7.

SiS is linking the fate of Socket 7 boards to the actions of Advanced Micro Devices Inc., which supplies X86 processors. "If AMD can continuously provide competitive solutions to the market, the market will continuously accept Socket 7," said Shing Wong, vice president of SiS. "This is particularly true if AMD or other Socket 7 CPU makers can provide solutions that can support $399 PCs [now] and even $299 sometime next year. This will benefit the end customers and end users tremendously."

The SiS620 represents the fourth generation of integrated core-logic/graphics solutions from SiS, the company said, and incorporates an internally developed 3-D solution, the SiS6326AGP. New to the 620 is support for an 8-Mbyte frame buffer and a 230-MHz RAMDAC with a resolution of 1,600 x 1,200 x 32 bits per pixel at 85 Hz. Other new features are an improved 2-D acceleration engine with stylish pattern, NT fractional format and multiple-scan-line drawing capabilities, trapezoid fill and DirectX 6.0 and OpenGL ICD support.

The 620 features a proprietary Super AGP architecture for video data transfer. Super AGP is the internal bus architecture for improving the integrated VGA core performance. It features dual 64-bit data buses, one for the VGA and host interface and the other for the VGA and system DRAM interface. The frequencies on both buses can run at 100 MHz with an 800-Mbyte/second bandwidth.

The 620 has a companion chip PCI system controller, the SiS5595. The SiS620 will sample this month with mass production in October. The chip set is priced at $29 per piece in lot orders of 10,000 and above.

Except for a few differences, the SiS620 is similar to Intel's Whitney. Like the 620, Whitney will offer integrated 3-D graphics as well as 100-MHz SDRAM support. Whitney uses Intel's i740 graphics engine for graphics functions.

Intel is targeting the Whitney at three product segments: the low-bill-of-materials, the high-end commercial and the high-end consumer markets. Intel plans to have samples of Whitney and reference boards available by the fourth quarter of 1998. Initial production of the Mendocino/ Whitney systems is slated for next year's first quarter.

SiS' Wong said his company is considering licensing the Intel technology "to give 200 percent comfort to our customers." Though SiS spent more than two years developing its chip set and had a U.S. patent firm review its design, he said, a license would "clear the uncertainty factors (the damages or retaliation that Intel can seek when they use a non-Intel chip-set solution) that our customers are worried about. However, this has to be at a cost that is acceptable to our customers and to the market."

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