Price: Estimated $140 - $175
Availability: Unknown
It's been a long time since the last introduction of an Intel designed high-end desktop platform architecture.
In fact we're in our 19th month now of the life span of the wildly successful 440BX core logic AGPset, which debuted in April of 1998.
Although the 440BX shows no signs of slowing down in sales thanks to heavy purchase commitments from both large system integrating OEMs and corporate consumers alike, the time has come for the next-generation of high-end desktop to near its debut on the market place.
Today Sharky Extreme provides the results of our analysis and time spent with Intel's first i820-based and RDRAM powered mainboard, the VC820 "Vancouver".
The VC820 is designed to lead Intel into battle at the mainboard retail level while also providing a reference point that other mainboard manufacturers can build from when designing their own i820 mainboards.
The VC820 also offers all of the features you've long heard rumored to be a part of the i820 or Camino core logic AGPset for so long now, and manages to add a few more that you may not have known about.
Our conclusions regarding the RDRAM propelled i820 architecture and the VC820 mainboard itself await you, lets begin.
The story of the design and implementation of the i820 chipset is a long one, dominated by coverage regarding the delays incurred in the production of its most critical part: RDRAM.