XGI Technology: XG47 Taped Out, XG45 Enroute
XGI Technology taped out its XG47 value graphics processing unit for PCI Express systems just days ago. The processor contains 40 million transistors and incorporates 4 pixel processors that can draw up to 4 primitives per pass or perform 8 depth/stencil operations as well as 2 vertex processors. The chip is to be made using UMC’s 0.13 micron process technology and will run at up to 350MHz speed.
The XG47 is a DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2.0 compliant chip developed by ex-Trident team at XGI. The product is mainly intended for mobile and value systems: it sports energy presuming technologies as well as capability to use system memory as frame-buffer. Nevertheless, the chip features such caps as HDTV output as well.
The next product to expect from XGI is XG45, a chip developed by ex-SiS graphics architects that sports Shader Model 3.0 and is to be made using 90nm process technology. XGI does not indicate much details about the product, but says it will be showcased at Computex Taipei 2005 in June.
The XG45 will be capable of working at up to 450MHz. With that chip the company aims mainstream market segment and offers speed similar to ATI’s RADEON X700 PRO, based on the company’s estimations.
XGI aims to tape out its next-gen XG50 and XG51 graphics processors already this year. Those chips are co-developed by ex-SiS and ex-Trident teams and inherit major advantages of XG45 and XG47.
XGI’s XG60 chip, which is said to be compliant with WGF 2.0 is to be released sometime next year, but not in the first half, as the company has not yet begun the R&D on the processor.
