News Release

VIA Launches New Generation PT800 Chipset for the Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor

Boasting support for 800MHz FSB, FastStream64™ DDR400 memory controller, AGP8X, and native Serial ATA/RAID, the VIA PT800 delivers an unmatched feature set for the Performance Mainstream segment

Taipei, Taiwan, 8 July 2003 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced the new generation VIA PT800 chipset, optimized for the Intel® Pentium® 4 processor platform. The PT800 is paired with VIA's most advanced South Bridge architecture, the VT8237R, and is targeted specifically at professionals and PC enthusiasts requiring the very latest performance features and a full arsenal of connectivity and I/O options in a mainstream configuration.

Supporting 800MHz FSB and Intel Hyper-Threading Technology, the VIA PT800 chipset implements VIA's advanced FastStream64™ DDR400 Memory Controller and AGP8X graphics port in a synchronized North Bridge configuration that maximizes bus bandwidth efficiency. When coupled with the advanced new VIA VT8237R South Bridge, the PT800 delivers a host of advanced connectivity and multimedia features, including the VIA DriveStation™ Controller Suite, containing the industry's first full-featured native Serial ATA/RAID controller that enables the fusion of high-speed 150MB/s dual channel Serial ATA with RAID Level 0, RAID Level 1, and RAID Level 0+1 storage options while retaining support for up to four additional Parallel ATA-133 devices. The VIA Vinyl™ Multichannel Audio Suite provides superlative integrated and onboard 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound options while 8X V-Link serves as a high-throughput North and South Bridge interconnect, feeding a host of high-bandwidth connectivity options including support for up to eight high-speed USB 2.0 ports and 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet.

"Our customers are demanding more system performance coupled with the latest connectivity and I/O technologies at the mainstream performance sweet spot of the Pentium 4 market," said Richard Brown, Associate Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "The VIA PT800 chipset delivers on all counts by providing the interconnect to all the latest technologies including the new Pentium 4 processors with 800MHz FSB and enterprise level Serial ATA/RAID storage connectivity."

About the VIA PT800

The PT800 supports the new generation of Intel Pentium 4 processors with 800MHz FSB, and implements VIA's advanced FastStream64™ DDR400 Memory Controller, AGP8X and a host of advanced connectivity and multimedia features, including the industry's first full-featured native Serial ATA/RAID controller and rich surround sound, to provide the most scalable and highest performance core logic chipset platform for mainstream Intel Pentium 4 processor based PC systems.

Based on VIA's unique V-MAP (VIA Modular Architecture Platform) architecture, the VIA PT800 North Bridge is connected to the new VIA VT8237R South Bridge via the V-Link high-speed throughput bus. Featuring the new VIA DriveStation controller suite, the VT8237R enables multiple drive connectivity options and native support for Serial ATA and Serial RAID, alongside more traditional South Bridge functions such as IDE and PCI. In addition, the VT8237R delivers exceptional surround sound capabilities through its support for VIA Vinyl™ Audio and high-resolution VIA Vinyl Gold Audio, and the VIA Advanced Connectivity Suite offers a host of high-bandwidth connectivity options, including support for up to eight high-speed USB 2.0 ports and high-throughput 10/100Mbps Ethernet.

Further information on the new VIA PT800 may be found on the VIA website here

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