Integrated North Bridge and Advanced 3D Graphics Processor

ALADDiN TNT2 is a high performance, high value Northbridge that integrates ALi's proven Slot 1/Socket 370 core logic with NVIDIA's renowned RIVA TNT2's 3D/2D graphics processor technology. All PentiumTM II, Pentium III and CeleronTM microprocessors are supported. Designers can select between a Shared Memory Architecture (SMA) mode or a local 64-bit frame buffer mode. By selecting between the SMA or local frame buffer modes, designers can realize a combined performance and clock scalability of greater than 50 percent. The ability to optimize for either performance or value allows OEMs to target a broad range of platforms in the value PC market.

The M1631 Northbridge device, coupled with ALi's widely adopted PCI Southbridge devices (1543C, M1535D) provides a highly flexible and scalable, all-in-one motherboard solution with as little as two BGA devices. Not only does the integrated NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 graphics processor provide best-of-class 3D graphics and quality, it is also 100% software compatible with the award-winning RIVA TNT2 driver as well as the newly announced Detonator driver technology. This substantially reduces the risks and verification efforts in adopting the new, integrated technologies.

PCI North Bridge and Memory Controller

The ALADDiN TNT2 features a PCI host controller, a memory controller and a multi-ported deep buffered data path for optimal data throughput. It supports all Slot1/Socket 370 processors running at 66MHz, 100MHz, and 133MHz front side bus (FSB) speeds. The optimized memory controller supports up to 1.5GB of EDO, SDRAM or VC-SDRAM (virtual channel) main memory. The ALADDiN TNT2 is designed with the goal of maintaining high memory and I/O throughput to complement the performance of today's advanced superscalar, super-pipelined CPUs. The memory controller is based on a highly pipelined design that allows for maximum CPU utilization of the DRAM bandwidth. By hiding refresh cycles and memory pre-charge latencies, the CPU has full access to the maximum bandwidth available. A low overhead context switching design along with an intelligent arbiter allows the ALADDiN TNT2 to deliver unprecedented SMA performance.

The I/O subsystem features deep input and output data buffers that hide the latency for PCI master reads and writes. Programmable input buffer management policy for post write cycles can be tuned to maximize PCI to memory transfer rates for different memory configuration and PCI device characteristics.

For high reliability and mission-critical PC designs, ALADDiN TNT2 provides the option to have 8-bit ECC protection over the full 64-bit memory data bus. The ECC function is capable of detecting/correcting single bit errors and detecting multiple bit errors. When the ECC option is enabled, the device will support four RAS signals to provide support for a maximum of two DIMM connectors.

The ALADDiN TNT2 PCI host interface is fully compliant with the PCI 2.2 specification and features a flexible PCI latency control feature that allows systems to be tuned for the best system performance possible. It also features an enhanced PCI arbiter that executes a fair arbitration scheme based on a PCI and CPU time slice mechanism.

In addition to itself and the Southbridge, the ALADDiN TNT2 can support up to six additional PCI masters. This gives designers the ultimate in flexibility when deciding what combination of PCI slots and on board PCI peripheral devices to use.

Dark Green power management functions such as Power on Suspend, Suspend to Disk, PCI bus CLKRUN and Dynamic Clock Stop are all supported. The ALADDiN TNT2 Northbridge provides the most flexible power management capability available in any desktop chipset.

NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 Graphics Core

The RIVA TNT2 core delivers industry leading 2D and 3D performance and is fully optimized for Microsoft?DX6 support. It delivers significant advances in Direct3DTM andvOpenGL?acceleration. It features a highly optimized, 128-bit 3D pipeline that processes 2 pixels-per-clock cycle enabling single-pass multi-texturing. RIVA TNT2's 32-bit color pipeline, 32-bit Z/stencil buffer, 8-bit stencil buffer and per-pixel mip-mapping precision delivers unsurpassed quality and performance allowing developers to write standards-based applications with stunning visual effects and realism.

The RIVA TNT2 core also delivers great video performance, enabling a range of applications from 3D games, DVD, IntercastTM and video conferencing. A complete high performance OpenGL ICD is included in the standard SW driver package.

The integrated graphics and host interface communicates through an optimized, widened AGP2X bus which effectively doubles AGP2X throughout to over 1GB/sec. The RIVA TNT2's 2D rendering engine exploits the internal wide cache RAMs and 256-bit datapaths to deliver industry-leading Windows acceleration performance. The 128-bit graphics engine is optimized for single cycle operation into the 64-bit SDRAM/SGRAM interface supporting over 1GBytes/s throughput. Acceleration functions are optimized for minimal software overhead on key GDI calls and the demands of DirectDraw in Windows9x including optimized Direct Framebuffer (DFB) access with Write-combining.

The RIVA TNT2 3D triangle setup and rendering pipeline represents a major advance in graphics device integration. The RIVA TNT2 3D pipeline maintains the highest vertex, Z-buffer, texture filtering and rendering accuracy and yet maintains super high rendering throughput to achieve visually stunning interactive 3D.

The RIVA TNT2 Palette-DAC pipeline accelerates full-motion video playback, sustaining 30 frames per second while retaining high quality color resolution, implementing true bilinear filtering for scaled video, and compensating for filtering losses using edge enhancement algorithms. The RIVA TNT2 provides connectivity for video input devices such as Philips SAA7113, Micronas VPX3225 and Samsung KS0127 through an ITU-R-656 video input bus to DVD and MPEG2 decoders through bidirectional media port functionality. The RIVA TNT2 features a digital TV output port which interfaces to devices such as the Chrontel CH7004 or the Rockwell Bt869. The RIVA TNT2 features a digital flat panel interface which permits connection devices such as the Silicon Image, Inc. SII154.