Now that you’re more familiar with S3’s plans for DeltaChrome, the big question is “when will it be available”? In our original preview, we gave you an estimate for the end of Q2. We’re now approaching the end of Q3, and DeltaChrome still isn’t here. S3 is now shooting for a December release, just in time for the Christmas holidays.
S3 feels this is an achievable date, but keep in mind that S3 will not be producing the boards themselves, rather they will rely on their board partners to release final products, just like NVIDIA does. S3 doesn’t have final silicon yet, but they feel their next spin should be good enough to go into production with.
Board designs have been finalized, and according to S3, board manufacturers have liked what they’ve seen. Two designs are available, a six-layer 8”x4” BGA PCB and a four-layer 8”x4” TSOP design. The six-layer board sports an optional external power header for supplying the card with more juice, which can be utilized by F1 cards that ship at higher clock speeds. Since DeltaChrome is built on a 0.13-micron process with fewer transistors than ATI’s RADEON 9700 PRO, S3 won’t need a dual-slot cooler like NVIDIA’s GeForce FX 5900 Ultra; in fact a passive heatsink should suffice for cooling slower DeltaChrome models.
A 256MB 4-layer reference board
A closer look at the S8 six-layer reference board
So what’s our take on DeltaChrome? Right now it’s still too early to call. DeltaChrome’s specs look good on paper, particularly in the value and mainstream segments. However, DeltaChrome’s specs are built to compete with products available today, ATI and NVIDIA won’t be standing still for DeltaChrome. In fact, faster products from both companies will be available before DeltaChrome ever sees the light of day.
Equally important will be S3’s software support. S3’s previous product, Savage 2000, didn’t fare too well here. S3 needs to actively demonstrate that drivers are a top priority for DeltaChrome. If the drivers aren’t top notch upon launch, consumers could be leery of DeltaChrome. We’re also wondering who S3 has lined up for board production. The North American video market is incredibly cutthroat, and most board manufacturers are committed to ATI or NVIDIA, not both. Diamond Multimedia is long gone, so DeltaChrome may have a tough time at retail.
If S3 can make a comeback, it would be one of the biggest stories for the end of this year. A considerable number of challenges lie ahead for the company however, and it doesn’t help that the product isn’t quite finished. S3 needs DeltaChrome now, with solid drivers and a board manufacturer (or two) with extensive distribution capability. S3’s window of opportunity for DeltaChrome is quickly closing. If they don’t act fast, they could be in for difficult reintroduction to the desktop 3D graphics market.
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Does S3’s DeltaChrome have a chance in today’s 3D desktop market or are ATI and NVIDIA just too strong? Share your thoughts with others in the FS news comments!
![S3 DeltaChrome Update [ A 256MB 4-layer reference board @ 800 x 475 ] > View Full-Size in another window.](images/04-s.jpg)
![S3 DeltaChrome Update [ A closer look at the S8 six-layer reference board @ 800 x 534 ] > View Full-Size in another window.](images/05-s.jpg)
Tell me about S3’s mainstream plans
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