Confused About A64 Mobos

[qdemn7]

OK, I guessed I've missed something sometime, so I'll ask this. I thought one of the advantages of the onboard meory controller for the A64 platform was to eliminate the Northbridge. Yet with the Via boards THEY have retained the Northbridge, while Nvida with the NForce3 150 boards have eliminated the NB.

So what is the logic if any, behind this? Seems like with board comapnies trying to cut costs anywhere they could, getting rid of a major component like the NB, not to mention all the circiut traces to and from, would be a great idea.

Obnviously not, in Via's case. So this begs the question, why? Any ideas whether the upcoming Socket 939 boards will retain the NB?

 

[tdg]

I beleive nForce3 still has a northbridge, at least thats how they appear. The northbridge controlls more than just memory, it controls the expansion slots and storage devices among other things. Eventually it'll probably be phased out for a single chip that controlls things the CPU can't.

 

[Hydra]

nF3 150 boards have the NB & SB combined in the same chip... NB controls also AGP slot and connects the CPU to the SB even as A64 has it's own memory controller.

SiS had single chip chipset already ages ago with their Socket A SiS 735 chipset.