It's been nearly a decade since we've seen any PC technology advancements beyond a mere speed bump or an incremental improvement to one component or another. That's why today's Intel announcement is so groundbreaking. The introduction of the mainstream Intel 915G/P Express (code-named Grantsdale) and the high-performance 925X Express (a.k.a. Alderwood) motherboard chipsets will set into motion several fundamental changes across the desktop PC platform. From expansion cards to system memory, almost every PC subsystem will see an improvement in bandwidth or capacity, paving the way for higher-functioning PCs. Specifically, this new architecture carries the promise of the much-vaunted but largely still underdeveloped home-entertainment PC--if desktop makers can design them properly.
As is almost always the case with new technologies, however, you won't find these über-PCs anytime soon. And if you choose to fork over the (considerable) dough for a Grantsdale or Alderwood system now, you won't get very much out of it in the short term. With the possible exception of HD video editing applications, there simply isn't any software taxing enough to take full advantage of the new hardware. Instead, consider this a forward-looking announcement and read our reviews to start planning upgrades for the months ahead.
PCI Express debuts
Intel's move to the PCI Express (PCIe) interface is the most fundamental change to desktop architecture in eight years, when the company introduced the motherboard's AGP slot in 1996. Replacing that slot, PCIe allows for much larger amounts of data to move between your graphics card and your CPU (over time, PCIe will also replace PCI expansion slots). This increased bandwidth is significant for gamers in particular because it gives game developers room to create vastly more-realistic 3D environments. PCIe will also accommodate higher-quality video throughput, so as network television transitions to HDTV broadcasts, PCIe will keep the PC platform well positioned for integration into the living room, and it will also allow for HD video editing and other bandwidth-intensive tasks.
From the processor perspective, 915G/P and 925X Express introduce the new LGA775 CPU interface, which moves the pins from the chip itself to the socket on the motherboard. Perhaps more noticeable, however, is the processors' name change. By dropping the speed rating (for example, 3.4GHz) and taking a model-number approach for its processors, Intel is deemphasizing raw speed and playing up features. For example, the new Intel Pentium 4 560 CPU is clocked at 3.6EGHz and uses the Prescott technology Intel introduced this past January. Expect to see nine processors--from high-end Extreme Editions to Celeron-based budget CPUs--released with the new naming convention over the next few weeks.
Despite the new nomenclature and pin design, the core Intel CPU architecture hasn't changed fundamentally. The 915G/P and the 925X Express do, however, support a new type of system memory, DDR2 SDRAM, which features lower voltage requirements and faster throughput--in other words more speed, less heat.
More storage
The new chipsets also boost hard drive technology. New 915- and 925X-based motherboards will support onboard RAID and the Serial ATA interface. Onboard RAID lets you combine two or more hard drives to increase performance or to back up your data without the need of an expansion card, and Serial ATA offers increased throughput over the old ATA/100 interface. These advancements give you quicker access to your hard drive's contents, which will take on greater importance as more people begin to accumulate large media files, such as digital video.
Other advances in the architecture include a new onboard audio chip, dubbed Intel High-Definition Audio, that delivers up to 7.1-channel audio output and, on motherboards using the 915G chipset, a next-generation integrated graphics processor. Demanding gamers and multimedia enthusiasts will still want discrete audio and video expansion cards for the best performance, but our initial tests show that budget buyers will be able to play 3D games with respectable frame rates without shelling out for a third-party video card, provided that they're realistic about detail settings. The new chipsets will also introduce a built-in wireless access point, but PC makers thus far have balked at implementing this feature, citing lack of demand, added cost of additional hardware, security issues, and problematic drivers.
Read the reviews:
 Dell Dimension 8400 full review
HP Compaq Business Desktop dc7100 First Take
Sony VAIO VGC-RA810G First Take
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