ATI rolls out new AMD motherboard chip

ATI's new CrossFire Xpress 3200 can't be called a chipset since it's a single chip, but it does the same job as the chipset by functioning as the heart of the motherboard. The CrossFire Xpress 3200, announced today, represents ATI's newest bid to get into the hot AMD Athlon 64 motherboard market.

Graphics rival Nvidia has long dominated the AMD Athlon 64 enthusiast space with its nForce 4 MCP (media and communications processor) motherboard platform, but ATI has armed its new chip with features designed specifically for the performance-gaming crowd.

The CrossFire Xpress 3200 supports two PCI Express x16 slots for dual video card setups with a full-speed x16 communications link between the two cards. Additionally, motherboards based on the new ATI chip will also be able to run at overclocked specifications without any voltage increases. According to ATI, the chip can safely boost the HyperTransport transfer bus speed from the default 1GHz to 1.5GHz or more.

The first CrossFire Xpress 3200 motherboards will be available from ASUS, Sapphire, DFI, Abit, and PCPartner. Initial prices will be in line with performance motherboard pricing of between $150 and $250.