Intel Returns to Video Gaming

This morning Intel announced its i752, a graphics chipset optimized for the Pentium III processor and aimed toward the mainstream market. While the i752 can't compete with enthusiast platforms such as the Voodoo3 and TNT2, Intel is confident that casual gamers will be enticed by the i752's low cost and above-average performance.

The i752 chip has support for full sideband AGP 2X, a fillrate of 100Mp/s, a 250MHz RAMDAC, bump mapping, the ability to display texture sizes of up to 1024x1024 and up to 16MB of SGRAM. Although final configurations are dependent on the board companies, the reference design calls for TV-out, video-in, and digital flat panel-out support.

The i752 chip will be released to Intel's customers in mid-June. As of yet, no third-party board vendors have announced any plans to incorporate Intel's new chipset into their product line.

GameSpot News has also learned that Intel's next video incarnation, the i754, will support full 4X AGP, a feature hard-core gamers have been waiting for ever since AGP began penetrating the mainstream market in late 1997. Look for a simultaneous release of the i754 and Intel's next chipset, the i820, this fall.