VIA Announces Comprehensive Chipset Support For Upcoming AMD Opteron™ and Eighth-Generation AMD Athlon™ Processors

VIA K8 Series Discrete and Integrated Chipsets deliver leading-edge core logic technologies, with solutions for all market segments.

Taipei, Taiwan -- 6/3/2002 -- VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced the development of the K8 series of chipsets, high-performance platforms offering support for the next generation of AMD microprocessors including the AMD Opteron™ processor for workstation and server applications and the eighth-generation AMD Athlon™ processor for desktop and notebook systems.

All K8 series chipsets feature HyperTransport™ technology, AGP-8X, Double-Speed V-Link and USB 2.0 delivering exceptional system performance and stability. The K8 series will also include integrated 2D/3D graphics chipsets enabling OEMs and System Integrators to create solutions at every price point.

“VIA has consistently delivered high-performance chipset solutions for AMD processors” commented Ted Lee, Vice-President of Sales & Marketing, VIA Technologies. “With the K8 chipset series, we are determined to continue leveraging our formidable strength in core logic to deliver outstanding solutions for the next generation of AMD processors.”

“The performance computing market, from gamers to enterprise customers, can benefit from systems using VIA technologies and the upcoming eighth-generation AMD platforms,” said Rich Heye, vice president platform engineering and infrastructure, AMD. “Customers will be able to optimize native 32-bit performance, and adopt 64-bit applications as needed.”

About the AMD Opteron Processor
The AMD Opteron processor is based on AMD’s eighth-generation processor core, which is planned to mark the introduction of the industry’s first x86-64 technology. This technology is planned to preserve companies’ investments in 32-bit applications while allowing a seamless transition to 64-bit computing, as those companies require. The AMD Opteron processor is designed to deliver high-performance server and workstation solutions for today’s most demanding enterprise applications. The processor is designed to be scalable, reliable and compatible, which can result in lower total cost of ownership. Key AMD Opteron processor innovations include an integrated memory controller, which reduces memory bottlenecks, and HyperTransport technology, which increases overall performance by removing or reducing I/O bottlenecks, increasing bandwidth and reducing latency.

About VIA Technologies, Inc.
VIA Technologies, Inc. is a leading innovator and developer of PC core logic chipsets, microprocessors, and multimedia, communications, optical media and networking chips. VIA delivers value to the PC industry by designing, marketing, and selling high-performance VIA Apollo core logic chipsets for the full range of PC platforms, and cost-effective VIA C3™ processors for Value PCs and Internet Appliances, as well as developing complete solutions for the PC platform through its VPSD Business Unit. Its customers include the world's top OEMs, mainboard manufacturers, and system integrators. VIA is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, at the center of the Greater China high-tech manufacturing engine, and has branch offices in the US, China and Europe. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE2388), and achieved annual revenues of nearly US$1 billion in 2001. Additional information can be found at www.via.com.tw.

VIA PR Contact
International: Richard Brown
Phone: (886)-2-2218-5452 #6201
Fax: (886)-2-2218-5453
Email: RichardBrown@via.com.tw

Note to reporters, editors and writers: VIA is written in ALL CAPS.

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Opteron, AMD Athlon and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. HyperTransport is a trademark of the HyperTransport Technology Consortium.

VIA Technologies, Inc
533 Chung Cheng Road 8F | Hsin Tien, Taipei | Taiwan
Tel: (8862) 2218-5452 | Fax: (8862) 2218-5453 |
http://www.via.com.tw