VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 Chipset White Paper
VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 Chipset
High Performance Integrated DDR platform for the
AMD Athlon™ XP
Page 1VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 Chipset White Paper
The VIA ProSavageDDR KM266:
High Performance Integrated DDR platform for the
AMD Athlon™ XP processor
With the launch of the VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 chipset, VIA Technologies, Inc is
bringing even more choice to its range of Socket A chipsets enabling AMD Athlon™
XP and AMD Duron™ based systems to deliver exciting performance at very
competitive price points. Harnessing the industry-leading performance of DDR
(Double Data Rate) SDRAM, the flexibility of VIA Modular Architecture Platform (V-
MAP) design, and the rich graphics performance of the enhanced S3 Graphics
ProSavage8™ 2D/3D engine, the VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 reduces system cost
while delivering unprecedented performance and stability.
The VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 also boasts the latest South Bridge technology with
first to market innovations like integrated 3Com® networking in the VT8233C and
the introduction of Ultra ATA-133 in the VT8233A. Ultra ATA-133, offering 33% more
bandwidth between IDE device and CPU, enables the VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 to
deliver more performance in data intensive applications including DVD playback and
database software.
The launch of the VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 further extends the leadership role that
VIA has played in enabling rapid industry wide transitions to higher bandwidth
memory technologies and integrated graphics solutions that enable OEMs and SIs to
address a fuller spectrum of PC price points. It achieves this through the
implementation of the following key technologies:
• DDR200/266 SDRAM Support: The VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 offers up to
2.1GB/s of memory bandwidth with its support for up to 4GB DDR266
SDRAM. This provides memory intensive applications (such as content
creation, media streaming, 3D gaming, etc.) the bandwidth they need to
perform optimally.
• S3 Graphics ProSavage8™ Integrated Graphics core: The ProSavage8™
2D/3D Accelerator with internal AGP 8X bandwidth and DVD Motion
Compensation is optimized for use with the Microsoft Windows® XP operating
system. Shared Memory Architecture (SMA) enables the ProSavageDDR
KM266 to utilize the system memory for frame buffer and texture memory on
data path doubled to 128-bit capacity. Thus, the DDR memory subsystem,
offering up to 2.1GB/s of memory bandwidth, increases the overall
performance of the integrated graphics core by up to 50% over SMA chipsets
based on PC133 SDRAM.
• V-MAP: Based on the unique VIA Modular Architecture Platform (V-MAP), the
VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 provides OEMs and SIs with unparalleled flexibility
and scalability for existing and future PC designs. A choice of three South
Bridge options with differing combinations of integrated communication and
networking support enable a variety of different configurations and therefore
price points.
• High-Speed V-Link Hub Architecture: The VIA ProSavageDDR KM266
makes use of VIA’s V-Link Hub Architecture, which provides a dedicated
Page 2VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 Chipset White Paper
266MB/s bus between the north and south bridge. Less advanced chipsets
use the 132MB/s PCI bus as a link, which must be shared with all PCI
peripherals.
• Optional External AGP Port: Providing up to 1GB/s in graphics bandwidth
with external AGP4X technology, this feature offers OEMs and System
Integrators flexibility in building systems to different configurations and
allows for future upgrades. Additionally, it does not sacrifice AGP 2X
compatibility like less advanced chipsets, allowing competitively priced
graphics products to be integrated into Value PC systems.
This white paper describes the features of the VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 chipset as
well as the combination of performance and cost efficiency that enables next
generation computing for mainstream and value desktops, workstations, and servers
based on the AMD Athlon™ XP processor.
Integrated Graphics
The VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 with the S3 Graphics ProSavage8™ core integrated
into the North Bridge enables AMD Athlon™ XP processor based systems to hit
mainstream and value price points by offering a combination of performance and
value unmatched by existing chipset platforms.
The VIA ProSavage range based on PC133 SDRAM has proved popular with OEMs
and SIs for the following reasons:
Integration reduces system cost: Integrated graphics allow OEMs and System
Integrators to eliminate an external graphics card from the cost of a VIA ProSavage
based system while maintaining competitive 2D and 3D performance.
ProSavage Graphics Performance: With AGP 4X, 32MB of frame buffer and DVD
motion compensation the ProSavage4™ provides rich 2D/3D graphics performance
and has an unblemished record of reliability.
ProSavage Driver Set: S3 Graphics ProSavageDDR chipsets have a mature and
comprehensive unified driver set, minimizing compatibility issues and reducing
deployment risk for corporate customers.
The VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 retains these three key advantages of VIA ProSavage
integrated chipsets while offering a significant increase in graphics performance
through the benefits of DDR266 SDRAM memory in a Shared Memory Architecture
Design. The new S3 Graphics ProSavage8™ integrated into the VIA ProSavageDDR
KM266 shares the same architecture and feature set as the ProSavage4™ but boasts
internal data paths expanded to 128-bit from 64-bit giving an effective AGP 8X
bandwidth capacity and increasing 3D performance by up to 70% over PC133
SDRAM based SMA chipsets.
Page 3VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 Chipset White Paper
VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 Product Overview
The VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 consists of two separate chips: The 552-pin VT8375
Integrated North Bridge, and a choice of 376-pin VT8233 series V-Link South
Bridges. Both use standard PGA packaging to reduce the cost of production and allow
the use of standard heatsink solutions. The basic architecture of the chipset is shown
in the illustration below.
VIA ProSavage KM266 North Bridge
The North Bridge of the VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 (model number VT8375) provides
support for flexible 200/266MHz Front Side Bus for AMD Socket A compatible
Page 4VIA ProSavageDDR KM266 Chipset White Paper
processors. Deep pipelining and buffering keep the high-speed system bus supplied
with a constant stream of data, maximizing the performance of the processor. This

您好，VIA KM266 (I/G)是一种经典的计算机主板芯片组，由VIA Technology公司开发。这款芯片组主要用于台式机和一些早期的服务器平台，特别是在ATX架构的主板上。KM266主要负责连接CPU（如Intel Pentium II或Athlon）与内存（RAM）、总线接口以及外部设备（如IDE、PCI等）。 "I"在KM266 (I/G)中的意思是"Inegrated"，表示它集成了南桥（负责I/O控制）和北桥（处理CPU通信）的功能在一个芯片上，简化了主板设计。"G"通常指的是"Graphics"，虽然早期的KM266可能不包含集成显卡，但这个缩写也可能暗示支持通过扩展槽添加独立显卡。 由于这是较旧的技术，现在市场上已经很少见到基于KM266的主板，因为它已被更先进的芯片组所取代，如VIA KM400或更高级别的产品。如果您有关于该芯片组的问题，比如兼容性、升级或者维修，请随时告诉我，我会尽力提供帮助。