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ULi M1695 HyperTransport PCI Express Tunnel Chip

By Zachary Chan - 23 Aug 2005

M1695 - Further Possibilities

M1695 - Further Possibilities

Since we're on the topic of flexibility, ULi made sure that we were made known of other possible configurations for the M1695. In the following diagram, the M1695 is paired with an unnamed ULi Southbridge that extends its PCI Express capabilities to two full speed PCIe x16 graphic ports. We already know that NVIDIA's next nForce4 SLI chipset update will feature dual PCIe x16 interfaces, so if ULi has had the foresight to enable such functionality for the M1695, then this would certainly enhance the value and lifespan of the M1695. Theoretically, since the chip is a HyperTransport tunnel, we could actually link up two M1695s together in this configuration and still have the M1567 Southbridge. We're sure that enthusiasts may be lapping this up, but it is highly unlikely that we'll see such a triple chip motherboard out anytime soon for the consumer market.

Additional functionality utilizing the HyperTransport link for further PCI Express expansion.

Undeterred, ULi has also provided a possible scenario where the M1695 can be used in enterprise level solutions for servers and workstations though AMD's PCI-X tunnel chip. As you can see, the possibilities of the M1695 are quite extraordinary since the HyperTransport link can be implemented in multiple chains for chip-to-chip interconnection. There is no doubt of the flexibility presented by the M1695, but in the end, its performance levels will determine how fast or how successful it penetrates the market and this is something we intend to find out soon enough.

ULi's example of a server/workstation solution with addition of PCI-X functions as well. 

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