AMD has lived up to their word and are releasing their 780G chipsets H1 2008. They announced availability at the CeBIT 2008 event in Hanover, Germany. Manufacturers out of the gate include ASUS (M3A78), Gigabyte (GA-MA78GM), and ECS (A780GM), ranging from $70-100USD.

Utilizing HyperTransport 3.0 (15 GB/s @1.8GHz / 20GB/s @2.6GHz), the 780G calls for DDR2 1066 and has four banks directly connected to the AM2+/AM2 socket. Specifications leaked last year (image) called for DDR3 in a 240-pin 128-bit interface, but memory pricing and AM2 compatibility encouraged the use of DDR2. The AMD 780G chipset is also directly connected to the socket and has a dual 16x link for input/output.

The biggest improvement for this generation of chipsets is the audio and video capabilities integrated into the motherboard. The new features packed into these mid-range chipsets are beginning to look like standalone platforms. The AMD 780G supports DirectX 10 and has a Unified Video Decoder, which corresponds nicely with what is expected from the high-end cards of today. The UVD supports 20 Mbps and 40Mbps video streams with no problem. Unfortunately, the UVD is only accessible through premium software such as Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra, which is almost $100USD.

The display options are incredibly diverse as well. The video outputs consist of DVI/TMDS, HDMI, and VGA. The HDMI connection will also carry audio data simultaneously and HDCP support is present. Because the graphics core has two display controllers, dual display support is present.

On top of the diverse connection options and UVD, a local frame buffer of 512 Mbits is present through a side port. This allows manufactures to add dedicated video memory to their motherboards-- up to 256MB. This feature is an exciting addition for those super budget enthusiasts.  Unfortunately, this benefit will be lost on most users since most manufacturers will likely fail to employ this upgrade on the line.

However, a hefty 16x (2 x 8x PCIE) PCIE slot is available for those with a taste for the bleeding edge, but cannot afford it yet. The 780G has two 8x PCIE interfaces in reality. When only one of those 8x slots is in use, it operates on both lanes, which creates one 16x union. Included in the AMD 780G is a 6x1x PCIE interface. This interface is the pipeline used for the one 4x PCIE connection, the one 1x PCIE connection, and the Broadcom Gigabit controller (BCM5761/5755). The Ethernet controller operates at 10/100/1000 Mbps standards. Most of the manufactures are deviating from the reference and using Realtek 8111C or ATHROS L1 Ethernet controllers.

Another great feature about the 780G chipset is the ability to implement the discrete ATI graphics options in tandem with the IGP. AMD refers to this ability as ATI Hybrid CrossfireX. When running demanding 3D applications, the discrete graphics card is at full power and running on top of the IGP. Conversely, when on the desktop, the discrete video card is scaled back to conserve power. This equates to tremendous energy savings over the year. Something to keep in mind is that NVIDIA's Hybrid implementation actually turns off the discrete card, further increasing efficiency. AMD has not enabled complete hybrid support due to lag present in the IGP/Discrete switching process. Until they rectify this, the discrete GPU scales back to "standby" mode.

Moving to the Southbridge, AMD utilized the SB700 through a 4x PCIE link to the AMD 780G. The Southbridge handles the PCI bus, general I/O, HD audio, and storage. There are 12 USB 2.0 ports and 2 USB 1.1 ports. The only three connections located on the PCI bus are two PCI slots and two 1394B Firewire controllers.

The SB700 chipset has a dual-purpose PATA controller that supports the Hyperflash connection. Hyperflash is AMD's competitive response to Intel's Turbo Memory. For now, though, Hyperflash will be disabled in the drivers until the mobile M780G chipset is available. For storage, there are a healthy six SATA II 3.0Gbps ports, which support raid 0/1/10. Two of these ports are for eSATA applications.

The design has great support for video, audio, storage, and networking, with all of the components connected through a speedy backbone. Regardless, the true test of this thoughtful architecture will be prolonged use, and future benchmarks will be reported. The 780G chipset from AMD will definitely help the HTPC and budget markets due to the vastly improved IGP system. BHFO cannot wait for the 790 enthusiast iterations.

PC Perspective and Hot Hardware were able to obtain review samples of the Gigabyte’s GA-MA78GM-S2H.