AMD and Intel's upcoming platforms get certified by the PCI-SIG by VR-Zone.com



We don't generally browse the PCI-SIG's website, but we happened upon some interesting information somewhat by accident as we were searching for something unrelated. It seems like the PCI-SIG has certified not only AMD's upcoming Trinity APU, but also Intel's upcoming 2012 desktop and mobile platforms, although it's not what you think.

The certification list covers PCI Express 2.0 compliant hardware and both AMD's Trinity APU with associated reference platform and Intel's Maho Bay and Chief River motherboard platforms have passed certification. Does this mean we won't see PCI Express 3.0 support from either company next year? Well, no, it just means that both platforms are compliant with the current standards and that they can operate at speeds of 5GT/s or GB/s if you prefer.



We should also mention that Intel's Sandy Bridge-E and Ivy Bridge CPU's are as yet not on the list and in case of all four listed products, it's only the x16 slot that has been tested according to the slim information provided on the PCI-SIG website. However, looking at the list it doesn't look entirely complete, as there are several current products missing from the list.

In related news, Asus has finally announced its first PCI Express 3.0 enabled motherboards. VR-Zone has kept out of the bickering that's been going on between the various motherboard manufacturers with regards to Gen 3 support or not, but we would just like to highlight the fact here that Asus is making similar claims to Gigabyte with regards to compatibility and has a list of older P67, H67 and H61 motherboards alongside most of its Z68 boards. The only bad news is that owners of the Maximus IV Extreme-Z won't be getting Gen 3 support, although Asus claims that the board will work with Ivy Bridge CPUs. For the full list of supported motherboards, head over to the Asus website.

Source: PCI-SIG