Nvidia is readying silicon that would work with Intel's newest processor design, according to a report. Intel claims Nvidia does not have the legal rights to make companion chips for its newest processors.
In February, Intel alleged in a lawsuit that the 4-year-old chipset license agreement with Nvidia does not extend to Intel's future-generation processors with "integrated" memory controllers, such as its "Nehalem" Core i series of processors.
A chipset is companion silicon to the main processor. Integrated memory controllers are built into the processor itself to increase performance between the processor and memory.
According to a report on Chinese-language Technology Web site HKEPC, Nvidia is planning to bring out a MCP99 chipset that supports Nehalem processors and Intel's Direct Media Interface, or DMI. Nvidia cited DMI back in February as a technology that Intel was trying to prevent it from using.
Despite the report's claims, it is not clear yet whether Nvidia would in fact bring out a chip before the legal matter is settled with Intel.
