Intel® Memory Translator Hub (MTH) Reboot Issue
More Information
Does this issue affect boards/systems using the Intel® 820 Chipsets with RDRAM*
memory?
No, this issue only involves boards/systems using the MTH component with SDRAM memory.
The Intel® 820 Chipset was developed for use with RDRAM* memory, and RDRAM-based
boards/systems are not affected by this issue.
Does this issue cause data corruption?
This noise sensitivity could potentially result in data corruption. As a result, Intel has placed
the MTH component and an Intel motherboard that uses the part on shipment hold.
What is Intel recommending for end-users to do?
Computer users who want to know if their board/system uses an MTH component can contact
their computer maker or place of purchase for more information, or they can download a utility
to determine if they have a board/system containing the MTH component.
What do you mean when you say, "some boards/systems" may be affected by this
issue?
The issue is intermittent and has only been observed on some, not all, boards/systems that
have an MTH component. The noise sensitivity that could cause this issue is highly
dependent on the noise interaction between the board/system and the MTH component and,
in some cases, may cause a reboot or hang.
Is there going to be another version of the MTH component for use with the Intel® 820
Chipset?
Intel has adjusted the design of the MTH component to address this issue by improving the
noise immunity of the part. Intel will do testing/validation with this new version of the MTH.
The Intel 820 and Intel 820E Chipsets will have a new version of the MTH available for
boards/systems in Q3.
Is this the same issue that was reported on the MTH in late March?
The previous MTH component issue was related to intermittent errors on the SDRAM memory
subsystem when running a specific synthetic memory stress test. That issue was fixed by
applying a pull-down or pull-up resistor on SCLKA.
How was the MTH reboot/hang issue first discovered?
A customer informed Intel that intermittent system reboots and system hangs had been
observed on a small number of Intel 820 Chipset-based desktop boards with the Intel MTH
component. The boards were sent to Intel for investigation and the issue was duplicated at
Intel.