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**Who made the first chip set?
By the  criteria of (2.)  in  'Definition of a chip  set' many sources
state this  to be the  Chips and Technologies  NEAT chip set.  I don't
know why this is stated as it is most definitely incorrect. The CS8221
NEW   Enhanced  AT   (NEAT)  chip   set  consisting   of  the   chips;
82C211/82C212/82C215/82C206  was  as far  as  I  can establish,  first
released sometime in 1986. 

C&T itself have an earlier chip set called the CS8220 PC/AT compatible
Chip  Set,  and  consists   of  the  following  chips;  82C201/82C202/
82A203/82A204/82A205.  It was  first  available  in OCT-85.  (see:C&T>
CS8220>Notes for further info.)

That is, AFAIK, the first motherboard  chip set from C&T and AFAIK the
worlds first chip set that meets the criteria of (2.). However C&T did
already have on the market their  popular EGA chip set, but that isn't
a motherboard chip set.

By the criteria of (1.), IBM, or Intel, see IBM>PC/XT chip set.

Another pre-'86 chipset is the  Faraday FE2010. The datasheet includes
a schematic on the very last  page dated 11/22/85. This only indicates
the chip set was on paper at that date. An acutal release date has not
been found.

**Spelling errors/mistyped words...
**Info needed on:...
**A note on VESA support of 486 chipsets....
**Datasheets:...
*_IBM...
*ACC Micro...
*ALD...
*ALi...
*AMD . . . . . . . [no datasheets, some info]...
*Chips & Technologies...
*Contaq  . . . . . [no datasheets, some info]...
*Efar Microsystems [no datasheets, some info]...
*ETEQ...
*Faraday...
*Forex . . . . . . [List only, no datasheets found]...
*Intel...
**82396SX     Smart Cache                                     12/17/90
***Notes:...
***Info:...
***Versions:...
***Features:...
**82485       Turbo Cache (and 485Turbocache)                      c90...
**82489DX       Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller    10/12/92...
**82495DX/490DX DX CPU-Cache Chip Set                           <Sep91...
**82495XP/490XP Cache Controller / Cache RAM (for i860)       06/05/91...
**82496/491     Cache Controller / Cache RAM (for P5 Pentium) 03/22/93...
**82497/492   Cache Controller / Cache RAM (for P54 Pentium)    <Nov94
***Notes:
Date source: 1995_Intel_Pentium_Processors_and_Related_Components.pdf

Information taken from: 
            1995_Intel_Pentium_Processors_and_Related_Components.pdf*
                                         8249x Cache controllers.pdf**
>*  Datasheet dated Nov'94
>** Datasheet undated, whole document dated '95

The info and features section have  been solely sourced from the first
source.   The  second source  provides  far  more detail.   Additional
information in the configurations section  and below have been sourced
from the second.

"Although the 82497 Cache Controller  is part of the Pentium processor
(735\90, 815\100, 1000\120, 1110\133) CPU-Cache Chip Set and the 82496
Cache  Controller is part  of the  Pentium Processor  (510\60, 567\66)
Chip  Set, the  two parts  are functionally  identical except  for the
differences noted in this section." - p491

Aside  from some  minor  differences in  pin  configuration, the  main
difference is the direct support  for 3.3V processors. This chipset is
still a 5V part. The cache operates at bus speed, max 66MHz.


This  chip was  used on  the Pentium  90MHz CPU  complexes of  Intel's
Xpress  platform.   Specifically  the BXCPUPENT90  (Single  90MHz,  16
82492s). Also found on IBM 9595/Server 500 Pentium 90MHz complexes.

***Info:...
***Configurations:...
***Features:...
**82498/493   Cache Controller / Cache RAM (for P54 Pentium)    <Nov94...
**
**Later chipsets (basic spec):
**440 series:...
**450NX  (?)            06/29/98:...
**?????  (Profusion)    c:99...
**800 series...
*Headland/G2...
*HMC (Hulon Microelectronics)...
*Logicstar...
*Motorola...
*OPTi...
*PC CHIPS/Amptron/Atrend/ECS/Elpina/etc...
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*TI (Texas Instruments)...
*UMC...
*Unresearched:...
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*Western Digital...
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*ZyMOS...
*General Sources:...