Cirrus Logic CL-GD5410
The CL-GD5410 was an ISA Super VGA chipset. It is known for being among the first to integrate the graphics card components into a single chip (built-in RAMDAC and clock generators).
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Released | 1991 |
| Bus | ISA 16-bit | |
| Chipset | Cirrus Logic CL-GD5410 | |
| Standards | MDA, Hercules, CGA, EGA, VGA | |
| Memory | 256 KB or 512 KB DRAM (65, 70 or 80ns) | |
| RAMDAC | (Internal) | |
| Part # | - | |
| FCC IDs | ||
| Cards | ||
| See Also | CL-GD5401, CL-GD5402, CL-GD5420 |
It was installed on low-to-mid range DRAM-based cards, and some laptops and desktops including the IBM PS/1 Model 2133 series, where it was embedded on the motherboard.
Supported memory was in the form of 256Kx4 DRAM chips.
DOS Days' contributor, Korrey Moore, provided this info: "The Cirrus Logic CL-GD5410 supports up to 512k of DRAM and 800x600 at 256 colors (with 512k installed.) I wouldn't recommend it though, it's painfully slow. I also don't recommend it for CGA/EGA games because it doesn't work with them well, and often has graphical bugs. Like in Commander Keen 4, both optional workarounds for video issues have to be used, or you'll be met with white garbage flashing around the screen.
IBM used this chip in early PS/1-2133-xxx machines. I have a PS/1-2133-C11, which has a CL-GD5410. It originally came with 256k of DRAM, but had empty pads for an additional 256k, which I added and the BIOS reports 512k of DRAM for the video now. It unlocked the 800x600 256 color mode in the Windows 3.x control panel. IBM also had 512k as a factory option in a slightly different model PS/1-2133.
I've yet to find the datasheet for this chip unfortunately. I wish I could, because I have a suspicion that the CL-GD5420 may be pin-compatible and be a slight upgrade from this pedestrian video chip."
Revisions
Just one revision of the CL-GD5410 is known: BC.
Competition
In 1991, many more graphics cards were entering the market with 1 MB of video memory, pushing screen resolutions up to 1024 x 768 in 256 colours and in some cases, 1280 x 1024 in 16 colours. This was a decent upgrade for those running Windows 3.0. 1 MB cards had first been introduced in 1990 as premium options, such as those based on the 2nd-generation ATi 28800 chipset (VGA Wonder+, VGA Wonder 1024D, etc).
Some notable cards released in 1991 include the Diamond SpeedSTAR VGA, Everex Viewpoint VRAM, Orchid ProDesigner II, STB Powergraph ERGO-VGA, Trident Impact III, Video Seven VRAM II and Sigma Designs VGA Legend. Many of these made used the popular Tseng Labs ET4000AX chipset or had their own proprietary ones such as those from Trident and VideoSeven.
Cirrus Logic would not release a 1 MB chipset until the following year with their CL-GD5420.
A card similar in spec to the CL-GD5410 in 1991 was the Paradise VGA 1024, with its 512 KB video RAM limit.
In the Media
Setting it Up
There is no known setup configuration for cards that have a CL-GD5410 chipset.
Downloads
Operation Manual Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
Original Utility Disk Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
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More Pictures
