Via to push faster C3 chip

The Taiwan-based chipmaker will showcase the faster C3 chip at the Computex Taipei 2002 conference, which starts June 3 in Taiwan.

While Via's C3 processor line claims only 1 percent of the overall PC processor market, according to Mercury Research, sales have been strong in emerging markets such as China, Russia and India, the company said.

The company plans to push the new, faster C3 chip for use in low-price PCs sold mainly outside the United States. The C3 is also used in "white box" PCs manufactured in the United States. The white-box market is made up of small, local manufacturers that build computers for consumers and small businesses.

Via in the past has combined its processor, chipset and motherboard offerings to create entire PC designs. One of the company's latest is prototype of a tablet PC. The machine adopts the tablet-style computing platform proposed by Microsoft, allowing users to take notes and enter other data on a flat screen, using a pen.

Also at the show, Via plans to introduce a new PC audio chip called the Envy 24HT. The chip brings 24-bit audio to the add-in boards people use to upgrade their PCs to produce better sound. Via will work with add-in board makers to distribute the chip.