Intel Unveils Multimedia Chipset

Intel on Tuesday launched its 3 Series chipset for multimedia applications and announced plans with partner Asustek for a mobile PC that would cost less than $200.

Sean Maloney, an executive VP at Intel, released the new chipset, code-named Bearlake, at the Computex computer trade show in Taipei, Taiwan. The latest 3 Series products include support for Microsoft's DirectX 10 graphics platform in Windows Vista. The chipset is also designed for use with Intel's upcoming 45-nanometer Penryn line of processors, scheduled for release later this year.

During his opening keynote at Computex, Maloney said more than 100 motherboard designs incorporating the new chipset are under way, and the company expects shipments of the 3 Series product line to increase faster than any other Intel chipset. "The Intel 3 Series chipsets lay the foundation for an exciting, media-rich experience for today's systems and those that arrive later this year," Maloney said, according to a statement released by Intel.

Maloney also said that the Intel Core 2 Extreme mobile processor for gaming would be released in the third quarter. The company had said earlier that the dual processor-based platform, code-named Skulltrail, would ship sometime this year.

Intel plans to use 3 Series chipsets as the foundation for its Viiv multimedia technology set for release later this year. Within the 3 Series line, the Q33 and Q35 Express chipsets are shipping now. The G35 Express chipset and the X38 enthusiast product with dual graphics support are scheduled to ship within 90 days. The 3 Series, in conjunction with other Intel multimedia technology, is built for entertainment PCs, which can be used for gaming or for downloading video and distributing it to a TV.

In discussing the upcoming low-cost mobile PC, Maloney said Intel was working with Asustek to eventually offer a line of education-focused portables. One model would sell for less than $200. The Asustek machines stem from Intel's World Ahead program, which aims to provide low-cost computers to people in emerging nations.