AMD is no longer alone in competing with Intel

In the past, the computer chip industry was almost the market share between Intel and AMD. But Taiwan's Via Technologies is expected to kick off the "triple code" race when it launches the Isaiah microprocessor later this month.

Everex gBook 15 inch, 400 USD, uses Via Isaiah chip.(Photo: www.productwiki.com )

Currently, Via products mostly appear in mobile devices such as OQO or thin computers. This is the first time they have introduced a high-performance x86 chip aimed at mass-market desktops and laptops.

Isaiah, like other Via processors, uses less power (no more than 3.5 watts). Intel Atom currently consumes 0.6 to 2.5 watts of power but has a simple design, making it difficult to achieve high performance like Isaiah. Thus, the world's number one chip maker must not only worry about dealing with AMD, but also need to keep an eye out for competitors from Taiwan.

Richard Brown, Via's vice president of business, said they wanted to build customized PC models, as users could spend $ 50 to equip a graphics card to help the system achieve better performance instead of Spending a few hundred dollars for 4-core chips.

Last month, Via and Nvidia demonstrated a platform that is said to be "the world's most fully-featured and high-end Vista Premium computer" with Isaiah processor and Nvidia chip chipset.