New Intel 810E chip set a boon

Intel's Monday chip set announcements should be a boon for PC buyers looking to pick up low-cost, high-performance desktop PCs.

Along with its 820 chip set for high-end desktops, Intel is expected to introduce a new lower-cost chip set for mainstream Pentium III-based PCs. The chip set is called the 810E. By using the 810E, PC makers will be able to offer Pentium III systems starting at a little more than $1000 (£620), sources said. PCs using the 533MHz Pentium III chip, also due on Monday, with the 810E are expected to be priced starting between $1200 and $1500, sources said.

The 810E is a Pentium III-compatible chip set, which supports a 133MHz system bus. It is based on the design of Intel's 810 chip set for Celeron processor systems. Like the 810 the 810E integrates a number of functions, including a graphics engine, sources said. This integration works to lower the cost of the overall system by eliminating the need for certain components, such as a graphics board. PC makers can pass on the lower costs to buyers.

Dell Computer, for example, will offer a 533MHz Pentium III desktop with the 810E chip set starting at between $1000 and $1100, sources said.

Meanwhile, systems based on Intel's 500MHz Celeron and 810 chip set combination should prove to be popular for the holiday season. Those PCs start in the range of $900 to $1000.