Intel to ship its updated memory chipset to Taiwan

Intel Corp, the biggest maker of semiconductors, said it will begin shipping a chipset that supports faster memory chips in the first quarter next year to Taiwan motherboard-makers to boost its market share for chipsets.

Intel start supplying chipsets based on double data rate memory, which support its 2-gigahertz Pentium 4 processor, in the first three months of 2002, said George Alfs, an Intel spokesman.

The Asian Wall Street Journal earlier reported the chipsets would be shipped as early as in November.

Chipsets the key component controlling the flow of data between the processor and other parts of the computer. Double data rate memory chips help speed communication between chips and the processor.

Intel about 50 percent of world's chipset sales and Taiwan's Via Technologies Inc (威盛電子) has about 40 percent. Intel's chipsets supporting current memory chips in Pentium 4 computers costing less than US$1,000 will start shipping by the end of next month, Alfs said.

Via Technologies has begun selling chipsets based on the Pentium 4 without a license.

Silicon Integrated Systems Co (矽統科技) and Acer Laboratories Inc (揚智科技), two Taiwan chipset designers, said they will begin selling chipsets based on the Pentium 4 this month. Both companies have a license from Intel to use Pentium 4 technology.

Intel's US shares yesterday rose 13 US cents, or 0.5 percent, to US$28.20. Via's shares rose NT$3, or 1.4 percent, to NT$211. Acer Laboratories rose 20 NT cents, or 0.5 percent, to NT$37.20. Silicon Integrated was unchanged at NT$34.30.