Sales of motherboards using Intel’s 848P chipset have faced a lukewarm market response under anticipation of pricing pressure from Taiwanese IC designers, according to sources at Taiwanese motherboard makers.
The 848P, supporting the latest 800MHz FSB (front-side bus) Intel CPUs, is Intel’s first chipset targeting the low-priced single-channel DDR market, but Taiwan-based VIA Technologies and Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS) will soon start volume shipments of cheaper chipsets with similar features.
Motherboards featuring the new Intel chipset are reportedly priced at US$65-75 from retailers. While Intel lists the chipset at US$29, first-tier motherboard makers in general enjoy discounted prices of US$27-28.
According to sources, VIA’s PT800, which also supports single-channel DDR and Intel’s latest Pentium 4 CPUs, will carry a US$15 price tag.
Reduced prices for higher-end motherboards using Intel’s 865PE chipset have also dampened 848P sales. As 865PE motherboards are currently priced at around US$80, buyers tend to overlook the 848P products and choose between the ones featuring either the 865PE or local suppliers’ chipsets, sources said.
Article translated by Henry Chang and edited by Wen-Yu Lang
