In an industry where performance and innovation receive the most attention, it is easy to overlook economics. Case in point, AMD's value Duron processor has received a significant amount of praise for its ability to run circles around comparably clocked Intel Celeron processors and reliably reach GHz+ speeds at the hands of enthusiasts.

But in the value segment, performance and innovation do not bring home the bacon. Since competition is generally much tighter, the only way to make a significant profit is from volume - sheer numbers. To accomplish this, the product needs to be featured in the systems of large OEM's, ones that ship thousands of computer systems. Of course these companies need to make a profit too, so the entire package must be sound - CPU, motherboard, video, and audio all need to come as cheaply as possible without sacrificing too much speed.

As Intel has discovered with their i810 series of chipsets, integration is paramount. When they combine their own video and audio capabilities onto a chipset, they eliminate the need for separate video and audio component manufacturers to make their money. In turn, the OEM building the system saves resources and the company earns a design win.

Until this point, the Duron has only been compatible with one chipset, VIA's KT133. Although the KT133 has been immensely successful in the performance market, it does not offer the level of integration necessary to oust Intel's Celeron as the dominant platform for those planning to use their PC for nothing more than email and word processing.

With the acquisition of graphics chip manufacturer S3, VIA was given the opportunity to incorporate graphics technology into their core logic, giving rise to the KM133 - a "value" variation of the KT133 complete with integrated video. Coupled with AC'97 audio capabilities, the KM133 platform may be just what the Duron needs in order to earn increased acceptance in the mainstream value market.