Taiwanese processor vendor Via Technologies rolled out a new reference design for laptops, called Surfboard C855, that includes its recently announced VX855 chipset capable of playing full high-definition video.
The Surfboard C855 reference design is based on the company's C7-M ultra low-voltage processor. Via unveiled the reference design on Tuesday at an event in Shenzhen, in southeastern China. China has been a key market for Via, and it has had a string of design wins from smaller Chinese hardware makers over the last couple of years.
The reference design is intended for smaller laptops with screens ranging from 10 inches to 12 inches in size. Sometimes called netbooks, these small laptops have surged in popularity in recent months. Many of these systems are based on Intel's Atom processor and an Intel chipset that is not designed for high-definition video.
By adding the VX855, which includes support for 1080p high-definition video and 8-channel audio, to the Surfboard reference design, Via hopes demand for better multimedia capabilities in small laptops will win over end users. It also hopes the reference design will win over hardware makers by allowing them to easily build products based on the C7-M and VX855.
The company did not say when laptops based on the Surfboard reference design will hit the market.