VIA'S RECENT SUCCESSES in the chipset market have put VIA products at the heart of loads of high-performance PCs. While VIA chipsets have earned accolades for their performance, VIA's approach to processors is quite different. Unlike VIA's KT333 and P4X266A chipsets, VIA's C3 processor plays in a whole other ballpark: value PCs, notebooks, rack and blade servers, and digital appliances. This different market focus gives VIA a very different set of priorities with its C3 processor. Low power consumption and minimal heat output are the orders of the day.

For the C3's target markets, this approach may make sense. The question is: how fast is fast enough? For mainstream applications, 2GHz is a waste; users may in fact be better off with a chip that consumes less power, and produces less heat, all while being "fast enough."

So has VIA succeeded in lowering the power requirements and heat dissipation to the point where the C3 becomes compelling? Is the C3's performance "good enough"—and for what? Are there worthwhile C3 applications, even for the enthusiast? Read on to find out.