VIA Technologies subsidiary S3 Graphics, best known for its integrated graphic cores in recent years, has just introduced its next-generation of Chrome 500 graphics processors. The new series of discrete graphics solutions is built to challenge the Radeon HD 4350 and other budget cards with a feature set that includes Blu-ray playback support, DirectX 10.1, and OpenGL 3.0.
Pictured above is the S3 Chrome 530GT, the first card in the series, which has a GPU clocked at 625MHz and 512MB of DDR2 memory at 500MHz. It also features both HDMI and dual-link DVI outputs and Via's PowerWise Technology to deliver balance between performance and power. While the card itself is nothing spectacular, its solid video processing features paired with a price tag of just $45 could certainly appeal to those building an HTPC.