Whether in the Chinese market or on the shelves of the local Wal-Mart, it’s clear that low-cost PCs are a hit. And if the latest rumors out of Intel HQ offer any indication, the 8000 pound gorilla of the chipmaking world might be readying a 45nm CPU specifically for the low-cost segment of the desktop market. According to Reg Hardware, Intel’s forthcoming “Diamondville” chipset will be based on the company’s 45nm technology, will run so cool that it won’t require a fan and will sport a small price tag. What’s more, Reg Hardware suggests that Diamondville, coupled with Intel’s forthcoming Shelton chipset and 2-4GB of flash, could be the basis for Asus’ just-announced Eee PC desktop. According to the rumors, Diamondville will show up in 2008, so we’ll probably be hearing something official shortly.

For more on the rumors:
– see this article from Reg Hardware