Computers power up, prices down.(Home Computing Section)(Illustration)(Buyers Guide)

It's easy to find fast, powerful, reasonably priced computers. Our latest tests of 29 desktop and laptop computers show that there's plenty of speed and power even at the low end of the price scale.

However, two major developments will raise consumers' expectations about performance while at the same time making it hard to separate the screamers from the slowpokes when shopping for new hardware.

Versatile new chips. As we went to press, chip-making behemoth Intel unveiled a new family of Express chipsets--the 925X, the 915G, and the 915R The chipsets work with a computer's central processing unit and are capable of providing high definition video, surround-sound audio. and fast graphics and animation without requiring additional extra-cost video, sound, or graphics cards.

The new chips may well make moderately priced workhorse computers--the type many people buy--perform more like today's top-line models. Judging from what Dell and others nave introduced. however, the new chips are likely to appear first at the high end, then trickle down through a manufacturer's line.

We have ordered the first of these new computers so we can assess the performance improvements. Look for our findings online at www.CRXtra.org and in next month's issue.

Confusing new names. Intel has also changed the way it names its processors, replacing a straightforward speed designation (2.8-gigahertz Pentium 4, say) with a number that the company says will help you "make more informed decisions" about PC purchases. We're skeptical. Intel says the new numbers can't be used to directly compare processors. A Pentium M 715, for example, is actually slower than a Pentium 4 538.

An Intel representative said that consumers should be able to see what the numbers mean on Web sites or in stores as new computers hit the market The early information we found online was sparse, however. Gateway's Web site, for instance, lists 22 chips, but doesn't indicate which chip is best for which type of computing. Intel's own Web site carried few useful details. Expect to do some digging if you want the specifications of the newly named processors. Online, look for links to "new Intel processor numbers" or similar wording. We'll decode the new names in future reports.