Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Intel Corp. will add a new series of hard drives that can hold twice as much data as current offerings, part of an effort to tap the emerging market for computers with chip-based storage.

The company, the world’s biggest semiconductor maker, will begin selling eight new drives with as much as 320 gigabytes of capacity in the fourth quarter, according to a document Intel sent its customers.

The chips are built using so-called 32-nanometer production technology, Intel’s most advanced manufacturing method. Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini in 2005 began a venture with Micron Technology Inc. to make chips called Nand flash memory. The company is betting flash will replace hard disks as the main storage in laptop and desktop computers, expanding the market beyond portable devices including Apple Inc.’s iPhone.

Intel spokesman Tom Beermann said the Santa Clara, California-based company doesn’t comment on communication with its customers or on its future plans until official announcement.

Intel rose 45 cents to $13.74 at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The shares have dropped 6.3 percent this year.

Intel will begin selling desktop computer processors that include graphic capabilities within the processor itself for the first time -- a product the company has codenamed Havendale -- in the first quarter of 2010. That’s one quarter later than originally planned, according to the document, which didn’t specify a reason.

The chipmaker also is introducing a product called Braidwood that will include as much as 16 gigabytes of flash memory that will create “better responsiveness and boot-up time.”

Boot-up time refers to how long it takes for a computer to become operational after being switched on.

To contact the reporters on this story: Ian King in San Francisco at ianking@bloomberg.net; Tim Culpan in Taipei at tculpan1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 16, 2009 19:19 EST