Different potatoes have different textures.
New potatoes tend to be waxy so they wouldn't make good chips - they would be hard. They will make good boiling potatoes though because they hold together well.
Old potatoes can be more fluffy so they make better chips (and roast potatoes) because the outside will crisp up and the inside will be soft. They do not make good boiling potatoes though, because the outsides start to fall apart before the inside is cooked. Examples of fluffy poatoes are King Edwards and Maris Pipers.
I find the red potatoes make good everyday potatoes because they fall between the two types (but they will only make passable roasties - I use maris pipers if I want the best). BTW, usually these days, they say on the bag what they are recommended for ie mashing, baking, boiling, roasting etc