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In a previous article, I was recommending the Asus EeeBox B204 and B206 over the MSI WindBOX due to their better features.

Asus latest addition - the Eee Box B208 - adds one more compelling reason to go for the EeeBox family: the dual core Intel Atom 330 CPU. If still used with the 945GSE chipset, it should only maginally increase power consumption (Atom 330 Max TDP: 8W vs. Atom N270 Max TDB: 2.5W).

Here is a comparison table of the current Asus EeeBox models with Atom CPUs*:

*: note to overload the table, only Atom-based Eee Box models have been included. The Celeron-based Eee Box B201 and B203 models have been ignored.

Technorati Tags: 270, 330, 945gse, Asus, atom, dvi, EeeBox, HDMI, mini motherboard

Asus has unveiled the EeeBox B208 nettop computer.

The Eee Box B208 features the dual-core Intel atom N330 CPU, ATI Radeon HD 4350 discrete graphics, HDMI output, remote control, bluetooth and an integrated battery acting as UPS.

The EeeBox PC HD mini desktop PC is the latest addition to the EeeBox PC family. This newest incarnation now allows users to enjoy crisp and clear high definition content by means of a HD hardware decoder. Still retaining its svelte design, the EeeBox PC HD’s portability lets you turn virtually any space into a high definition entertainment zone for maximum enjoyment.

Worth noting is that the EeeBox B208 comes with Window Vista Home Basic or Business.

EeeBox B208 specifications:

• CPU: Intel Atom 330 CPU (1.6GHz dual core)
• Chipset: Intel 945GSE + ICH7M
• RAM: 1 x 200-pin SODIMM, 1 GB of DDR2 RAM standard
• Display: ATI Radeon HD 4350 Discrete Graphics with 256 MB RAM, 1 x HDMI output
• Audio: Realtek ALC662 5.1 Channel HD Audio (with S/PDIF out)
• Storage: 160GB, 250GB or 320GB 2.5in SATA hard drive
• LAN: 1 x Gigabit
• WLAN: 1 x 802.11b/g/n
• I/O: 4 x USB 2.0
• Other: Bluetooth, built-in battery for UPS function, card reader, remote control, stand

Product page here.

[Update: The product page does not specify the chipset used for the EeeBox B208. Assuming at this stage that it is the Intel 945GSE chipset + ICH7M. The use of the Intel 945GC chipset - only valid combination according to Intel - may not fit within the TDP supported by the EeeBox.]

Technorati Tags: 945gse, Asus, atom, EeeBox, HDMI, mini motherboard, N330

Kontron has announced the pITX-SP Pico-ITX embedded Single Board Computer.

This Pico-ITX board uses the Atom Z510/Z530 processor combined with the US15W chipset, for a low power consumption (5W) in an extremely compact form factor.

The Kontron pITX-SP offers all interfaces required for the fast and easy development of cost-optimized and extremely small x86 embedded designs and ultra mobile devices, making it predestined for a wide range of applications in the gaming, digital signage and POS/POI kiosk sectors as well as all other embedded segments that require price-optimized performance on the smallest footprint.

pITX-SP Specifications:

• CPU: Intel Atom Z510 / Z530 CPU (1.1 / 1.6GHz)
• Chipset: Intel US15W
• RAM:  1 x 200-pin SODIMM, up to 1 GB of DDR2 RAM
• Storage: 1 or 2 x SATA ports (option), 1 x IDE port, 1 x microSD socket
• Video: integrated graphics, 1 x LVDS connector, 1 x DVI-D output
• Audio: HD audio, S/PDIF
• LAN: 1 x Intel 82574L Gigabit Ethernet
• I/O:  4 x USB 2.0 ports (2 x external 2 x internal), 4bit digital IO, SDIO

This board has a 5V DC power input.

Read the press release here.

Product page here.

Technorati Tags: atom, mini motherboard, pico-itx, us15w, Z510, Z530

ZOTAC is shipping the GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi Mini-ITX motherboard that it previewed during CES 2009.

This new Mini-ITX board supports LGA775 Intel CPUs - Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Extreme -, up to 8GB of RAM and features the NVIDIA GeForce 9300 chipset with DVI or HDMI output, two SATA ports, one eSATA port, one PCIe x16 expansion slot, Gigabit Ethernet and integrated 802.11b/g WiFi.

The ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi is the perfect platform for home theater PCs. Pairing power-efficient Intel processors and a PureVideo HD enabled graphics processor with a mini-ITX form factor allows the ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi to fit nearly anywhere without sacrificing high-definition video playback capabilities desired by home theater PC users.

“We’ve packed a lot of performance into such a small platform with the ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi. With the GeForce 9300 graphics processor, PCI Express x16 slot and Hybrid SLI technology, the ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi is able to keep up with larger form factor systems,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.

You can buy it from Newegg.

ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi specifications:

• CPU: LGA775 socket for Intel Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Extreme, Celeron, Pentium
• Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce 9300
• RAM:  2 x 240-pin DIMM, up to 8 GB of DDR2 667/800 RAM
• Storage: 2 x SATA port, 1 x eSATA
• Expansion slot: 1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 slot
• Video: NVIDIA GeForce 9300 integrated graphics, 1x VGA output, 1x DVI output, 1 x HDMI output
• Audio: 5.1 HD audio, 1 x S/PDIF output
• LAN: Gigabit Ethernet
• WLAN: Integrated 802.11b/g WiFi
• I/O:  12x USB 2.0 ports (6 external, 6 x internal via onboard connectors), PS/2 connector.

Read the press release here.

Product page here.

Technorati Tags: Core 2 Duo, core 2 quad, mini motherboard, mini-itx, nForce 9300, WiFi, ZOTAC