Mini Computer World |

Technorati Tags: 230, 330, atom, eSATA, HDMI, Ion, MAG, mini computer, nettop, NVIDIA, ZOTAC

Asus has unveiled the EeeBox EB1012 nettop computer, adding to its always expanding line of Eee Box computers.

The Eee Box EB1012 features the dual-core Intel atom 330 CPU, NVIDIA ION integrated graphics, HDMI output, eSATA port. Worth noting is that VGA output is back…

The EB1012 is powered by the Intel® Atom™ 330 dual core processor, which is built specifically for PCs like the EB1012. And with the accompanying NVIDIA® Ion™ graphics processor, the EB1012 treats you to an impressive multimedia performance with a low power consumption of just 40W.

The EeeBox EB1012 also gains some cosmetic changes (no more front cover),  and comes with Window Vista Home Premium.

EeeBox EB1012 specifications:

• CPU: Intel Atom 330 CPU (1.6GHz dual core)
• Chipset: NVIDIA ION (MCP7A)
• RAM: 2 x 200-pin SODIMM, 2 GB of DDR2 800 RAM standard (up to 4GB)
• Display: NVIDIA ION Integrated Graphics, 1 x HDMI output, 1 x VGA output
• Audio:  5.1 Channel HD Audio (with S/PDIF out)
• Storage: 250GB 2.5in SATA hard drive, 1 x eSATA port
• LAN: 1 x Gigabit
• WLAN: 1 x 802.11b/g/n
• I/O: 6 x USB 2.0 (3 x front, 2 x read, 1 x top)
• Other: card reader, stand, remote controller (optional), keyboard + mouse (optional)

Product page here [via blogeee.net (French)].

Technorati Tags: 330, Asus, atom, EeeBox, eSATA, HDMI, Ion, mini motherboard, NVIDIA

Phoronix has posted a review of the ASRock ION 330 nettop.

Running it through their Phoronix test suite, the ASRock ION 330 nettop performed favorably with Ubuntu 9.04, compared to a ION/Atom 230-based system.

As in TweakTown’s review, they were impressed with the NVIDIA ION graphics performance when playing 1080p HD content (using VDPAU for hardware acceleration), and got some additional performance out of the system by overclocking the Atom 330 from 1.6GHz to 2.1GHz.

Not only does the ASRock Nettop perform well thanks to its NVIDIA ION GPU and Intel Atom 330 dual-core processor, but also the system has a very small form factor, runs cool and quiet, and comes with a great set of features.

Read the full article here.

ION 330 specifications:

• CPU: Intel Atom 330 CPU (1.6GHz dual-core)
• Chipset: NVIDIA ION
• RAM: 2GB of DDR2 800 RAM, up to 4GB
• Display: NVIDIA ION Integrated Graphics, 1 x VGA output, 1 x HDMI output
• Audio: 5.1 Channel HD Audio, 1 x S/PDIF output
• Storage: 320GB 2.5in SATA hard drive
• LAN: 1 x Gigabit
• I/O: 6 x USB 2.0
• Other: slim super-multi DVD player

Technorati Tags: ASRock, Atom 330, HDMI, Ion, mini motherboard, nettop, NVIDIA, review

TweakTown has posted a review of the ASRock ION 330-BD nettop.

They were impressed with the NVIDIA ION graphics performance when playing 1080p HD Blu-ray content and power comsumption. While still being limited with its Atom CPU, the ability to overclock the Atom 330 from 1.6GHz to 2.1GHz delivers some additional performance out of this little system.

We really enjoyed the ASRock ION 330-BD nettop - it has plenty going for it and easily gets our recommendation for consumers wanting an affordable, but capable home theater PC or simply a small PC that doesn’t use a lot of power, but still has some decent hardware under the hood to do more than a standard low-end nettop, which is only for basic office computing.

Read the full article here.

ION 330-BD specifications:

• CPU: Intel Atom 330 CPU (1.6GHz dual-core)
• Chipset: NVIDIA ION
• RAM: 2GB of DDR2 800 RAMup to 4GB
• Display: NVIDIA ION Integrated Graphics, 1 x VGA output, 1 x HDMI output
• Audio: 5.1 Channel HD Audio, 1 x S/PDIF output
• Storage: 320GB 2.5in SATA hard drive
• LAN: 1 x Gigabit
• I/O: 6 x USB 2.0
• Other: Sony BC-5500S SATA Blu-ray slim player

Technorati Tags: ASRock, Atom 330, blu-ray, HDMI, Ion, mini motherboard, nettop, NVIDIA, review

Engadget has posted a review of the Acer AspireRevo nettop that was announced recently.

They were impressed with the NVIDIA ION graphics performance, but not with the performance of the Atom 230 CPU, with some performance issues with web browsing or non hardware accelerated video.

This is really a tale of two chips: the CPU and the GPU. Sadly, while we were very impressed with NVIDIA Ion’s performance (it’s basically the GeForce 9400m for cheap and low-power computers), the sluggish Atom 230 processor almost ruins it for everybody.

Read the full article here.

Technorati Tags: Acer, Atom 230, eSATA, HDMI, Ion, mini motherboard, nettop, NVIDIA, review

Expreview is reporting that Zotac is going to offer two NVIDIA ION-based Mini-ITX motherboards.

One of the Mini-ITX board will feature the 1.6GHz Atom 230 CPU (single core), the other the dual-core 1.6GHz Atom 330 CPU. The boards are expected to be named IONITX-B-E and IONITX-A-U respectively.

Other features include NVIDIA ION integrated graphics, 3 SATA ports, 1 eSATA port, WiFi, HDMI and DVI output. There is no mention of PCIe slot - only Mini PCIe.

IONITX-A-U/IONITX-B-E specifications (to be confirmed):

• CPU: Intel Atom 230 CPU (1.6GHz - IONITX-B-E) / Intel Atom 330 CPU (1.6GHz dual core - IONITX-A-U)
• Chipset: NVIDIA ION
• RAM: 2 x 240pin DIMM slots, up to 4 GB of DDR2 667/800 RAM 
• Storage: 3 x SATA ports, 1 x eSATA port
• Expansion slots: 1 x Mini PCIe slot (used by WiFi module if present)
• Display: NVIDIA ION Integrated Graphics, 1 x VGA output, 1 x DVI output, 1 x HDMI output
• Audio: 5.1 Channel HD Audio, 2 x S/PDIF output (1 x coaxial, 1 x optical)
• LAN: 1 x Gigabit Ethernet
• WLAN: 1 x 802.11b/g (or n - TBC - may be optional)
• I/O: 10 x USB 2.0 (6 x external, 4 x internal), PS/2 port

Read the full article here including picture of one of the boards [via bit-tech.net].

Check the user manual here.

[Updated: added user manual link, storage specifications]

[Updated x2: corrected product names]

Technorati Tags: Atom 230, Atom 330, eSATA, HDMI, Ion, mini motherboard, NVIDIA, ZOTAC

NVIDIA and Acer have announced the first Ion-based nettop: the AspireRevo.

The AspireRevo features an Intel atom 230 CPU, NVIDIA ION integrated graphics, HDMI output, Gigabit Ethernet, eSATA and could be a strong contender to the EeeBox.

The GeForce 9400 chipset allows 1080p/full HD playback - a limitation of previous Atom based systems (except for the ones using discrete graphics such as the EeeBox B206 and B208).

No larger than a typical hardcover book, the AspireRevo is a fully capable desktop with advanced graphics and impressive multimedia features. Equipped with NVIDIA ION graphics, the system can handle a wide variety of computing needs including high definition video, gaming, sharing digital photos, surfing the web, and other tasks consumers expect from full-size systems.

AspireRevo specifications:

• CPU: Intel Atom 230 CPU (1.6GHz)
• Chipset: NVIDIA ION
• RAM: up to 4 GB of DDR2 800 RAM
• Display: NVIDIA ION Integrated Graphics, 1 x VGA output, 1 x HDMI output
• Audio: 7.1 Channel HD Audio
• Storage: up to 250GB 2.5in SATA hard drive, 1 x eSATA port
• LAN: 1 x Gigabit
• WLAN: 1 x 802.11b/g (or n - TBC)
• I/O: 6 x USB 2.0
• Other: card reader

NVIDIA press release here.

Acer press release here.

Technorati Tags: Acer, Atom 230, eSATA, HDMI, Ion, mini motherboard, nettop, NVIDIA

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

More details on the new EeeBox B204 and B206 are becoming available, following Asus announcement.

For example eeepc.it as some details based on the Eee Box user manual (download the user manual here).

Looking at the user manual, the remote control uses an external USB receiver (instead of an infrared received integrated to the Eee Box itself). There is also reference to a “TV function” in the manual - maybe Asus is going to offer an external TV tuner in the future?

Other than that, the only visible difference on the Eee Box itself is the presence of the HDMI port instead of the DVI port on the B202.

Here is a comparison table of the EeeBox models - current and upcoming:

Technorati Tags: 945gse, Asus, atom, Eee Box, EeeBox, HDMI, mini motherboard, N270