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Compulab fit-PC3 offers dual-core AMD power in a case less than an inch thick
Think tablets will kill off the nettop like they're doing with the netbook? Think again -- well, for now, at least. Compulab has released details of its latest little powerhouse, and this one's faster than ever despite being less than an inch thick and about six inches across. Maximum spec sees the insertion of an AMD G-series T56N processor, aka the Fusion Zacate, offering dual cores at 1.6GHz while pulling down 18W TDP, paired with a Radeon HD 6310, the two running cool enough to not need a single fan. (It's the same basic setup found in the HP Pavilion dm1z we recently reviewed.) There's up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, room for a 2.5-inch HDD, HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, a whopping six USB 2.0 ports, and even dual eSATA if you need external storage. No word on price just yet but it's said to be "competitive" compared to its predecessors, like the PC2, which currently costs between $300 and $700 depending on configuration.
Shuttle's X50V2 all-in-one barebones PC gets passively cooled, passively hits online retail
When you've got an entire desktop PC inches from your eardrums, it helps if the machine is dead silent... or as close to that dream as possible. That's why we're pleased that Shuttle's new XPC X50V2 -- last spotted wearing a toga -- is now on sale with a completely fanless design for silent cooling. Since CES, the all-in-one has also gained legacy parallel and serial ports (you know, for your Zip drive) and room for up to 4GB of memory, but hasn't lost any of its dual-core Atom D510 1.66GHz goodness or its school lunchbox charm. Though we haven't heard official word about US availability, Shuttle's domestic website places the MSRP at $400, and online retailers including Newegg already show the tethered touchscreen tablet in stock.
Case mod throws tradition to the wind, uses heatsinks as enclosure
Typically, when you think case mod, you wonder just how tweaked a six-walled chassis can get. For Ville 'Willek' Kyrö, he figured that approach was much too constrictive. Instead, he used an array of heavy-duty heatsinks to actually build the frame that held the innards of Project: Passive. Needless to say, more heat pipes than we care to count were used along with what was likely miles of cable wrap, but hey, it's hard to complain with the end result. Hit up the read link to witness this thing's entire journey -- seven whole pages worth -- and make sure you've got a substantial chunk of unused vacation time before you even think of doing something similar.[Via Hack N Mod]
