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Digital Storm's compact gaming PC is fast and upgrade-friendly
It's tricky to find a small-form-factor PC that hits all the right notes. You can get easily expandable systems, but are they good-looking and as fast as a regular desktop? Digital Storm, at least, thinks it has everything nailed down. Its latest Bolt model, the Bolt X, promises to pair brisk performance with a slick design and easy expansion. To no one's surprise, the case is the big deal here. In addition to sporting a considerably cleaner look, it has both a vented base and top-mounted fans to improve the cooling. You can run overclocked processors and the "fastest" graphics cards in the Bolt X without cooking the insides, then. Digital Storm also vows painless upgrades through a "simplified" layout that lets you slot in fresh parts, including multiple storage drives.
CyberpowerPC stuffs full-size graphics into a tiny gaming desktop
Not interested in buying a Steam Machine this year, but still want a tiny gaming PC? Never fear -- CyberPowerPC has just released the Zeus Mini, its latest take on a conventional small computer with full-sized performance. The system is just 4.4 inches thick and 18 inches deep, but it has room for fast video cards like AMD's R9 290 or NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 780. You'll also find a high-end AMD Kaveri or Intel Haswell processor inside, and there's space for a large liquid cooling system if you insist on a silent rig. Zeus Mini prices start at $599 for a basic variant with a 3.7GHz AMD A10 chip and integrated graphics, but demanding players can shell out $1,479 for a flagship model with a 3.5GHz Core i7 and GTX 780 video.
CompuLab MintBox 2 unveiled with four times the power, same Linux Mint flavor
Now that Linux Mint 15 is available, it's only fair that we get a new MintBox to match. The CompuLab and Linux Mint teams won't disappoint us on that front: they've just previewed the MintBox 2, a big upgrade to their open source mini PC. The new version drops AMD processors in favor of an Intel Core i5 that's reportedly four times faster than the AMD T56 in the MintBox Pro. The refresh also doubles the storage to 500GB while adding a second gigabit Ethernet jack for server duties. CompuLab and Linux Mint haven't said how soon they expect the MintBox 2 to ship, but they're expecting a $599 price at Amazon.
Gigabyte shows four prototype BRIX mini PCs, including models with projectors and wireless charging
Gigabyte said that we'd have at least a few BRIX mini PCs to choose from. At Computex, however, it's showing four new prototypes that could lead to a much larger catalog. Two of them are run-of-the-mill designs with AMD Kabini and Intel Haswell processors -- nice enough, but more evolution than revolution. The other two are decidedly more exotic, though. One includes a wireless charging pad to charge a smartphone in a pinch, while the other carries a pico projector for on-the-spot presentations. Although Gigabyte hasn't mentioned whether or not these BRIX models will reach production, we'd wager that the conservative systems are more likely to reach our desks.
Xi3 starts Piston pre-orders: buy an early Steambox for under $1,000
While Xi3's Piston may only be a Steambox through its software optimization, that still leaves us with a milestone on our hands now that the system is available for pre-orders: it's the first Valve-blessed PC on sale. If you're willing to set aside just under $1,000 ($900 during SXSW), you can claim a Big Picture-friendly mini PC with an embedded, 3.2GHz version of AMD's quad-core A10 in addition to 8GB of RAM and a 128GB solid-state drive. There's no mention of the conventional spinning storage referenced at CES. Expansion is limited to larger-capacity SSDs, although that's not surprising when the entire computer is smaller than a GeForce GTX Titan. The real jolt will be the launch timing. Xi3 won't have Pistons shipping until around the holidays, which could leave some of us hunting for less-than-official (if considerably larger) substitutes for the full Steam experience.
Gigabyte shows off an extra-tiny desktop PC with a Core i7, April release date
There was a surprise waiting alongside Gigabyte's Windows 8 tablet duo at CES: an exceptionally small desktop. The as yet unnamed mini PC is a minor marvel of engineering that's much smaller than a Mac mini at an 0.3-liter volume (10 fluid ounces), but still manages to cram in a Core i3, i5 or i7 processor. We're also looking at up to 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for heavy duty tasks. Expansion is about the only sacrifice, as there's just two USB ports, Ethernet and a rather curious choice of two HDMI ports on the pre-production model we saw. Gigabyte didn't have the system ready to test, but it should ship worldwide in April, with a price to be set later.
Digital Storm Bolt stuffs full-power graphics into a mini gaming desktop, stretches laws of physics
Attempts to create truly small gaming desktops usually involve at least some kind of performance hit. Even HP's category-bending Firebird, one of the few stand-out examples, had to use toned-down graphics to succeed in a tiny enclosure. Digital Storm might have broken the trend towards sacrifice with its new Bolt desktop: although it's just 3.6 inches wide and 14 inches tall, the Bolt can cram in as much as a GeForce GTX 680 and will even let gamers upgrade the graphics like they would in a full-size PC. The seemingly logic-defying (if also finger-defying) case still allows room for as much as an overclocked 4.6GHz Core i7, 16GB of RAM and storage options that meld a spinning hard drive with up to two SSDs and a DVD burner. Digital Storm isn't even setting an absurd base price, but it's in the cost that we finally see the catch to the miniaturization tricks. The $999 entry-level Bolt carries a modest 3.1GHz Core i3, 8GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive and GeForce GTX 650 Ti, while it takes a staggering $1,949 to get a fully decked-out Core i7 system with a GTX 680. Those prices might be worthwhile for anyone who has ever strained while lugging a traditional tower to a game tourney. %Gallery-169137%
Xi3 goes the crowdfunding route for future X3A, X7A modular PCs (update: official PR)
Xi3 has been one of the more inventive PC builders in the field, designing its Modular Computers in the belief that small, more upgradable desktops are the way of the future. The company is planning two new systems to further that dream, the X3A and X7A, but it wants our help: it's running a Kickstarter funding drive until October 28th to assist the development and garner some early adopters. Put down $503 or $603 and you'll get the entry-level X3A, a dual-core 1.65GHz (likely AMD E-450-based) PC with 4GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD and either Linux or Windows installed; splurge with $1,103 or more and you'll get the more performance-driven X7A, which jumps to a quad-core chip with a 3.2GHz peak speed, a Windows-loaded 64GB SSD and faster graphics. Assuming Xi3 makes its target, we should see the X3A and X7A arrive in January and February respectively, with Kickstarter supporters beating the larger herd by a week. Even existing owners are accounted for through a Primary I/O Board upgrade, due before the end of this year, that carries more Ethernet and USB 3.0 ports. Crowdfunding is an unusual approach to buying that next PC, without the certainties of shopping at an online store -- but we're also dealing with an unusual PC from the get-go. Update: Xi3 has put out full details of both the X3A and X7A through an official release three days later, which you'll find after the break. As part of the move, it's slashing the base price of the original X5A design to $499.
Intel's Thin Mini-ITX platform gets stuffed inside a monitor
You don't have to build custom motherboards and source specialty components to build a sleek all-in-one PC. At least not anymore, thanks to Intel's Thin Mini-ITX platform, which it debuted roughly a year ago at Computex. The main board is the same footprint as Mini-ITX (that's a 6.7-inch square), but it calls for a much shallower construction -- with horizontally stacked RAM and a shorter port cluster to keep the whole thing under an inch tall. To maintain its sleek physique, Intel pairs the desktop-class Core processor at the heart with a laptop-style heatsink and fan. It's a pretty interesting standard from Chipzilla, which Tech Report ripped into, peeling back all it's layers like a silicon onion. The layout of all the essential jacks does pose a bit of an issue once the whole thing is set up, but its hard not to be impressed by the elegance and simplicity of the system. To see the whole thing torn down, then reassembled inside the chassis of an LCD panel, hit up the source link.
Zotac ZBOX Nano XS AD11 Plus mini PC launches with E-450 APU, gets reviewed
Zotac and its ZBOXes -- just when you think your next dorm room PC couldn't get any smaller... it does. The latest in the stable is the long-winded Nano XS AD11 Plus, a hysterically titled small form factor PC equipped with a dual-core 1.6GHz AMD E-450 APU, Radeon HD 6320 GPU, 2GB of DDR3 memory and an HDMI output. There's also a 64GB mSATA SSD, a pair of USB 3.0 sockets (as well as a couple of the USB 2.0 variety), a gigabit Ethernet jack and a bundled MCE-compatible remote. In a smattering of reviews that also cropped up alongside the box's launch, we've learned that the E-450 moderately bests the prior E-350 rigs and soars past similarly equipped Atom-based machines; the mSATA SSD is perhaps the biggest upgrade, however, easily helping the system as a whole feel far faster than those with mechanical hard drives. Hot Hardware was pleased with the overall showing, though they did note that the include USB WiFi adapter gave 'em headaches when trying to stream high-bitrate content from a NAS / home server. Worth the $359? Hit those More Coverage links to help you decide.
Commodore Amiga Mini PC revealed: Core i7, 16GB of RAM and a Blu-ray drive
Yeah, an optical drive. You know, for folks who still appreciate the passing fads of life. Bitterness aside, Commodore is following up its retro-fabulous C64x with a new small-form-factor PC, the Amiga Mini. While not much of a looker, this box houses a potent 3.5GHz Core i7-2700k CPU, 16GB of DDR3 memory, NVIDIA's GeForce GT 430 (1GB), a WiFi radio and a 1TB HDD that can be swapped out for a 300GB or 600GB solid state drive. There's a slot-loading Blu-ray drive by default, internal space for a pair of 2.5-inch drives and a predictable Amiga logo burned right onto the front panel. Unfortunately, the well-specced base model tips the pricing scales at $2,495, but that does include a copy of its Commodore OS Vision. The company's also revealing the C64x Supreme, the new VIC mini and a more powerful VIC-Slim keyboard computer (which now includes an HDMI output), all detailed in the presser past the break.Update: Citing "consumer outcry," Commodore has lowered the entry price of the machine you see above to $1,995. For those of you who paid $500 more yesterday -- well, as least you've got a refund headed your way.
Shuttle rolls out bantam XH61 barebones PC, dares you to throw a Sandy Bridge at it
It's been a hot minute since we've seen anything compelling from the folks at Shuttle, but there's nothing like a Sandy Bridge-enabled, three-liter PC to get us back on the bandwagon. The XH61 is barely seven centimeters high, and supports second-generation Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors for the LGA1155 socket. You'll get a pair of memory banks (up to 16GB of DDR3 can be thrown in), a foursome of SATA 3Gbps slots, six USB 2.0 ports, HDMI / VGA ports and room for a laptop-sized 2.5-inch HDD / SSD. The 90-watt power supply provides all the juice this little guy needs, and the €146 ($184) price tag actually includes little more than that; being a barebones system and all, it's on you to pick out the particulars.
CompuLab Fit-PC3 comes in many flavors of AMD, starting at $328
The march of the mini PCs continues, this time with a pumped-up little number from CompuLab. We've already reported on the Fit-PC3, which forgoes the Atom and Tegra 2 of previous models in favor of AMD's APUs, but it's only now that full pricing has been divulged. You're looking at $328 for the cheapest barebones nettop, which includes the fan-less case, motherboard and a 1GHz single-core processor with integrated Radeon HD 6290 graphics. Sure, some rivals might be cheaper, but the Fit-PC3 has above-average connectivity, including USB 3.0 and eSATA ports, HDMI, DisplayPort and digital audio out, as well as gigabit Ethernet and mini-serial. If you want a more powerful APU, or if you're too busy to go rummaging for your screwdriver, then there are plenty of dual-core and pre-built options up to $700 at the source link. Be advised though, only the pilot batch is currently available and end-users are being advised to wait a little longer.
VIA's ARTiGO 1150: a $265 barebones nettop with big potential (video)
That VE-900 mini-ITX kit still too big for you, eh? Then check out VIA's latest pico-ITX alternative: the ARTiGO 1150 DIY nettop. It improves on last year's 1100 model with a dual-core Eden X2 processor clocked at 1GHz and a VX900H media system processor for accelerated decoding of video up to 1080p. The palm-sized chassis houses the usual HDMI and VGA outputs, gigabit Ethernet and four USB 2.0 host ports, while also leaving just enough room for you to install up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, one 2.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD, plus optional WiFi and SD card reader modules. We've found the 1150 selling for $265, which strikes us as appropriately diminutive, but there's a promo video and press release after the break to help you weigh it up for yourself.
ASRock Vision 3D 2nd Gen HTPC leaks with Sandy Bridge on board
The tiny box that AnandTech called, "the best SFF HTPC [they had] ever reviewed, hands down," is finally joining the Sandy Bridge brigade. A tipster was doing a little Google-fu when he came across a listing for the unannounced Vision 3D 2nd Gen Series. The specs are certainly a worthy upgrade to last year's Computex standout, including a switchable 1GB GeForce GT540M card, 1333MHz RAM and an HMDI 1.4a port. You still get a Blu-ray drive, NVIDIA's 3D Vision, a media remote, four USB 3.0 jacks and your choice of Core i3, i5 or i7 processors -- so this isn't exactly a complete overhaul. Check out the gallery below from a few images and some screenshots of the listing. [Thanks, TheRealBamse] %Gallery-132784%
Zotac unveils palm-sized ZBOX nano AD10, packing AMD Brazos APU
The box looks more like Zotac's VIA-powered mini-PC, but inside the AD10 falls right in line with rest of the AD series, packing an AMD E-350 APU alongside a Radeon HD 6310 chip. You're also looking at integrated 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and a pair of USB 3.0 ports -- not bad for something that's (just barely) palm-sized. The AD10 Plus model comes pre-stocked with a 320GB hard drive and 2GB of DDR3 RAM for only $276. The barebones model doesn't seem to have been priced yet, but we wouldn't expect it to be too much less considering how cheap memory and hard disks are these days. Check out the gallery below and the PR after the break. %Gallery-132509%
Lenovo targets businesses with LS2221 and LS2421p monitors, ThinkCentre Edge 71
It's surprising how many small stores and offices take good care of their shopfront and interior decor, then spoil it by putting a bunch of dusty old PCs and monitors on show amid a jumble of cables. That's exactly the kind of business Lenovo hopes to entice with its latest range of kit. The 21.5-inch LS2221 and 23.6-inch LS2421p monitors cost $229 and $299 respectively, and come with LED-backlit panels, a claimed "10 million to one" dynamic contrast ratio, and power efficiency that exceeds Energy Star requirements. The larger model has generally better specs, with 300nits of brightness, HDMI out and an inbuilt four-port USB hub to reduce clutter. Meanwhile, the ThinkCentre Edge 71 desktop comes in both tower and SFF versions to suit different locations, and sacrifices "legacy ports" for a cleaner appearance. It should be available from October starting at $369, while the monitors are due this month. Further details in the PR after the break.
Mac mini review (mid 2011)
For those familiar with last year's Mac mini, what you're peering at above isn't likely to strike you as jarring. Heck, it may even seem somewhat vanilla at this point. In truth, Apple did exceedingly little in terms of design changes with the mid 2011 Mac mini, but given the relatively recent cosmetic overhaul, it's not like we were genuinely expecting anything above a top-to-bottom spec bump. And that, friends, is exactly what we've received. The mini remains quite the curious beast in Cupertino's line -- it's the almost-HTPC that living room junkies are longing for, yet it's still a country mile from being the headless mid-tower that Apple steadfastly refuses to build. It's hardly a PC for the simpleton (given that it's on you to hunt down a mouse, keyboard and monitor), and it's actually taking a giant leap backwards on one particularly important front. Care to hear more? You'll find our full review just past the break. %Gallery-129019%
Post-it sized computer does dual HD decoding (video)
We've seen some tiny PCs, but the (deep breath) Habey SOM-6670 E6XX Tunnel Creek QSeven computer module (phew...) has managed to impress even this crew of jaded tech bloggers. The tiny, Post-it sized board carries an embedded E600 series Atom processor which features the GMA600 integrated GPU -- the same HD video decoding core at work in the Boxee Box and Logitech Revue. This little guy is capable of handling not one, but two 1080p videos at once. Don't believe us? check out the video after the break -- then apologize to Habey for doubting them. On the downside, to actually put some ports on this thing and connect it to a display, hard drive, keyboard, and mouse you'll need a carrier board that adds quite a bit of bulk. Don't concern yourself with it too much though, the SOM6670 isn't exactly aimed at consumers. PR after the break. [Thanks, Bin]
Slimmer 5.25-inch internal optical drive gets wolf-whistled at Computex
Fatty internal optical drives have so far been content to sit back and watch their external cousins do all the figure-slimming push-ups. But this low-profile 5.25-inch slot-loader clearly got bored of being XXL. It was spotted eating carrot sticks and taking up significantly less than its allotted bay space inside an Antec Solo II chasis at Computex. According to AnandTech, it represents a new industry standard that will start hitting the market by the end of the year -- along with new cases designed to hold it. Slot-loaders may not appeal to everyone, but if you're in the market to buy or build a small form factor PC then this baby might just turn your head.
