sff
Latest
Lenovo intros Vista-equipped SFF A55 ThinkCentre desktop
With all this talk about small-form-factor PCs going on, not to mention the Vista-equipped computer bandwagon that's steaming through today, Lenovo apparently figured it might as well hop on. Rather than changing the model name completely, the A55 SFF simply sports a trio of extra letters, a 64-percent smaller enclosure than its larger counterpart, and a claim to be around 25-percent tinier than "the conventional small desktop." Moreover, this wee PC will pack a mysterious Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Windows Vista, DVD writer, an optional floppy drive (saywha?), and a whole smorgasbord of other not-yet-mentioned components within a case not much larger than "your average briefcase." Customers who pick this up will be graced with the outfit's ThinkVantage Technologies, such as Rescue and Recovery and Client Security System, and considering the relatively low starting price of $579, this unit might not be a bad fit for your overly cramped office when it lands next month.[Via 64-Bit-Computers]
Via Epia PX motherboard spawns Pico-ITX SFF form-factor
Although it wasn't too awfully long ago that AMD unveiled what it hoped would become an accepted standard for small form factor PCs, it looks like Via is already trying to one-up DTX. The forthcoming Epia PX media-oriented motherboard will clock in at just 3.9- x 2.8-inches, which provides "half the surface area of its already-tiny 4.7- x 4.7-inch Nano-ITX" standard and looks utterly dwarfed beside the 6.7- x 6.7-inch mini-ITX. Via's boards have become commonplace in applications which can sacrifice raw horsepower for low-power requirements and cool operation, such as being housed in Mini-Box's VoomPC-2. Consequently, the the Epia PX will purportedly tout just a 1GHz C7 processor (at least initially), and there's speculation that some flavors might actually support HDTV resolutions and video-in, but most of the expansion will be done through pin headers. Via hasn't opened its mouth to divulge details surrounding price nor availability, but it's assumed that this wee motherboard will run folks between $250 and $350 whenever it finally lands.
AMD introduces DTX open standard to boost SFF adoption
Although vanilla desktop PCs have (generally) been the same size and shape for years, the small form factor world has never really settled down, and while various other protocols have been thrown out there, no one has actually stepped up the task of standardized an SFF chassis until now. AMD has just announced the DTX "open standard," which the firm hopes will "enable broad adoption" of the SFF PC in order to deliver "innovative solutions to market that are smaller, quieter, desktop-friendly," and less taxing on the ecosystem. Reportedly, the DTX standard "will be designed to embrace energy-efficient processors and allow an optimally designed small form factor system to consume less power and generate less noise." Additionally, an open standard that's widely embraced will make the lives of OEMs much easier, and will hopefully give us folks looking for those wee PCs a bit more choice when it comes to picking one up. Notably, it seems that Asus has latched on already, boasting that it will start busting out DTX-compliant motherboards here shortly, likely to be bundled in some fashion with an AMD chip. If all goes as planned, this open standard should actually decrease manufacturing costs across the board over time, and AMD stated that a "review copy of the DTX specifications" should be made available sometime this quarter.[Via Inquirer]
Shuttle launches XPC X200 mini PC, goes Core 2 Duo
While tossing an Intel Core 2 Duo chip into last year's rig isn't enough to impress anyone anymore, Shuttle's hoping to catch the eye of studio-bound media freaks who need that HTPC flexibility in a very tight space. Upping the ante on last year's X100, the XPC X200 comes in two flavors (X200MA and X200BA), and measures in at just 5.5-centimeters tall and taking up "no more space an A4 sheet of paper." Externally, the form factor has remained similar, but this rendition has received a trendy black makeover (including a vertical stand) on the outside, and a whole new lineup of hardware on the inside. Powered by your choice of dual-core / Celeron M Intel processors, this wee machine also touts Intel's GMA950 integrated graphics set, a hybrid TV tuner for analog / DVB-T reception, SATA hard drive, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 7.1-channel HD audio, FM radio tuner, dual-layer DVD burner, built-in 802.11b/g, PS/2 connectors, DVI output, multi-format flash card reader, an audio input jack, and an IR remote to boot. Notably, it managed to lose the FireWire and S-Video ports found on the X100, but it does boast five USB 2.0 ports in a feeble attempt to compensate. Both versions should be hitting the market soon, and while the somewhat stripped X200BA will run you just £499 ($972), the beefed-up X200MA will demand at least £637 ($1,240) depending on options.[Via RegHardware]
Shuttle XPC SD37P2 supports Intel's Core 2 Duo
It was only a matter of time before we could stuff a shiny new Intel Core 2 Duo processor into an SFF box, and although its a little late to the party, Shuttle has unveiled the SD37P2 barebones case and labeled it the "world's fastest SFF PC," even though it doesn't actually come with a CPU. Nevertheless, the relatively standard looking black case rocks the Intel 975x Express chipset supporting the Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Duo Extreme, Pentium Extreme, and Pentium D. With a FSB of 1,066MHz, support for 8GB of DDR2 RAM, and dual PCIe (x16) slots sporting ATI CrossFire technology , you could actually make a halfway decent gaming machine out of this. The obligatory built-in Gigabit Ethernet and 7.1 channel HD audio is included, and the design engineers gave you plenty of reasons to utilize all your off-the-wall USB-powered toys by tossing in 10 USB ports. The SilentX 400 watt PSU, dual FireWire connectors, and support for three internal hard drives rounds out the fairly solid offering -- but as usual, Shuttle likes to throw a premium on their little boxes, and by slapping a €419 ($537) pricetag on this barebones kit, we'd probably suggest finding a less costly destination for your Core 2 Duo.[Via RegHardware]
