Showing posts with label atom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label atom. Show all posts

2/13/2012

Asus ITX-220/Intel CEL220 CPU/Intel 945GC/FSB 533/2DR2-533/GMA950/GbE/5.1-CH Audio/2SATA/VGA/Mini-ITX Motherboard Review

Asus ITX-220/Intel CEL220 CPU/Intel 945GC/FSB 533/2DR2-533/GMA950/GbE/5.1-CH Audio/2SATA/VGA/Mini-ITX Motherboard
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
It's a good board. Runs a little on the warm side but effective and cheap. I didn't have any issues installing. The way it was packaged sucked! It must be an OEM board because it didn't come in a retail box, they stuck it in an anti static bag and placed it on top of the rest of my order with no packing in between! Needless to say the logistics company stacked other boxes on top of it and crushed the board. It still ran though. I'm surprised it still ran, but it did. Other than that, no issues.

***Update*** The board died 3 months later. Wouldn't power on. Can't say I'm surprised. I know that I should have sent it back to Amazon after seeing how it was packaged in the box but I was too lazy to deal with the issue.Now I'm buying a different board and loosing 100 bucks in the process. Oh well.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Asus ITX-220/Intel CEL220 CPU/Intel 945GC/FSB 533/2DR2-533/GMA950/GbE/5.1-CH Audio/2SATA/VGA/Mini-ITX Motherboard

Product Description:
Item #: BD4249. Intel Celeron 220 on boardIntel 945GC/ ICH7 chipset2 x DDR2 DIMM sockets support up to 4GB of system memoryHigh speed Gigabit Lan connectivityMini-ITX form factor
Product Type: Motherboard
Form Factor: Mini ITX
Dimensions (WxDxH): 6.7 in x 6.7 in
Chipset Type: Intel 945GC Express / Intel ICH7
Max Bus Speed: 533 MHz
Processor: 1 ( 1 ) x Intel Celeron 220
Compatible Processors: Celeron
RAM: 0 MB (installed) / 4 GB (max)
Supported RAM Technology: DDR2 SDRAM
Supported RAM Integrity Check: Non-ECC
Storage Controller: Serial ATA-300
USB Ports Configuration: 6 x USB
Storage Ports Configuration: 2 x SATA
Graphics Controller: Intel GMA 950 - Dynamic Video Memory Technology 3.0
Audio Output: Sound card - 5.1 channel surround
Networking: Network adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
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1/31/2012

ASUS AT3IONT-I DELUXE - Motherboard - mini ITX - NVIDIA ION - SATA-300 (RAID), eSATA - Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b, 802.11g, Bluetooth, 802.11n (draft) - video - HD Audio (6-channel) Review

ASUS AT3IONT-I DELUXE - Motherboard - mini ITX - NVIDIA ION - SATA-300, eSATA - Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b, 802.11g, Bluetooth, 802.11n - video - HD Audio
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Using WD Green 3.5" drive, 2x2GB DDR3, 90W Adapter, DVD Drive, 120mm fan at low speed.

Power Consumption:

1W @ OFF
2W @ Sleep (Win 7)
26W @ Idle
30W @ 1080p h.264 mkv
32 @ 1080p h.264 + hulu 480 p (Flash 10.1RC)

Overclocking:
I had it POST at 2.3GHZ, but doubt it would have been stable.
Finally settled on setting FSB at 666, which sets CPU @ 2ghz.
This let me set the memory to exactly 1200mhz, which I've found to be the highest this MB will go for memory.I had it stable at 2.13GHZ, but could only set memory at 1185ghz or so.Pros:

-N Wifi works great, better even than my previous full size Rosewill N Card

-Integrated bluetooth picks up my Logitech Dinovo keyboard

-plays my HULU, Netflix, and h.264 files just great (having installed Flash 10.1 RC)

-takes DDR3 memory, which uses less power and is now cheaper than DDR2.

-Win 7 seems snappy enough at 1.6ghz, but easily overclockable to 2.0ghz.I had it stable at 2.13Ghz, but I couldn' set the memory to 1200mhz.

-Comes with Laptop power adapter and the molex adapter that plugs into the MB can power 3 Sata devices, which GREATLY reduces wire clutter

Cons:

Hotter than expected, was hoping for completely fanless, but I'm not comfortable with this:

Cold boot temp was 35 CPU, 25 MB, but temp approached 65 CPU/ 45 MB when running 1080p video.

This is normal, considering it is a high powered GPU.
I read about a fanless Zotac board hitting 71C and no crashing problems.
Regardless, I threw a 120mm fan on the heatsink, which I cannot hear after setting to Silent in BIOS.

Motherboard reserves 512MB for itself, plus another 256-512MB for the GPU. So my OS reports only 3 of my 4GB, so make sure you have 2x2GB memory, else you'll end up with 1GB usable for the system.IMHO, This board is definitely a better value than Zotac's equivalent offering.

Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS AT3IONT-I DELUXE - Motherboard - mini ITX - NVIDIA ION - SATA-300 (RAID), eSATA - Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b, 802.11g, Bluetooth, 802.11n (draft) - video - HD Audio (6-channel)

Product Description:
AT3IONT-I DELUXE Motherboard

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1/01/2012

Zotac Atom N330 Dual Core WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard IONITX-F-E Review

Zotac Atom N330 Dual Core WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard IONITX-F-E
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I bought this after reselling my similar Zotac IONITX D-E (a.k.a. IONITX A-U, only no PSU included), as it simply didn't do it for me as an HTPC. The main issue with the D-E/A-U was that there were no PCI-E slots for a TV card of my choice.

That all changed with the F-E, which was released just a few months later. It's got the PCI-E slot that makes all the difference.

TV CARD:
If you have digital cable, you could technically just use the HDHomeRun (analog cable/NTSC not supported): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010Y414Q?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8

We, on the other hand, only have analog cable. Therefore, it needed to work with my current TV card, which is an analog/digital hybrid: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E2T6Y4?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8CASE
I use my board with this APEX case, which works quite well: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WCQYU6?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8MEMORY
The best memory to grab for any of these Zotac boards is Crucial's XMS sticks.

Go for the 2GB (2 x 1GB) if you don't intend to ever watch Blu-Ray movies:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CDLCGG?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8

Go for the 4GB (2 x 2GB) if you DO intent to watch Blu-Ray movies:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TPXULC?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8

Hope this helps! :)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Zotac Atom N330 Dual Core WiFi ITX Intel Motherboard IONITX-F-E

Product Description:
Experience fluid and vivid high-definition video playback with the ultra-compact ZOTAC ION platform. The mini-ITX form factor ZOTAC ION combines a high-performance NVIDIA ION graphics processor with a power-efficient Intel Atom processor for the ultimate eco-friendly platform that has no troubles handling regular web browsing, e-mail, & productivity and HD video playback tasks.

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12/14/2011

GIGABYTE GA-D525TUD Intel Atom D525@ 1.8GHz 1M L2 cache BGA559 Intel NM10 Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo Review

GIGABYTE GA-D525TUD Intel Atom D525@ 1.8GHz 1M L2 cache BGA559 Intel NM10 Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo
Average Reviews:

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I bought this more as an experiment to see if the new Atom dual-core motherboard with the GMA3150 IGP could handle everyday tasks as a nettop like surfing the net, watching Youtube videos, checking email and running productivity software. I really want to start scaling back the power requirements of the PCs in our house, especially given their usage as either nettops or file servers. The kids will be needing new PCs soon for homework and something "green" is my preference as long as it's powerful enough and this board seems to fit the bill. I also wanted to use some of the parts I had lying around like the HDD and ODD. With that, I am very happy with what I was able to build for under $200. It's definitely faster -- much faster -- than the Dell 9300 laptop it's going to replace as the family PC.The lowest WEI value was 2.0 for Gaming/Business graphics. That is a non-issue since that is not what this is going to be used for.

This is a very good value for a processor, motherboard and IGP combination. It's also very efficient which is going to help with the electricity bill and carbon footprint of the household. Surprisingly, it's very responsive and I have no trouble doing the tasks I expected to be able to do like surf the 'net, play music, upload/view photos and use OpenOffice under Windows 7 Home Premium.

However, for maybe $30 more upfront I could have purchased a more powerful CPU/ITX motherboard combination like an E3300/DG41AN that would have performed much better. Of course, the power draw would have been a lot higher. You definitely pay a premium for newer more efficient technology. The CPU is also not passively cooled and the little fan is definitely audible, especially in the cheap case I put it in. If it had been passively cooled or the CPU fan had been silent I would have given it 5 stars easily.So far it's done everything I've asked it to knowing though I am not going to be watching HD video on this.The upcoming Intel D525MW board looks to be passively cooled but it's not available yet.That one is worth watching and might be a better nettop board for a silent build.I can see using this one with the 4 SATA ports in a home server/NAS build instead.It looks like it would be perfect for that, especially with Gigabyte's "UD" construction.

Build:
Athenatech A1089HG.150 case
Kingston 2GB 240-Pin DDR 1066 KVR1066D3/2GR RAM
Western Digital 400GB WD4000AAKS HDD
Lite-On IDE DVD/CD burner
Rosewill RNX-N250PC 802.11 b/g/n PCI wireless adapter
Windows 7 Home Premium

Click Here to see more reviews about: GIGABYTE GA-D525TUD Intel Atom D525@ 1.8GHz 1M L2 cache BGA559 Intel NM10 Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo

Product Description:
Gigabyte GA-M68MT-D3 NVIDIA MCP61/MCP68 Chipset Driver 15.56 for Vista Matherboard

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9/03/2011

Antec Mini ITX Case ISK300-65 Review

Antec Mini ITX Case ISK300-65
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I've built many of my own computers systems over the years so I was excited to assemble my first Mini-ITX based system. The whole point of Mini-ITX is size so the Antec ISK-300 case caught my eye right away. After comparing a few others (Apex, Lian Li & Cooler Master) the Antec case was my choice.

The case arrived before I ordered any of my other components so there was plenty of time to inspect it. First, this thing is heavy duty with a slightly thicker metal than most of the cases I've purchased in the past. Heavy is fine with me, how often do you tote your computer around anyway? The finish is very well done and it came with everything required to do a quality build, right down to zip ties and the tiny securement screw for a slim CD/DVD. Including all of the right components ranks high in my book.

The interior layout is my only complaint. Antec could have done a better job when they designed the power distribution board. The layout and placement of that single board is responsible for the extended length of the case. Antec chose to place this board flat on the bottom of the case meaning your Mini-ITX is essentially extended in length to accommodate two circuit boards. Kinda dumb in my opinion. The CD/DVD door design is the only 'cheap-out' on this case, like other reviewers I think it could have been done better.

The only other complaint is that the I/O section of my Zotac board didn't fit against the trim plate very tight. This may be a Zotac problem, but either way it's a perturbing little gap that looks like an amateur build. I did plenty of head-scratching with this problem and there's no way to adjust it better. Gaps like this equal air/dust infiltration and improper air flow and it just annoys me to no end. It's a very small gap but it just shouldn't be there.

After completion, the case seems to cool well. The three speed case fan does a good job but I might need to find a better fan if I try to overclock the board. It's refreshingly quiet, small and made for a nice build. I'd rank it an 8.5 out of 10.

Summary: The Antec ISK300 is solid, simple and well supplied with a rich black finish, a little better interior layout could improve the design but this is a great 'little' case for the price.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Antec Mini ITX Case ISK300-65

Product Description:
Mini-ITX is the next "big" thing. Designed exclusively. Mini-ITX motherboards. With three drive bays, a side 80mm TriCool fan, and a stable 65-watt power adapter, the ISK 300-65 can handle many of the tasks of a traditional PC, in half the space. And with a 0.8mm cold rolled steel frame, the ISK 300-65 is not only nimble but durable. From petite desktop option to silent home theater, Antec's ISK 300-65 is an epic case of mini proportions.

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8/28/2011

Asrock Intel Dual Core Atom ION330HT/B/W7HP Desktop Review

Asrock Intel Dual Core Atom ION330HT/B/W7HP Desktop
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I'm really pleased with this machine, you won't find a HTPC that include wireless-n, HDMI output, Optical output, small and good looking case ( hard to find) that fits perfect with my TV and home teather. It runs mkv files smoothly. I'm streaming all my videos and pictures from my server and never have a problem. If you wanna play games you are out of luck with this PC, it won't play any video games,but this is a HTPC not a video game pc. The new version just came out, but I don't see the need to spend $250 more (if you get this one for $400 or close, the new one costs around $650), maybe in a near future I will definetly buy another HTPc from ASROCK.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Asrock Intel Dual Core Atom ION330HT/B/W7HP Desktop

Product Description:
Asrock ION330HT/B/W7HP Intel Dual Core Atom 330/ 1.6Ghz/ NVIDIA ION GPU/ 2DDR2-800/ 320GB/ HDMI/ VGA/ 802.11 b/g/n wireless LAN Windows 7 Barebone

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8/22/2011

Intel D945GCLF Essential Series Mini-ITX DDR2 667 Intel Graphics Integrated Atom Processor Desktop Board - Retail Review

Intel D945GCLF Essential Series Mini-ITX DDR2 667 Intel Graphics Integrated Atom Processor Desktop Board - Retail
Average Reviews:

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The Intel D945GCLF motherboard is a great product. This is a super way to start building a computer without the time-consuming complexity of buying many compatible components and assembling them into a working system. So far, I've bought two of these boards and expect to buy more in the future as Intel continues to improve this chip / board product line.

You'll need to add a hard drive, ram memory, a case/power supply, external speakers, keyboard, mouse, monitor, and operating system. But that's all stuff you can pretty easily plug together. You may already have some of these key parts lying around as spares from existing or antiquated computers.

I installed several different versions of operating systems, settling on a copy of Ubuntu for daily use. It's fast, fun, and free.

I have shown this board to a number of very knowledgeable, computer savvy friends who were impressed enough to quickly buy one for their own use. It's cost effective and ruggedly reliable. (I wouldn't recommend a drop-test, but I did drop it off the back of a van and it kept working.)

I've found the processor performance to be quite acceptable for web browsing and basic administrative tasks. The system boots surprisingly quickly. The outstanding energy efficiency is appealing, ideal for any systems that are left on for extended periods of time (e.g. in home servers, security systems, or environmental control devices.)

This product is an exceptional value for a low-cost desktop system. You could also use it as a component in an embedded PC-compatible systems. If nothing else, it's a fun, inexpensive, and powerful way to explore and experiment with new computing technologies.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Intel D945GCLF Essential Series Mini-ITX DDR2 667 Intel Graphics Integrated Atom Processor Desktop Board - Retail

Product Description:
Essential Series. Single pack mini ITX / uATX compatible form factor desktop board with soldered down IntelAtom Processor 230. The IntelDesktop Board D945GCLF with 945GC + ICH7 chipset supports 533 MHz System Bus DDR2 667 MHz SDRAM Memory Integrated10/100 Network Connection PCI connector up to 6 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ports (4 back ports) 2+2 channel HD Audio PATA and two SATA ports.

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4/27/2011

MI-008 Tower Black P4 Chassis with 250W Itx Psu+sata Power Supply Review

MI-008 Tower Black P4 Chassis with 250W Itx Psu+sata Power Supply
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**Information about the case - DETAILED!

The case is small and somewhat neat looking. The powerlight in the front is not blue, but green; which I found a little disappointing. The case is really tight! For a DVD Drive; it cannot exceed more than ~6 inches in length or it will not fit due to the position of the power supply. I used an Intel DG41MJ board with an Intel Celeron E3300 processor. The heat sink sits (touches) the CPU fan. It doesn't seem to pose any problems since it's not transfering heat to/from the processor. The case has no fans except that the power supply has one; however it blows air right into the wall of the case, so it doesn't do much. The inside can get pretty hot, so I wouldn't use this for anything that requires high performance. Make sure that absolutely nothing is blocking the air vents or else there may be heating issues. Due to the lack of room and air flow, I used a 2.5" (laptop) SATA hard drive in this computer. You can use a laptop or desktop SATA hard drive and it will work perfectly fine! There is no slot for the 2.5" laptop SATA drive, but you can set it down on the botton of the case if you lay the case down sideways.

I loaded Microsoft Windows 7 Professional on it and it works fine! With the 2.5" laptop SATA hard drive, I can bearly hear the computer running. It is very quiet.

-POWER SUPPLY INFORMATION-
The power supply has the following plugs:
2x SATA power
1x 20+4 power pins
1x 4 pin (for the processor)
1x floppy drive power connector
I know it has some molex cables as well, but I forgot how many. I know there was about three or so.

All the cables had either enough line or too much line. Make sure that when you're done assembling the computer that none of the cables are touching the CPU fan; you can easily work the cables around the fan.

Decent case for the price.

Click Here to see more reviews about: MI-008 Tower Black P4 Chassis with 250W Itx Psu+sata Power Supply

Product Description:
MI-008 TOWER BLACK P4 CHASSIS

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3/05/2011

Intel Desktop Board D510MO with integrated Intel Atom processor D510 - Motherboard - mini ITX - iNM10 - SATA-300 - Gigabit Ethernet - video - High Definition Audio (6-channel) Review

Intel Desktop Board D510MO with integrated Intel Atom processor D510 - Motherboard - mini ITX - iNM10 - SATA-300 - Gigabit Ethernet - video - High Definition Audio
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I have had two Intel iAtom mITX mother boards before this.
(Both are still running fine on someone elses desk)
This is the best yet and I am sure there are even better ones to come.
This one is dual core, has gigabit LAN, and no fan at all is required.
It can use 4GB (2x2GB) of DDR2-800 RAM so it will work well with Windows 7.
I am using it with XP Pro and it does everything I need it to do.
It is stable and fast enough for drafting, word processing, and photo editing.
I wouldn't expect it to be used for editing video except occasionally.
The onboard video looks good to me.
I do wish it had HDMI and/or a DVI connector which it lacks.
It has a flash interface, 4 rear, abd 2 front USB ports which is handy.
For hardware hackers and folks with legacy hardware there are still headers to attach parallel and serial connectors.
That's getting rarer these days.

This is a great little board if you are not a mega-gamer or do a lot of video editing.
It is stable, reliable and relatively inexpensive, and it sips power compared to most rigs.

I have it in an Apex M008 mITX case, with a 320GB WD 3.5" HD, 4GB of OCZ Gold DDR2-800, and a Samsung DVD writer.
The 4GB is not necessary if you are running XP or even Windows 7 for most folks.
2GB is plenty and would use less power. For XP 1GB might be adequate.

I love it!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Intel Desktop Board D510MO with integrated Intel Atom processor D510 - Motherboard - mini ITX - iNM10 - SATA-300 - Gigabit Ethernet - video - High Definition Audio (6-channel)

Product Description:
Essential Series. Single pack, mini ITX / uATX compatible form factor desktop board with soldered down Dual Core IntelAtom Processor D510. The Intel Desktop Board D510MO built with the Intel NM10 Express Chipset, supporting the integrated 1.66GHz IntelAtom? Processor D510 processors, and improved core graphics, using IntelGMA 3150. Provide additional flexibility 2 slots single channel DDR2 800 / 667 MHz, maximum up to 4GB. 10/100/1000 integrated LAN, additional Wireless option via PCIe Mini Card, integrated 6-channel HD audio included SPDIF header and legacy feature support with 2 serial headers on board and 1 parallel header on board.

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2/08/2011

Fast HP DC5100 Computer Desktop Pentium 4 HT 3.0Ghz 2gb 80gb DVD/CDRW Keyboard/Mouse included Review

Fast HP DC5100 Computer Desktop Pentium 4 HT 3.0Ghz 2gb 80gb DVD/CDRW Keyboard/Mouse included
Average Reviews:

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I purchased this machine on 01/10 and couldn't be happier with it. I purchased it to replace an old HP computer that failed to boot after 9 years of use. Out of the box it was plug and play, it self loaded the drivers for the LCD monitor,Microsoft Intellipoint mouse,Logitech internet keyboard,Hp printer and a Canon scanner. It made an instant DSL connection with a westall modem. Not a single hiccup. It's fast and powerful enough for handling large photo files and anything else the average user might call on it to do. Excellent buy on a fine machine from a great little company. I'll give it 5 stars.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fast HP DC5100 Computer Desktop Pentium 4 HT 3.0Ghz 2gb 80gb DVD/CDRW Keyboard/Mouse included

Product Description:
HP Off-Lease desktop PC. Professionally refurbished and upgraded to meet present demands. This system handles everyday tasks such Internet, Office, Music, Movies as good as any newer HP PC. It comes with a fresh Windows XP Pro sp3 Operating System. "Fresh" means that it was installed from a scratch, loaded with necessary drivers and productivity software only. You will find no promotional junk or any useless software designed to slow performance of your PC. Together with great cost benefit, 60 days warranty and 7 Days Money Back, it makes great sense to purchase your next PC from us. We are small company and work with all our clients individually. Our reputation and customer feedback are the most valuable asset of the company.

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2/06/2011

Apex MI-100 4BAY Desktop Blk/Silver 250W ATX12V Mitx Review

Apex MI-100 4BAY Desktop Blk/Silver 250W ATX12V Mitx
Average Reviews:

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Update (March 26, 2010):
I bought another one of these for someone else.The case that I have (purchased about a year after my initial review) now comes with 2 SATA power plugs, and both sides now have air vents rather than just one.Overall still very pleased with the case.

Original Post (March 09, 2009):
I bought this case and matched it with a D945GCLF2 MB, 2 GB RAM, 640 GB HD, and a 22x DVD burner, and added an 80mm fan to the vent hole side.Very tight fit, but if you plan things ahead of time you can run the cables where you need them, and tuck them away and tie them off with large twist ties, or small zip ties if you are feeling confident.Go with SATA for both DVD and HD to increase airflow (has only one SATA plug so you need to buy a MOLEX to SATA power adapter for more).I initially had an 80GB SATA and a 40GB IDE drive in the case (made room for the IDE in the open spot below the DVD and 80GB slots so that nothing would block the side vent).Does not seem to run too hot, all readings showed both cores and the HD running at ~38 to ~40 degrees Celsius while crunching DVDs into .WMVs.The case is a fingerprint and scratch magnet, but looks very nice and compact and does not seem too out of place in the living room.

Things I would change:
-Add a spot for a case fan.
-Get rid of the "mirror finish front" and just make it black
-Make it easier to open for upgrades
-2 SATA instead of 1

Things I like:
-Compact
-Place for everything
-Nice black finish
-Sturdy
-Comes with a power supply

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apex MI-100 4BAY Desktop Blk/Silver 250W ATX12V Mitx

Product Description:
With its highest quality construction and stylish design, X Series is versatile to accommodate your personal style and perform extreme needs. It tooled with latest features and case technology. It loaded front USB port & incredible cooling architecture. Come check out this awesome case.

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2/05/2011

Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150 Desktop PC (40813AU) with 160GB Hard Drive, 1GB Memory, Wi-Fi - Black Review

Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150 Desktop PC with 160GB Hard Drive, 1GB Memory, Wi-Fi - Black
Average Reviews:

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Though its a great little media computer. which is why I got it. this one does not have the invidia ion graphics and the HDMI interface as shown in the picture. If thats what you are after make sure you get the right one. since all the pictures showed an HDMI outlet I thought it had that..... wrong. This particular version doens't. That said it is quiet and quick to set up. I am enjoying it for the purpose I intended. so for somethign this inexpensive you do get a decent little computer.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150 Desktop PC (40813AU) with 160GB Hard Drive, 1GB Memory, Wi-Fi - Black

Product Description:
Lenovo Q150, Form Factor: Small Form Factor,Processor: (speed, L2 cache, FSB) Intel Atom D410 1.66 GHz, 512 kb L2 cache, 1 core, 2 threads Preloaded operating system: XP Home (cannot ship past Oct. 1st)Display/resolution: N/A Video graphics: Intel Integrated GMA 3150 Serial ATA hard drive: 160 GB, 5400 RPM Memory: 1 GB DDR2 Maximum memory: 2 GBDDR2 Optical drive: N/A Camera: N/A TV Tuner: N/A Touch:N/A Keyboard: Mini keyboard and USB mouse Sound solution: HD 5.1 channel Integrated communications: 10/100 ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Security: McAfee Virus Scan 2009 Trial Version Limited warranty: 1 year limited warranty Included software: Rescue System, McAfee Virus Scan,Power DVD

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1/24/2011

ViewSonic VOT530_BJEB60 PC Mini Desktop (Black) Review

ViewSonic VOT530_BJEB60 PC Mini Desktop
Average Reviews:

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This is a great little Small Form Factor PC based on the AOpen MP45. Essentially it has the guts of a entry/mid-level laptop. Intel T6600 2.2GHZ Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, 320GB HDD (2.5" 5400rpm WD Scorpio Blue), built-in Wi-Fi, Win 7 Home Premium 32-bit and a DVD burner in a box the same size as a Mac Mini, only cheaper. Much cheaper if you consider the cost of adding Windows and Parallels to the Mac Mini.

It's virtually silent unless you're doing any serious work, then the fan kicks on and it is audible, but still very quiet. It's very eco-friendly and only draws 50-60 watts of power. It comes with minimal bloatware, and the included stuff (Acronis True Image Home Edition) is actually useful.

It's very easy to upgrade, too. The top comes right off and by removing 4 screws you can add a 2nd chip of 2GB 200-pin DDR2-6400 and bring it up to 4GB. Remove 4 more screws and you can change to a SSD or maybe a bigger 7200rpm 2.5" drive (I'm going to a 500GB Seagate Momentus XT). You could exchange the CPU for an Intel T9300 or T9500, but I imagine that would be of minimal use considering the cost.

On a side note, I did run into a problem with one of the video settings in the BIOS under "Advanced Chipset Features". Make sure PAVP Mode is always set to "PAVP-Lite" or you will have some issues such as YouTube videos not playing, etc. It was set correctly out of the box, but of course I had to mess with it. I did set "Total GFX Memory" to "MAX" after going up to 4GB of RAM and that worked fine.

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Product Description:
The VOT530 is built with the latest Windows 7 operating system and Intel Core 2 Duo processor. It is perfect for setting up an entertainment hub, surfing the web, or for home office computing. The integrated DVD-RW drive allows you to playback pre recorded content or download it from the web. 6 USB 2.0 Ports allow easy accessory attachments. The eco-friendly design uses up to 45% less energy consumption than standard PC's. ViewSonic PC Mini's are the smart choice to work, play and connect to the digital content of your choice.

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1/17/2011

ViewSonic VOT132 Mini Desktop PC Review

ViewSonic VOT132 Mini Desktop PC
Average Reviews:

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Pro:
Great PC for surfing the web and email.Performance is excellent for such a small form factor. Liked the first one so much , bought a second.

Con:
Fan gets a bit loud when using the unit.No internal optical drive.

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Product Description:
VOT132 PC Mini

Overview



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1/06/2011

ASUS Eee Box EB1501P-B016E Nettop PC - Black Review

ASUS Eee Box EB1501P-B016E Nettop PC - Black
Average Reviews:

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I've been looking to update my home theater system for a while now but most HTPC's have been either overpriced or underpowered... until now.This ASUS Eee Box EB1501P-B016E Nettop has exceeded my expectations in performance, features and user experience.

The system setup was simple and the self-update that it performs was a nice surprise. It immediately matched my Sony HDTV native resolution and presented a beautiful, sharp, colorful picture.

There are several features that I am already taking advantage of like HDMI Out, Toslink Out, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, Wireless-N... the Toslink implementation is through the use of a small adapter plug that you put into a 3.5mm stereo jack in the back of the unit.It took me a minute to determine how to get it setup but it works great.(Keep track of the little optical adapter packaged with the accessories, without it you won't be able to get Toslink out of this).

The high performance hardware packed into this small and attractive PC, coupled with the power and elegance of Windows 7 Premium 64-Bit makes this system run faster and smoother than I originally expected.

Inclusion of the Windows Media Center remote control on top of the wireless keyboard and mouse have made using this system a joy.Streaming video and audio from my network drive or streaming media services has worked great.

A quick tip, there is a user selectable mode found in the ASUS Manager utility which provides maximum performance while reducing some of the power saving... and while I didn't seem to need it on, I recently activated it and did notice a performance improvement.

I had considered alternatives like Google TV and even Apple TV since I have an iPad and iPhone, but when I looked into their restrictions and the potential to miss out on a large amount of content due to format incompatibilities or streaming media services blocking content to these units I made the plunge for the full experience... no limitations!

I've been a fan of ASUS motherboards and other products so I did not have concern regarding their hardware or firmware design and so far this product has proven itself worthy in all areas.

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Product Description:
Intel Atom D525 (1.8GHz)/2GB DDR3/320G 5400/Slot-in DVDRW/Windows 7 Home Premium/802.11BGN/65W Adapter/Wireless Keyboard+Mouse/Vesa 75/100 Mount/10/100/1000 LAN/HDMI out/VGA out/4 in 1 Card Reader/Microphone input/headphone/line out/RJ-45/2x USB 3.0/4x USB 2.0/e-sata/wifi antenna/1 Year North America Warranty

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