ASUS Next Generation ION mini-ITX motherboard unboxing preview!
Yea, that title is a bit of a mouthful admittedly, although the combination of new tech in small form factor should certainly get your gadget organ waggling.
Because Intel integrated the northbridge right into the silicon of its DDR3 Atom CPUs (including the D525 on the AT5IONT-I), Nvidia’s ‘Next Generation’ ION (sometimes dubbed ION-2) doesn’t replace a chip like it did before – instead it simply adds a considerably upgraded graphics engine. This, combined with dedicated graphics memory considerably boosts gameplay and video decoding performance for those who want Atom’s very low power, but need a PC with more focus on its graphics than CPU processing power.
The AT5IONT-I board is a passively cooled mini-ITX mix, however it’s the Deluxe package that completes the deal – which is why we’re doing an unboxing!
Get that box OPEN! RAWRR *RIIIIP*
Well, lets not quite go ‘The Hulk’ on the poor little cubic box, but we’re still keen to get inside…
Cracking it open (metaphorically speaking) and we’re immediately presented with the driver disc and manuals on top, with a SATA cable and metal rear I/O plate neatly packed in down the side.
Removing the cardboard cover reveals the tiny motherboard in its electrostatic bag: the 17x17cm square tiddler has an open-ended PCI-E x4 slot, two DDR3 SO-DIMM slots, two SATA 3Gbps and a whopping great big blue anodised heatsink that cools both CPU and graphics chip. Nvidia’s ION-2 hardware is soldered directly to the PCB and the rear I/O ports offer up both HDMI and DVI, along with the USB 3, S/PDIF, eSATA, bluetooth and WiFi! This board = stacked to the britches!
Underneath this and opening the flaps, we’re finally in deep…
First thing to see is that ASUS throws in USB IR dongle and remote control – perfect for a home theatre! All you need now is a TV and software, then you’re good to go! There’s also the power brick and extra Molex to SATA power cable as well.
This is because the motherboard has its own DC-DC converter built into the PCB, which saves the need to buy a power supply entirely. Using a 90W power brick is not only more efficient because it’s built to the exact needs of the motherboard and a few peripherals – making a greener, cooler product and also saving you money on ‘leccy bill too! It also means you can use an even smaller case as well, because there’s no need for a bulky power supply.
Once the DDR3 SO-DIMM’s and SSD arrive, it’s time to get on with some benchmarks and HTPC ideas, so come back soon!
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