Noctua today presented its new NH-L9i and NH-L9a low profile CPU coolers for Intel and AMD. At a super-low profile of only 37mm, the NH-L9 coolers are ideal for extremely slim cases and with footprints tailored to the respective socket keep-out zones, they provide full compatibility with tall RAM modules and VGA cards on mini-ITX mainboards. Topped off with the new NF-A9x14 PWM premium fan, the NH-L9 coolers fuse everything users have come to expect from Noctua's larger coolers into a super-compact package for slim HTPC systems.

"The response on our first low profile cooler, the NH-L12, has been overwhelming", says Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. "However, users asked for even smaller, lower height models that also provide better compatibility for extra slim, ITX based HTPCs. We're thrilled that we can now meet this demand with the new NH-L9 coolers."

Using ASUS' very own F2A85-V PRO and AMD's latest A-series APU, ASUS set a new record of 10297 marks in 3DMark Vantage Performance for APUs. ASUS is committed in providing only the best quality and performance motherboard for AMD new A-series APUs.

The ASUS F2A85-V PRO coupled with the AMD A10-5800K APU set a new record of 10297 marks in 3DMark Vantage Performance[1], cooled by liquid nitrogen and aided by 2 DIMMS of memory running stably at a speed of 2720MHz. Even under air cooling, it still achieved a commendable 8070 marks[2], further cementing ASUS FM2 motherboards capabilities in performing well under a wide variety of environments. The new overclocking record in benchmarks such as 3DMark Vantage indicate that ASUS FM2 Series motherboards deliver customers long-lasting stability, reliability and performance as part of the ASUS commitment to the highest quality possible.

Gigabyte unveiled the F2A75M-HD2 entry-level socket FM2 motherboard. Built in the compact micro-ATX form-factor, measuring 225 x 174 mm, the F2A75M-HD2 is driven by AMD A75 chipset, and is designed for HTPCs. The APU socket is powered by a simple 5-phase VRM. It is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. One each of PCI-Express 2.0 x1 and legacy PCI make for the rest of the expansion area.

The F2A75M-HD2 features four SATA 6 Gb/s ports supporting RAID 0/1/10, and four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by header). Display outputs include one each of DVI, HDMI, and D-Sub. The rest of the connectivity includes eight USB 2.0/1.1 ports (four on the rear panel, four by headers), 6-channel HD audio, serial (COM), and gigabit Ethernet. The board is driven by AMI Aptio UEFI, with Gigabyte dual-BIOS and 3D BIOS technologies. It is expected to be priced around $70.

The Club 3D GeForce GTX 650Ti delivers exceptional performance at 35% faster than the GeForce GTX 560Ti reference board and 40% faster than the standard GeForce GTX 650 at only 29% higher price, offering excellent value. Featuring a non-reference design, the 80mm fan keeps the GPU temperature low at 31⁰C under idle and operate stable at 53⁰C under load (3DMARK 11 under Extreme preset settings). The aerofoil turboblades and dust repelling bearings designed to operate under extreme load conditions, provide a consistent 31.3dBA under load or idle.

With the short 146mm PCB size, this graphic card is designed for smaller system chassis, making it ideal for users who do not want to replace their computer case and convenient for HTPC users and boosting up the performance by up to 35% compared to previous generation GeForce graphics card*. The GeForce GTX 650Ti embodies the maturity of the 28nm NVIDIA Kepler architecture and offers support for the the PCI Express 3.0 bus interface allowing for the highest data transfer speeds.

AMD Japan teamed up with ASUS to display a concept 100% fanless (silent) HTPC build to buyers at Tokyo's Akihabara electronics shopping district. The build uses Streacom FC5 chassis with a CPU base modified for socket FM2. The base conducts heat from the processor using four copper heat pipes to the aluminum chassis, which doubles up as a heatsink. The build utilizes AMD A10-5700 APU, ASUS F2A85-M Pro micro-ATX motherboard based on AMD A85X chipset, 8 GB of AMD-certified DDR3-1866 MHz memory, and Corsair Force GT SSD. The concept build shows buyers that AMD's "Trinity" APUs are ready, willing, and able to power silent HTPC builds.

The 5.25" device bay has been a long standard in computer history. It started from the 90s legacy industrial PC cases all the way to today's Micro ATX cases. The 5.25" bay has been widely used for optical drives such as DVD and Blue-ray, or with even a single 3.5" hard drive with mobile rack. However, it is almost impossible to use a single 5.25" bay to create complex RAID storage until the MB996SP-6SB Full Metal 6 x 2.5" SATA Hard Drive & SSD Backplane.

Utilizing the standard 5.25" bay form factor, the compact design allows the enclosure to be used in various applications, catering to a wide audience. The MB996SP-6SB excels for use in advanced RAID applications such as building dual RAID 5 arrays or high performance 4 drives in RAID 0 plus RAID 1 array for back up, all in a single 5.25" device bay. The MB996SP-6SB is extremely useful for powerful small servers, gaming rigs, home servers or HTPC's due to its high capacity and space saving design. It is also perfect for users who needs non-RAID JBOD storage and save different contents in different drive locations. It supports wide-range of applications which is the true value of the MB996SP-6SB.

ECS announced the HDC-I2/C60, a mini-ITX industrial PC (IPC) motherboard based on the AMD C-60 APU. The C-60 is a dual-core APU clocked at 1.00 GHz, with integrated Radeon HD 6290 graphics (80 stream processors, 276 MHz core, 400 MHz turbo core). Apart from IPCs, the HDC-I2/C60 is designed for low-power desktops and HTPCs. The APU and FCH are cooled by a single fan-heatsink. The lone expansion slot is a legacy PCI. The APU is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 8 GB of single-channel DDR3-1333 MHz memory.

The ECS HDC-I2/C60 draws power from a 24-pin ATX connector, with no auxiliary connectors. Storage connectivity includes two SATA 6 Gb/s ports wired to the chipset. D-Sub and HDMI (with 7.1 channel audio) make up the display outputs. Gigabit Ethernet, 6-channel HD audio, and 10 USB 2.0 ports (six on the rear panel, four by headers) make up the rest of the connectivity. The HDC-I2/C60 is slated for late-August release.

Giada, a brand of Jehe Technology Inc., (JEHE) is pleased to announce the new A51 mini PC series with an AMD T56N processor. This book-sized PC is quiet and unobtrusive, but offers remarkable power, performance and style. The A51 series is powerful enough to use as your main home computer, and it's small size, low power consumption, and portability also make it the perfect choice for a second home PC.

This mini PC has all the features you need for the ultimate home entertainment, including 1080p Full High Definition graphics and vivid 5.1 surround sound. There's full Windows 7 support out-of-the-box, and 320 Gigabytes of hard drive space to store your favorite music and movies. Accessories include a wireless remote with remote boot-up for comfortable viewing and listening. The A51 series is the ideal Home Theater PC (HTPC) and media server.

GIGABYTE is working on a new mini-ITX form-factor motherboard for HTPCs and home servers. The H77N-WiFi, built for socket LGA1155 Core Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge processors, and based on Intel H77 Express chipset, features three network interfaces: two gigabit Ethernet, and an 802.11 b/g/n WLAN. Revving up its HTPC credentials, the board also features two HDMI display outputs, so you can plug your TV to one, and home theater receiver to the other (for multi-channel digital audio). Further, the 8-channel HD audio CODEC gives out an optical SPDIF (TOSLINK) output for 7.1 channel audio.

The GIGABYTE H77N-WiFi draws power from 24-pin ATX and 4-pin CPU power connectors. The LGA1155 socket is powered by a 4+1 phase VRM that appears to use common ferrite core chokes and LFPAK MOSFETs. The LGA1155 CPU is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1600 MHz memory; and a PCI-Express 3.0 x16. The Intel H77 PCH gives out two SATA 6 Gb/s and two SATA 3 Gb/s ports, with support for Smart Response technology (SSD caching). Apart from dual-HDMI, the board supports DVI-I.

Giada, a brand of Shenzhen Jiehe Technology Development, Co., Ltd, today announces the i53 Mini PC. With full HD 1080P video, high connectivity, support, and an attractive design, Giada's new book-sized i53 Mini PC is an ideal choice for home entertainment, web browsing, and document writing.

The i53 is based around Intel's Mobile HM76 Express chipset and Ivy Bridge technology platform. Even while offering great performance, this environmentally friendly PC only uses 35W.

Introducing the MB994IPO-3SB, a full metal dual bay 2.5" SATA/SAS hard drive / SSD mobile rack backplane designed with a Slim Optical Disk Drive (ODD) slot for use in a single 5.25" device bay. It's a perfect device designed for small form factor system or server such as: IPC, HTPC, NAS, Home Servers and All-In-One computers. Dual 4-pin power connectors are used to ensure secured and consistent power supply to both drives and ODD, whether they are low power consumption 2.5" SATA SSD's or power hungry 15000 RPM 2.5" SAS drives. Also included is a single 40mm cooling fan with on & off switch to assist the drives running at their optimal temperatures, in even the most intense applications.

Fractal Design unveiled its newest premium HTPC chassis, the Node 605. Large enough to hold ATX form-factor motherboards, the Node 605 bears a minimalist design, with brushed aluminum front-panel, and steel frame. The front-panel includes a slimline optical drive bay, a multi-format card reader, two USB 3.0 ports (standard header), Firewire, and HD audio front-panel jacks. All front-panel connections are concealed behind a lid that blends with the rest of the panel.

The Node 605 has four internal drive bays, which can hold 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch drives. The four bays are arranged in two cages, which can be detached to create additional room for long graphics cards (up to 29 cm). The case has provision for a total of five fans, three 120 mm, and two 80 mm. Two 120 mm Silent Series R2 fans are included, so are dust-filters and a 3-channel fan-controller. Fractal Design did not disclose pricing and availability information.

Noctua's booth at last week's Computex Taipei not only hosted world's first public demonstration of a PC fan with integrated Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) but also gave a stage to upcoming Noctua products such as the new A-series fans, third generation NF-S12 fan and 37mm low profile CPU coolers. In addition to these upcoming products, Noctua also gave an exclusive insight on some of its current development projects for its D-, U-, C- and L-series heatsinks.

Firstly, Noctua has displayed its completely new A-series fans that feature a novel aerodynamic design measure called Flow Acceleration Channels to reduce boundary layer separation as well as Noctua's AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimisation) frames. The new A-series fans are scheduled for launch in September/October and will come in square 140mm, round 140mm, slim 92mm plus 60 and 40mm sizes.

Streacom's newest duo of silent all-aluminum cases for HTPCs, the micro-ATX FC9, and the ATX FC10, inch closer to their Computex 2012 launch. Their specifications were leaked by the company's Chinese website. Both cases ensure the machines running in them stay quiet, and remain completely fanless, because their bodies double up as heatsinks for sensitive components, such as the processor. Both cases are made of brushed silver and black (sandblast finish) color options.

Measuring 348 x 289 x 100 mm (WxDxH), the Streacom FC9 supports motherboards in the micro-ATX and mini-ITX form-factors. It features one 2.5-inch drive bay, and a 3.5-inch bay, which supports 2.5-inch drives. It also has a bay for a slimline slot-loading optical drive. A CPU base makes contact with the processor (LGA775, LGA1155, LGA1156 supported), which conveys heat to a side panel via four copper heat pipes. All six panels of the case are made of thick aluminum sheets, some of which are ridged to increase surface area for heat dissipation. The case features three low-profile expansion slots.

Cooler Master, an industry leading chassis, thermal solution, peripheral, and accessory manufacturer, announces a CPU cooler with huge performance packed into a seemingly miniature package. That new compact CPU cooler is the GeminII M4 - a GeminII series cooler.

Redefining cooling performance for space restricted environments, GeminII M4 is engineered to maximize cooling with its minimal CPU contact gaps and four extremely efficient direct contact heat pipes that provide excellent heat dissipation. Standing at a mere 59mm / 2.3in tall, it is uniquely suited to thrive in the small spaces afforded to CPU coolers in HTPCs and other slim systems. This small size is accomplished by developing a new smaller 120mm fan that is only 15mm thick as opposed to ones that are traditionally 25mm. This newly developed fan not only provides the benefit of a 10mm shorter height, it maintains high airflow - providing up to 58.4CFM when set on high speed.

Lian Li today announces their new brushed aluminum mini-ITX HTPC case, PC-Q09FN. The more roomy PC-Q09FN improves upon its predecessors, the PC-Q09 and PC-Q09F, with more hard drive storage capacity and improved cooling.

With the upgraded dimensions of 11.65" x 5.51" x 7.48" WxHxD (296mm x 140mm x 190mm), the PC-Q09FN gives DIY computers builders the space to install the essential hardware for home theater applications. Lian Li's PC-Q09FN supports a slim optical disk drive and a 3.5" HDD that can easily be taken in and out using the included thumb screws with rubber suspensions to reduce vibrations. A removable 2.5" hard drive cage allows up to three SSDs to be installed in this mini-ITX HTPC.

AVADirect, a leading custom computer manufacturer, announces newly added desktops and notebooks featuring the new Ivy Bridge architecture by Intel. What does this mean for AVADirect? The world-renowned custom computer manufacturer has strived on the ability to create truly customizable options at their customer's disposal. As opposed to a 32nm process, the Ivy Bridge processors are designed off of a 22nm process. The Ivy Bridge processors also have a lower power consumption rating of 77w, compared to the Sandy Bridge's 95w on average. Those interested in AVADirect's slim or compact custom computers, AVADirect Ivy Bridge solutions will allow end-users to have high-end systems with a smaller footprint. Ivy Bridge chipsets were designed behind the motivation of mobile solutions. This is great news for AVADirect considering they offer some of the best mobile solutions available within the custom computer industry. Ivy Bridge solutions designed by AVADirect will provide superior performance with very little or unnoticeable impact to pricing.

After last week's launch of nano-ITX Cedartrail motherboards, J&W launched mini-ITX motherboards under its iconic Minix brand. The new motherboards are designed keeping HTPCs and compact desktops in mind. These include the Minix D2700-HD (Atom D2700, HDMI), and Minix Minix D2500-HD (Atom D2500, HDMI). Pictured below is the Minix D2700-HD.

The Minix D2700-HD runs an Atom D2700 dual-core processor clocked at 2.13 GHz, with two SO-DIMM memory slots supporting up to 4 GB of single-channel DDR3-1066 MHz memory. Its lone expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x1. The board draws power from a 2-pin DC external input, and gives out a 4-pin Molex output to power connected SATA drives. Connectivity includes dual gigabit Ethernet, two SATA 3 Gb/s, two USB 3.0, 6-channel HD audio, and display outputs that include HDMI and D-Sub. The Minix D2500-HD is driven by Atom D2500 dual-core processor clocked at 1.85 GHz, it is largely identical to its bigger sibling, except for the lack of USB 3.0, and the second Ethernet connection. Pricing and availability information is awaited.

A-Tech Fabrication, a company that specializes in hand-crafted HTPCs, unveiled the HeatSync 1200 fanless HTPC. The part that makes it fanless is the chassis itself, which is made of aluminum, with fins on the sides, that dissipate heat. Copper heat pipes transfer heat from key components such as the CPU and chipset to the sides of the chassis, which takes care of the rest. Although most of the chassis is anodized black, with its front-panel, you can choose between silver and black options.

The HeatSync 1200 internally packs an Intel DH61AG thin mini-ITX motherboard, which seats an Intel Core i3-2100T dual-core 35W processor, clocked at 2.50 GHz. 4 GB Corsair Vengeance SO-DIMM memory comes standard. Also standard is the Intel SSD 310 40 GB mSATA SSD. Considering there are no mechanical hard drives, or a PSU with active-cooling (a 160W power-brick does the job), the HeatSync 1200 is literally silent. A consumer IR (CIR) receiver with Windows Media Center remote, and Windows 7 Home Premium make for the rest of it.

European cooling expert Phanteks expands its product portfolio with the PH-TC14CS C-Type CPU Cooler. The PH-TC14CS measures 160 x 151 x 140.5 mm ( with dual fans), it weighs 900 grams, has five nickel-plated 8mm copper heat-pipes, and supports the latest LGA 2011/ 1155/ 1156/ 1366/ 775 and AMD FM1/ AM3+/ AM3/ AM2/ 2+/ AM3 micro-processors. Featuring Phanteks patented Physical Antioxidant Thermal Shield ( P.A.T.S) and Cold Plasma Spraying Coating Technology (C.P.S.C), PH-TC14CS provides a perfect cooling solution for low profile setups. Enthusiasts with HTPC's or multimedia cases can achieve maximum cooling while maintaining quiet performance.

Silverstone introduced two new capacious HTPC cases under its Grandia series, the GD07B and GD08B. The cases are designed to support large-area motherboards in the SSI CEB and E-ATX form-factors, apart from conventional PC motherboard form-factors such as ATX, μATX, and m-ITX. This also lends the cases ability to hold very long graphics cards (up to 13.6-inch long).

Measuring 440 x 435 x 175 mm (WxDxH), the GD07B weighs 7 kg, and is made of SECC, aluminum, and ABS. It has four exposed 5.25-inch drive bays, five 3.5-inch bays, and two 2.5-inch bays. Its ventilation features include one 120 mm fan (900 RPM @ 18 dBA) and provision for one 120 mm on the side; provision for two 80 mm fans on the rear; and two 120 mm fans (900 RPM @ 18 dBA) at the bottom.

ASKTech introduced a neat new chassis for media center PCs, the ALTO NT-TX1000/AC200BK. It supports motherboards in the mini-ITX form-factor, and is designed to gel well with other living room equipment such as home theater receiver decks. Measuring 380 x 268 x 66 mm (WxDxH), the case makes used of brushed, anodized aluminum for the front-panel, and stronger SECC steel for the frame and other panels. It is bundled with the AC200BK 200W PSU, which gives it just enough juice for an HTPC with a dual-core or low-voltage quad-core processor.

Its drive cage is detachable, and provides one discrete 3.5" bay (to hold a hard drive), and one low-profile/slim optical drive slot (for notebook optical drives). The case has just enough clearance for a CPU cooler that's 40 mm tall, and the cooler Intel ships with its low-TDP processors matches the description. The front-panel has no additional ports as such, but a hole for an infrared receiver (for the remote control). ASKTech has an optional package that includes its NT-IMON100 infrared Windows Media Center compatible remote. The case is rather airy, with plenty of vents, but there are provisions for some 40 mm fans. Launched to the market recently, the ASKTech ALTO NT-TX1000/AC200BK is priced at 8,480 JPY (US $102).

ORICO unveiled the KB6118, a wireless micro-keyboard for HTPCs, that lets you give text input, without having a bulky wireless mini-keyboard anywhere near your couch. With HTPCs, text-input is minimal, yet essential. The KB6118 solves the issue. It is about as big as a TV or Blu-ray player remote, and gives you a full QWERTY keypad that's spaced-out, and optimized for your thumbs.

Apart from a keypad, the KB6118 packs some media keys, and mouse left/right click buttons. It communicates to your HTPC over 2.4 GHz radio band (with a USB micro-receiver). It supports Windows, Mac OS X, Desktop Linux, and Android. The KB6118 is available in black and white options. Pricing and availability information was not released.

People want things around their living room TV to look like a VCR or a Blu-ray player, something that has a minimalist rectangular facade and that's stackable in decks. HTPC makers such as Tranquil have clearly understood this concept, and now, so did ORICO. The company unveiled the 7662, a dual-3.5" HDD enclosure that's designed for the living room. The enclosure has two 3.5" SATA hard drive hot-swap bays on its front panel, each of the two bays have lockable caddies. The enclosure connects the drives to to a host (an HTPC, or directly to a USB Mass Storage-compatible TV), over USB and eSATA.

ORICO has two variants, the 7662SUSJ has USB 2.0 and eSATA; while the 7662SUSJ3 has USB 3.0 and eSATA. The enclosure has a built-in power-supply and plugs in directly to the wall without a messy power brick. Each of the two bays has a temperature-activated exhaust fan. The 7662 also features auto-Hibernation, which spins down a hard drive if it's been idling for too long. The 7662SUSJ is priced at 448 RMB (US $71), and the 7662SUSJ3 at 478 RMB (US $76).

Xigmatek is celebrating a first with the Gigas Micro-ATX Cube, as it is their first Aluminum chassis. Even with its compact dimensions, the Gigas Cube manages to fit high-end Hardware, allowing one to easily build a potent HTPC or Gaming system. USB 3.0, space for up to 4 fans, along with a fan controller round up the list of features.

The word "Gigas" is part of the Greek language and means "giant". In the modern language, the prefix "giga" can be found in many different areas to quantify the sheer size. Gigabyte or Gigawatt are such examples and the new chassis from Xigmatek carries the name "Gigas" for good reason.