With the rise of ITX boards and their popularity, Silverstone is expanding their Sugo line-up with the SG07. The high-end ITX chassis is aimed at the LAN Party Gamer on the go, and ships with a 600W power supply along with a special 200 mm fan, which creates a clean vortex of air to cool the board. Silverstone has stuffed a Radeon HD 5970 in there along with a Zotac H55 board and an i7-860. Their engineers have gone into great detail to manage air flow and to keep temperatures in the green. On the bottom of the chassis a plastic divider blocks hot air from reaching the PSU, while the side panel sports a foam ring, which can be aligned to seal off the GPU fan and thus only give it access to cool, outside air. The case will carry a premium price tag, but offers features no other ITX case out there does at the moment.

We also dropped by the Chieftec booth and they have some nice enclosures on display. The most interesting one is the ITX case with large heatsinks on both sides, which are attached to heatpipes. These in turn cool the CPU and chipset of an Atom ION board. Due to the inability to accommodate the different board layouts, Chieftec will be offering these cases to OEMs who will then also receive a custom cooling solution to fit the mainboard they are using. The case also features a Soundgraph VFD and slot for a slim-line optical drive. We were also witness to a computer case which dispenses beer when needed. What else could you ask for?

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA ART-3000, a complete, fanless and ruggedized embedded box system based on the unique I/O-rich Em-ITX form factor, offering the ideal solution for a variety of industrial applications.

Available as a complete system including drives and memory, the fanless VIA ART-3000 combines a number of unique features including diskless booting, excellent vibration and shock resistance, dual Gigabit networking and dual LVDS video support. Ruthlessly low power consumption means the VIA ART-3000 can also support fanless configurations with no moving parts making it ideal for ultra stable, mission critical implementations.

Quality-enthusiast Corsair is ready with its second PC case, the Obsidian 700D. The new 700D is positioned slightly lower than the 800D which the company debuted last year. Information on the 700D surfaced from a leaked company brochure. It shows the case to be an ATX full-tower, with black overall. There is no side-panel window like on the 800D, but is said to inherit most of the interior features of the 800D. There are six internal drive bays for HDDs or SSDs, five exposed 5.25" and one exposed 3.5" bay. Interiors are said to retain cable-management holes, three-zone cooling, and pre-drilled vents for a triple-120mm fan radiator.

The case measures 24" (H) x 24" (L) x 9" (W) / 609 mm x 609 mm x 229 mm, weighs 34.8 lbs / 15.8 kg, and makes use of steel for the internal frame, and aluminum for its panels. There's room for three 140 mm and up to four 120 mm fans. There are eight expansion slots, so it makes room for a double-slot video card seated on the bottom-most slot of the motherboard. There's room for ITX, m-ATX, ATX, and EATX motherboard types, the motherboard tray has a cutout at the CPU socket area for easy handling of certain types of coolers. The front-panel has four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port, and the FP audio connectors. Corsair ships this case with a two-year warranty. Its price and availability remain yet to be known.

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced its latest technology platform for fleet management device designs. The VIA EPIA-P710-D is a Pico-ITXe expansion module that allows system integrators to easily create cutting-edge fleet management devices that incorporate a range of the latest communication and intelligent management technologies.

Designed for easy integration into the dashboard of any vehicle, this new fleet management hardware platform provides the advanced x86 backbone necessary for today's advanced fleet and logistics management applications including fuel management, active scheduling, advanced routing, asset monitoring and the latest emergency, safety and rescue features.

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA-T700: the first product based on the recently announced Mobile-ITX form factor. Measuring a mere 6cm x 6cm, the VIA EPIA-T700 is a uniquely compact computer-on-module that is designed for a range of ultra-compact embedded devices in medical, military and in-vehicle applications.

Designed to deliver a simple modular approach to device design that precipitates greater miniaturization and portability, the Mobile-ITX-based VIA EPIA-T700 makes it easier than ever before to design and manufacture compact devices. With customized carrier boards connected using ultra low profile 3mm connectors, the VIA EPIA-T700 is in a class of its own.

ASUS displayed its newest mini-ITX form-factor motherboard intended for use in nettops, at the ongoing CES event. The ASUS AT5NM10-I is based on Intel's new second-generation Atom processor platform. It makes use of the Atom D510 dual-core processor, aided by Intel NM10 chipset. The processor operates at 1.66 GHz, and supports single-channel DDR2 667 MHz memory. Due to the lowered thermal footprint of the chipset, ASUS used a single heatsink to cool both the processor and chipset. It provides two DDR2 DIMM slots to hold up to 4 GB of memory. The lone expansion slot is a PCI. Storage comes in the form of two SATA 3 Gb/s ports. Connectivity includes 6-channel audio, 10/100 Ethernet, four USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel, four by headers, D-Sub for display, serial and parallel ports, and PS/2. There is no word on the availability or price.

Support for the latest generation of Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 takes the ZOTAC H55-ITX WiFi to performance levels previously unattainable by the mini-ITX form factor. The ZOTAC H55-ITX WiFi supports Intel QuickPath technology for lightning-fast communications to high-speed dual-channel DDR3 memory for superior bandwidth and quicker memory access that delivers the chart-topping performance enthusiasts and performance-hungry users desire.

"Since Intel announced its latest generation of Nehalem CPUs, there's been great demand for a mini-ITX platform for the CPUs, unfortunately the power consumption and heat output of the original Intel Core i7 900 series would've been too high for such a small form factor," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International (MCO), Ltd. "With the latest generation of Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors, greater energy efficiency and improved thermal management, the ZOTAC H55-ITX WiFi is able to deliver a mini-ITX platform capable of accommodating the new high-performance processors with no compromises."

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA-P820, the first Pico-ITX form factor board to feature the high performance, 64-bit VIA Nano processor, bringing industry-leading digital multimedia performance and virtualization capabilities to the smallest of spaces with the VIA AMOS-3001 chassis system.

The choice of VIA Nano processor means that the VIA EPIA-P820 offers a range of advantages over competitor offerings, including full 64-bit software support, a high-performance superscalar architecture and full support of the latest virtualization technologies for next generation server and virtual machine applications. Paired with the VIA VX855 media system processor, the VIA EPIA-P820 is well equipped to handle smooth playback of the most demanding codecs at resolutions up to 1080p.

To build on the popularity of its NVIDIA ION based nettops, ASRock plans to release a new Intel Atom + NVIDIA ION motherboard based on the mini-ITX form factor, in 2010. The motherboard will be one of the first of its kind, with a stronger memory sub-system. The NVIDIA ION chipset will drive dual-channel DDR3 1066 MHz memory. The board makes use of dual-core Atom 330 processor which is passively cooled, while the NVIDIA ION chipset is cooled actively. The chipset embeds DirectX 10 compliant NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics. It gives out four internal SATA 3 Gb/s ports and two Power-eSATA (eSATA+USB combo) ports making use of all its ATA channels. The lone expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (full-bandwidth).

ASRock-exclusive features include Dura-Cap Japanese solid-state capacitors, Instant Boot, Instant Flash, OC DNA, and Night LED. Connectivity includes 8-channel HD audio with optical SPDIF driven by VIA VT2020 CODEC, gigabit Ethernet, six external and four internal USB 2.0 ports, and display connectivity which includes DVI-D, D-Sub, and HDMI. While the motherboard supports up to 4 GB of memory, the graphics processor supports full-HD display resolutions including smooth playback of HD video. It passes Windows 7 compatibility. ASRock is yet to reveal pricing and availability.

Foxconn has unveiled one of the first motherboards based on Intel's "Pine Trail" second generation Atom processor platform: the D41S and D51S (pictured in the same order below), both based on the mini-ITX form factor. The D41S is powered by a single-core Atom D410 processor, while the D51S is powered by dual-core Atom D510, both these processors run at speeds of 1.66 GHz. The former is cooled passively by a heatsink, while the latter makes use of a fan-heatsink. The rest of the board layouts are identical. The processor is wired to two DDR2 DIMM slots for single-channel DDR2 667 MHz memory. It embeds Intel GMA 3150 graphics with a D-Sub connector for output. A lone PCI slot provides expansion. The chipset gives out two SATA 3 Gb/s ports for storage. Its rear-panel includes six-channel HD audio, D-Sub, gigabit Ethernet, four USB 2.0 ports, PS/2, serial and parallel ports. The two will be out in the coming few weeks.

Chieftec unveiled its first mini-ITX PC case, the BT-02B. This mini-ITX tower measures 240 x 135 x 295 mm, and weighs 2.85 kg (about 6.28 lbs), and sports a formal look, best suited for space-constrained office desks. It packs enough space for one 5.25" drive bay, an internal 3.5" bay for HDDs, and has a front IO panel with USB and audio ports. The BT-02B comes with a 180W ATX power supply, sufficient for the typical mini-ITX PC. The lone expansion card slot accommodates full-height cards. The case should be out soon.

Elitegroup Computer Systems, the world's leading motherboard, barebone system, and notebook manufacturer, is pleased to introduce a brand new small and powerful motherboard, ECS TIGT-I, embedded the latest Intel dual core Atom processor D510 integrated memory controller and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150(GMA3150) to deliver up to 20% higher performance than ever for home users.

The ECS TIGT-I motherboard features fast Ethernet, high definition audio for various internet applications and leverages integrated GMA3150 graphics core supporting DirectX 9 for popular graphics requirements. In addition, the ultra low voltage and Mini-ITX(170x170mm) form factor, make the ECS TIGT-I motherboard become an ideal solution for fan-less systems, small form factor PCs or portable devices.

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the latest VIA EPIA-M800 Mini-ITX and VIA EPIA-N800 Nano-ITX boards. Featuring the 64-bit, high-performance VIA Nano processor, these new embedded boards bring advanced digital multimedia performance to the next wave of embedded devices on forthcoming Windows 7-based technologies.

Devices based on the VIA EPIA-M800 and VIA EPIA-N800 leverage the performance enhancements of the VIA Nano processor, offering an improved user experience with advanced human to machine interaction and a visually stunning multimedia experience through the latest HD codecs and media streaming technologies. Specific applications include the latest media-centric designs in digital signage and advanced information, ticket and kiosk machines.

ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi (GF9300-I-E) delivers three SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports with support for RAID 0, 1, 0+1 and 5, wake on USB support, greater range of overclocking options and enhancements to the GeForce 9300 graphics processor.

"ZOTAC was the world's first manufacturer to provide users with high-performance mini-ITX platforms with PCI Express 2.0 x16 expansion that made no compromises for performance. Our latest ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi, GF9300-I-E, takes our award winning formula of combining performance with a small form factor and supercharges it to make the world's fastest mini-ITX platform available," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced Mobile-ITX, the latest VIA-developed open form factor specification for the creation of ultra-compact and portable embedded devices. Mobile-ITX defines a uniquely compact 6cm x 6cm computer-on-module specification designed to enable an easier and less resource intensive development cycle for a range of ultra-compact, portable embedded systems.

Vertical market segments including medical, transportation and military embedded markets have evolved to demand greater miniaturization and portability from today's x86 platforms. Mobile-ITX addresses the need for a simple, modular approach to portable IPC design, making it easier than ever to bring to market ultra-compact and lightweight devices that offer comprehensive connectivity options and a rich, flexible feature set.

Here is one of the first socket LGA-1156 motherboards in the mini-ITX form-factor, certainly the first one based on the Intel P55 chipset. Packed in its 6.7 x 6.7 inch PCB are a 6 phase digital PWM circuit powering the CPU (socket made by LOTES), two DDR3 DIMM slots for dual-channel memory, and a decent utilization of the feature-set of the P55 PCH, which is cooled by a tiny low-profile heatsink. The PCH gives out three internal SATA 3 Gbps ports, and one powered eSATA port.

The 8-channel HD Audio also takes care of optical and co-axial SPDIF connectivity. Gigabit Ethernet, and four USB 2.0 ports make for the rest of the rear-panel. Two headers make room for four more USB 2.0 ports. The lone expansion slot is a generous PCI-Express 2.0 x16, which will accommodate any PCI-Express addon card. You will especially need it, as the P55 platform relies on discrete graphics. With its ABS II, debug LED, and rear-panel clear CMOS button, the board also tries to be as overclocker-friendly as it can afford to be, with its limited resources. Its pricing is yet to be known, though the launch isn't very far off.

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA AMOS-5000, a specially designed chassis kit for Em-ITX form factor boards such as the VIA EITX-3000, offering fast and easy assembly of a variety of fanless, robust IPC designs.

Built using only five sections the VIA AMOS-5000 has the VIA-developed Em-ITX at its heart, offering developers a wealth of advantages including rich and versatile I/O configurations through expansive dual I/O coastlines, coupled with a variety of expansion modules for wide variety of application specific I/O configurations and a flexible EMIO bus supporting a wide range of modern and legacy bus technologies. Systems build using the VIA AMOS-5000 are shock resistant and can withstand a wide range of temperatures.

"ZOTAC is the leader when it comes to performing mini-ITX platforms. With the addition the new ZOTAC ION ITX Synergy Editions, we have the largest line up of high-performance mini-ITX motherboards with over a dozen different models," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. "We see the demand for small form factors increasing and the future of computing will be mini-ITX platforms."

The new ZOTAC ION ITX Synergy Editions bring a full high-performance experience and features that has won the ZOTAC ION ITX platforms many awards, including the NVIDIA ION graphics processor with NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology for full HD 1080p Blu-ray video playback and high-performance video processing and editing capabilities with NVIDIA CUDA technology.

"ZOTAC always listens to user requests for features. End users loved our ION ITX series motherboards, but some requested PCI Express expansion. We listened and thus the ZOTAC ION ITX F series was born," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. "Our engineers managed to integrate PCI Express x16 expansion without sacrificing any of the award-winning features either."

The ZOTAC ION ITX-F series receives power from a high-performance NVIDIA ION graphics processor and energy-efficient dual-core Intel Atom 330 processor for a power packed combination that's ready to take on high-definition video playback and everyday computing tasks.

At the IDF 2009 event, Intel showed of the fruition of the platform component rearrangement socket LGA-1156 strives for, by relocating the northbridge to the processor package. On display was the company's newest mini-ITX socket LGA-1156 motherboard that is full-featured, complete with Intel Flexible Display Interface support. Based on the Intel H57 chipset, the motherboard supports Intel Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors based on the socket. Its two DDR3 DIMM slots provide dual-channel memory interface.

The sole expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, which can be used for any PCI-Express addon card. Located at the north of the board, the H57 chipset provides four SATA 3 Gbps ports, and requires a small heatsink to stay comfortable. The rear panel sums up the rest of the feature-set, it includes display output via DVI and HDMI, Ethernet, six USB ports, eSATA, and 8-channel audio with optical SPDIF. In the second picture below, it's placed to the left of a mini-ITX G45 motherboard by Intel.

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms,　today announced the VIA EPIA-P720 Pico-ITX board, which takes advantage of the latest VIA VX855 media system processor to deliver stunningly smooth playback of the latest HD video formats for next-generation digital interactive devices.

"VIA continually strives to offer customers compelling product designs that open up new worlds of possibility," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc.　"The VIA EPIA-P720 enables a new class of extremely compact embedded devices that can comfortably handle the most demanding video playback whilst remaining entirely fanless. No other compact platform currently offers these features in tandem."

NVIDIA Partner Point of View today announced its new line of compact desktop PCs targeted at home users. The Mobii Family PC is an implementation of the company's recently announced motherboards based on the NVIDIA ION platform, powered by Intel Atom dual-core processors. It aims to provide essential features with good levels of multimedia performance, with power consumption well below 100W.

The Mobii Family PC comes in a somewhat cubical chassis with just enough room for the mini-ITX ION motherboard, a couple of hard drives including an exposed 3.5" drive bay, and one exposed 5.25" bay. Under the hood is an ION motherboard with either single-core Atom 230 or dual-core Atom 330 (both clocked at 1.6 GHz), 1 or 2 GB of dual-channel DDR2 memory, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics with HDMI output, 320 GB HDD, and either an 8X DVD-RW or a Blu-ray DVD-RW combo drive. The chassis comes in two colour schemes. Its pricing is yet to be known.

Thermaltake, leading DIY chassis brand, introduces the latest addition to the Element series of PC cases, the Thermaltake Element Q. This Mini-ITX case is ideal for very small systems built on Intel's Atom and NVIDIA's ION platforms. With its extremely small dimensions of 130 (D) x 220 (W) x 330 (H) mm and a light-weight of merely 2.7 KG the Element Q can fit on the smallest desktop or even on the shelf between your books.

The Element Q represents the Quintessence of personal and entertainment computing as it let's you shrink all the formerly huge components such as audio cards, video adapters, network cards and the like into one tiny system with sleek and elegant looks in a dominating black color with distinctive red lining. Quick and convenient installation is provided for by an optimized case design that allows you to use standards peripherals such as a 5.25" and even two 3.5" (one internal, one external) devices. For this small form factor category the Element Q is truly unique as you are not forced to use slim drives like with other cases.

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced its latest additions to the VIA AMOS series of universal chassis products; the VIA AMOS-1000 and VIA AMOS-2000 chassis are specially designed to work with VIA EPIA Mini-ITX and Nano-ITX boards and feature unique multi-story stackability.

VIA developed the VIA AMOS-1000 and VIA AMOS-2000 chassis to make complete system design as straightforward and expedient as possible. The guiding principle behind the VIA AMOS-1000 and VIA AMOS-2000 is the ability to add additional layers to the chassis, facilitating simple system expansion for optical drives, system storage and PCI or PCI Express AIBs.