Packs SATA 6Gbps, USB 3.0 and mSATA SSD support

Jan 24, 2012 08:35 GMT  ·  By

Better known to Asian computer users than to us Westerners, Giada has recently unveiled a new mini-ITX motherboard for AMD’s Llano processors, known as the Giada MI-A75 and targets HTPC users.

The motherboard is built on the same A75 Fusion controller hub (FCH) as its larger ATX or mATX brothers, and packs a complete set of features, including a PCI Express x16 expansion slots.

This is placed right near the board's left edge and should be able to come as a great alternative to the integrated graphics for those of you wanting to build a highly-portable gaming rig.

AMD's Hudson D3 chipset is located to the right of the CPU socket and Giada’s engineers have connected to it four SATA 6Gbps ports and two USB 3.0 interfaces, while a mini PCI Express slot (for an mSATA SSD) rounds up the expansion options list.

Taking a look at the board’s rear I/O panel, we get to see the standard set of ports and connectors, including a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet jack and 7.1-channel audio, according to TechPowerUp.

The built-in AMD Llano graphics core can be used to drive one or more displays which can be connected to the Giada board through the available DVI, or HDMI video outputs.

Other features include support for up to 16GB of DDR3 memory running at frequencies of 1600MHz and compatibility with AMD FM1 processors with a maximum TDP of 65W.

Power to the processor and DIMMs is provided by a 3+1 phase VRM that should be able to deliver enough juice for AMD's Llano APUs.

The Giada MI-A75 motherboard for AMD Llano processors is available right now in Japan for 10,300 yen (about $133.7 US or 102 EUR), but we don’t know when this will arrive in other parts of the world.