14 DAY TRIAL // VIA Technologies just announced the launch of a new mainboard from the VIA EPIA SN series of products which comes packed in the small form factor specific to Mini-ITX board while being based on the Vista ready chipset made by VIA, the CN896 IGP.
This new VIA mainboard ships with an integrated central processing unit as well with an integrated graphics processing solution which allows users to setup a working computer system easier than ever. VIA EPIA SN mainboard comes powered by the fast C7 processing unit which runs at 1.8GHz which means that users will receive an important performance boost of up to 20 percent. Thanks to its low power consumption, the VIA C7 processor does not require an active cooling solution, making the VIA bundle very well suited for applications where silent operation capabilities are a premium.
This new motherboard from VIA comes equipped with a full PCI Express x16 lane that can house a modern day discrete graphics processing solution and thanks to its integrated four Serial ATA II ports as well as a legacy ATA drive connector, the VIA EPIA SN offers a wide range of connectivity options being well suited for the role of a Network Attached Storage unit. Apart from these features, the EPIA SN also comes with a Compact Flash connector, dual-LAN ports and wireless support.
The most important part of a mainboard, the chipset, has been certified by Microsoft in the case of the VIA EPIA SN, to work stable and at a high level of performance with Windows Vista. As the EPIA SN motherboard comes with the integrated VIA Chrome9 HC graphics core, users may enjoy high levels of performance in 2D and 3D applications compliant with DirectX 9 without the need to purchase an additional discrete graphics card.
On the random access memory front, the EPIA SN line of products is able to accommodate up to 4GB of DDR2 memory running at 667MHz, while RAID configurations are possible thanks to the integrated SATA ports which are backed up by the presence of the dedicated VIA V-RAID chip inside the VIA VT8251 south bridge.
"With the VIA EPIA SN-series we have listened to our customers and delivered a number of key technology firsts to the Mini-ITX form factor," said Daniel Wu, Assistant Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "I am proud to say that VIA has again raised the bar to develop a Vista-ready mainboard that meets the ever-increasing demands of the embedded industry."