14 DAY TRIAL // In a time when everybody is trying to make computer components smaller, VIA Technologies is taking another course of action. For instance, instead of making their CPU's smaller, they make them consume less power, instead of making their motherboards eat up less power, they just make them eat less space.
Such is the case with their new VIA VT6047 Pico-ITX From Factor, which measures only 10x7.2cm, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and even "more than 75% smaller than the Mini-ITX". By already having a fully featured motherboard, a lot of new ways are opened for PC manufacturers, especially with a package as small as this one. But don't think just because it's small, it can't perform well; the board has an inferiority complex it's trying to overcome with its features.
The board uses processors from the C7 or Eden series, which have a 128KB L1 cache and 128KB L2 cache, UniChrome Pro II AGP graphics with integrated LVDS and DVI interfaces. For audio, there is the Vinyl Audio VT1708A HDA with eight channels and S-PDIF; there is also Serial ATA and Parallel ATA controllers, integrated VT6106S 10/100Mbps Ethernet controller and USB 2.0 support, which can go up to four ports.
Richard Brown, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. said: "The Pico-ITX represents VIA's commitment to spearhead x86 innovation through our proven technology leadership in driving down the platform size. As with the Mini-ITX and Nano-ITX form factors before it, this new platform has raised the excitement level among enthusiasts and customers alike, firing the imagination an almost unlimited range of what were previously impossibly small systems."