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Defining a ‘media PC' is a difficult proposition, everyone has a different view on what makes a perfect HTPC computer. Some users will aim for high performance components in a large chassis while others will opt for the smallest possible physical footprint with virtual silence.
Today's review of the ASRock ION3D computer falls firmly into the latter category as it features a low power Intel Atom D525 processor with nVidia graphics.
The ASRock ION3D will be a media ‘purists' wet dream. It is only slightly larger than the diminutive Macintosh Mini but features a slimline Bluray drive. While I have a soft spot for Apple, their substandard Bluray support has certainly not helped them gain a substantial foothold in the demanding media PC sector.
ASrock sell other models in this range: The 152D, featuring a DVD Supermulti drive with an MCE Remote Controller and the 152DL with the DVD Supermulti Drive without Wifi and MCE Remote Controller. We were informed of a £399 inc vat price point but I don't have pricing information at this stage for the cheaper 152D or 152DL.
| ION 3D 152B | |
| CPU | – Intel® Atom™ D525 Dual core Processor |
| OS | – Microsoft® Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista™ / Vista™ 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit compliant
*Due to VGA driver limitation, 3D function only supports Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista™ / Vista™ 64-bit.
|
| Chipset | – Mobile Intel® ICH8M chipset |
| Memory | – 1x 2GB DDR2 800MHz – Support DDR2 800MHz, 2 x SO-DIMM slots, Max. up to 8GB* *Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows® 32-bit OS. For Windows® 64-bit OS with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limitation.
|
| VGA | – NVIDIA® GT218-ION Graphics |
| HDD | – 320GB, 5400 rpm – Support 2.5″ SATA HDD |
| ODD | – BD Combo |
| Front I/O | – 2 x USB 3.0 – 1 x MIC – 1 x Head Phone |
| Rear I/O | – 1 x HDMI – 1 x DVI-I – 6 x USB 2.0 – 1 x S/PDIF – 1 x D-Sub |
| LAN | – Gigabit LAN |
| Sound | – 7.1 CH HD Audio with DTS |
| WiFi | – 802.11b/g/n |
| Remote Controller | – MCE Remote Controller |
| Power Unit | – 65W/19V Adapter |
| Dimension | – 195mm(W) x 70mm(H) x 186mm(L) |
| Volume (liters) | – 2.5L |
