Get Under the Hood of the New Mini-PCs

Core Duo family of processors

Released in July 2006, Intel's family of Core 2 Duo mobile processors (codenamed Merom) fit the LGA 775 socket and work with Intel 945 chipsets (or newer). Intel now appears poised to impact the notebook PC market, where lower power consumption translates directly into longer battery life and quieter operation. Also, lower power needs translate into less heat output and, therefore, less need for noisy cooling systems.

This PC architecture can be used not only in notebook PCs, but also in stationary systems. In this recipe, I examine a new category of mini-PCs that's just hitting the market: media centers.

I'll also give you a guided tour of the innards of one small, attractive system from PC Alchemy. The company is a well-known purveyor of multimedia systems and components. I hope my guided tour will make the point that small, quiet PCs can also be beautiful on either the desktop or an entertainment center.

Digging Deeper Into the Core Duo Processor

It just so happens that the combination of the Intel Core Duo processor, along with the company's Viiv technology (which identifies equipment designed for digital entertainment), can be bundled inside a small, potent package. This package makes for a great system that can handle all kinds of media, including movies, music, videos, TV, and more.

It's important to understand some fundamental characteristics of systems built around these low-power Core Duo processors. First, because these processors were designed for use in PC notebooks, they tend to crop up in systems that include lots of other notebook components as well. (You'll see this when we take our guided tour.) Second, because they are notebook components and often occur in tandem with other notebook components, these systems are more expensive than conventional desktops or media center PCs built around desktop components. The benefits, of course, include low power consumption, quiet operation, and a very small footprint.

In fact, an average mini-PC with media center capabilities costs about $1,200 for a retail turnkey version. System builders will be hard-pressed to buy all the needed parts for less than $900. Parts for a full-featured offering could end up costing more like $1,000.

Contrast this to full-featured desktop PCs in the $500-600 retail price range, or low-end media center PC offerings between $800 and $1,000 at full retail. As a result, these mini-media bundles aren't for everybody. Buyers must be willing to get across some price hurdles before they can take such systems home.

That said, these systems must be seen and experienced to be fully appreciated. Many buyers will find them irresistible. These systems also offer great value propositions for PC users who want compact, quiet systems for home or small business office use. Bottom line: Their tiny footprints, quiet ways and sleek good looks are sure to attract both attention and interest. Three Primary Platforms for the Mini-PC

Today there are three primary platforms that represent the emerging trend of building small, powerful, quiet PCs around the Intel Core Duo CPU, along with the Intel 945G or Mobile Intel 945GM Express chipsets. More systems will undoubtedly hit the streets soon. But for now, here are the big three:

• Systems built around the ECS P60 Barebones PC (aka Digital Home P60): These systems are built by a major Taiwanese system house called Elitegroup Computer Systems, known for barebones offerings as well as complete systems. This product includes support for the dual-core Yonah processor, DDR2-667 SODIMM RAM, and a Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive. It also includes integrated Intel Tekoa Gigabit Ethernet LAN circuitry, Intel Pro 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN, and support for Bluetooth and Intel Viiv, with Intel high definition 5.1 audio. The Digital Home P60 also includes Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) 2005 software, an integrated standard TV tuner, and an MCE compatible remote control.
• For purposes of comparison in this recipe, I used the Winbook Jiv Mini-P60A from Micro Center. It is one of a number of units available in the U.S. market built around this ECS platform. The unit is intermediate in size; it's larger than the AOpen box, but smaller than the Shuttle XPC 100 (both of which I discuss below). Here's a look at the WinBook Jiv:
• Systems built around the MP945-VXR barebones PC: These are built by another major Taiwanese system house, this one called AOpen, known for its motherboards and other PC components (as well as barebones systems). This product includes support for the dual-core Yonah processor " though a recent BIOS upgrade also adds support for the newer Core 2 Duo Merom processor as well " DDR2-400/533/667 SODIMM RAM, and SATA drives. The standard networking capabilities are supported on this unit, although Bluetooth is an extra cost add-on. A mini-PCI TV tuner card is likewise available, and it is included in the PC Alchemy Mini-MCE M1B PC bundle featured in the guided photo tour later in this story.
• Here's a photo of the PC Alchemy Mini-MCE M1B PC:
• Systems built by Shuttle Computer: Another Taiwanese firm, Shuttle offers its XPC X100 unit, which is the largest of the three mentioned in this recipe. While the other two units can accommodate only 2.5-inch SATA hard disks, this unit can accommodate standard 3.5-inch SATA drives. It also offers two SODIMM RAM slots (the other two units offer only one each) and includes a 4-in-1 memory card reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS-pro). Wired networking uses the RealTek 8110 10/100 Fast Ethernet circuitry " not GbE as with the other two units. But the box also includes an integrated Intel 3945 mini-PCI 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN interface.
• Here's a photo of Shuttle's XPC X100:
• The most interesting thing about all three of these units is their petite dimensions. To calculate their volume in liters, multiply length times width times height in millimeters, then divide by 1 million. This produces the following values (rounded to two decimal points): 1.36 liters for the AOpen MP945-VXR, 1.91 liters for the ECS P60, and 3.35 liters for the Shuttle XPC X100. This may not seem too small until you pause to consider that the average PC white-box case occupies a volume of about 38 liters. The volume of a big tower case can easily exceed 50 liters.
• The following table compares the complete specs for these three systems:

• Taking the Tour: Inside the AOpen MP945-VXR
• In the series of photos that follow, I'll provide a visual tour of the AOpen MP945VXR barebones mini-PC.
• For starters, you'll see a different view of the outside of the unit, next to its remote control. The remote is a standard-sized Philips remote control, just like the one that Microsoft re-brands for Media Center PC use. When you put a remote next to the PC, you get a good sense of how small the AOpen MP945VXR really is:
• In the photos that follow, you'll see the unit exactly as it ships from the factory, with no DVD burner, no hard disk, and no mini-PCI TV tuner installed.
• As you look at the front of the case, the slot for the slot-loading DVD burner appears just below the top cover. This cover pops off the case with a bit of gentle prying. After then, loosening four small screws lets you flip an internal rise card to the side. The card can be removed to show the internal views that appear in the following photos.
• Here's a look at the unit from the back. You can see the ports and connectors, as well as the interior. Note: For these photos I switched from the black model (the M1B) to its silver counterpart (the M1S):
• Still looking at this photo, moving from left to right, we have:
  • The connector for the external power supply
  • DVI video output
  • S-Video input
  • Gigabit Ethernet (below)
  • Video input (above, filled with a special coaxial adapter on the finished PC Alchemy unit)
  • Firewire (top in line of three ports)
  • Two USB 2.0 ports
  • Audio ports (top to bottom: blue, digital optical out using TOSLINK adapter or analog line in; green, analog line out; and pink, microphone input)
• Because two USB ports aren't enough for most media center PCs, PC Alchemy includes a tiny, four-port USB hub as part of the standard equipment for the products it builds around the AOpen MP945-VXR. The company also includes a wireless keyboard with an integrated trackball, which does double-duty as both mouse and keyboard in a single unit.
• In the next photo, you can see the inside of the MP945-VXR. This reveals the real secrets of its compact dimensions:
• The package with the fan attached (on the left) shows the ultra-quiet cooler enclosure that covers the Core Duo CPU and the motherboard's chipsets. At the rear (upper right in the photo), you can see another ultra-small fan that blows air out of the case, and thus draws inlet air from the holes at the lower left. The SODIMM package is seated in its socket at the top right. You can see unoccupied connectors for the DVD and the SATA hard drive at middle and lower right. These mount on a riser card that plugs into the device to help simplify removal and replacement.
• Even when populated with the other internal ingredients you'd want for a full-featured media PC — namely, a DVD burner, hard disk drive, and mini-PCI TV tuner — the unit weighs less than 2.5 pounds. In fact, this unit is smaller and lighter than many notebook PCs.
• Some pundits ding this unit for limited expansion. But I look at that limitation as an inevitable consequence of shrinking the box down to the smallest possible size. To that end, AOpen has built an external USB drive enclosure that matches the MP945-VXR in look, size, and finish. PC Alchemy plans to sell this unit with 300 GB to 750 GB drives as a way of expanding storage outside this tiny case. The PC can be stacked on top of the drive to keep the overall footprint small.
• Here's how the system looks with the PC stacked on top of a USB drive. You'll need to look carefully to tell the two components apart:
• The real appeal of this new generation of Core Duo-based mini-PCs is twofold. First, for system builders, the higher price points and increased tech savvy required to put such systems together will make them unattractive for all but the most skilled and dedicated hobbyists, thereby creating nice opportunities for selling such systems to willing buyers. Second, for end users, the mini-PCs' small footprints, quiet operation, and considerable multimedia talents make them equally well-suited for entertainment centers and office use.
• Ed Tittel is a freelance writer and researcher based in Austin, Texas, who writes regularly on PC topics. He's recently co-written books on Windows Media Center PCs and Hacking MythTV.