VIA Technologies, long known for their mainboard chipsets, has expanded their product lines to meet new computer needs. One of their offerings is small footprint motherboards. Using the Mini-ITX form factor, VIA’s M10000 mainboard hits the scene. LANAddict.com takes it for a test run so read on to see how it faired.
VIA Mini-ITX Overview:
In the past few years, consumers and corporations have desired smaller, more efficient computers. VIA has addressed this need with their line of EPIA mainboards, available in three flavors: CL, V, and M. The CL series is aimed at networking, including two network ports. The V series fulfills the value minded buyer with less features but a lower price. The M series, which is featured in this review, offers more features but a higher price. All the boards share some features in common. They all support VIA’s C3 and Eden CPUs, which will be mentioned later. The boards are designed to use low power, and can run off power supplies that provide as little as 55 watts. The boards and processor are designed to run cool. Depending on the CPU type you get with the board, there may or may not be a processor fan. The north bridge requires no fan at all. Both the small size and low heat eliminate excess system noise commonly found with the large, high RPM fans in many systems. The Eden CPUs are fully x86 compatible and run off of very little power (3-6 Watts). This enables them to run fan-less. However, the CPU’s run between 400-600MHz, not very high by today’s standards. The C3 processor, which is found in the M10000 in this review, provides for higher x86 processing needs. It is based on the Nehemiah core and runs between 667 MHz and 1 GHz. This is not very fast either but can still run most desktop office and multimedia applications well. On the plus side, the C3’s uses only 11 watts of power on average. This is good to hear after learning other high-end consumer processors, such as the next generation Pentium 4s, are going to use around 100 watts. Despite the variety of CPU types and speed, you are unable to upgrade the CPU. It is hard-wired to the board to cut down on costs. If you plan to buy one, choose the initial processor and speed wisely.
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