Before we tell you more almost Asrock'south Ion-based nettop, endeavor to imagine ownership a complete desktop PC that costs as little as $350 and is both modernistic and stylish. Furthermore, this imaginary computer supports many new technologies, runs Windows 7 with ease and provides full Hard disk drive playback. Additionally it consumes less power than a traditional incandescent light seedling under total load and generates well-nigh no noise.

Our imaginary figurer is about the size of a biscuit tin or most 19x19 cm. (7x7 in) with a height of just 7 cm. (<3 in). This computer sounds like the perfect HTPC and truth be told, it is.

No longer a mere a figment of our imagination, permit's get this thought out of the way. Despite paying piffling attention to the hype behind the Nvidia Ion, it turns out we loved Asrock's implementation of the platform. By combining Nvidia's latest chipset with the Intel Atom processor, Asrock has put together an extremely impressive depression-contour estimator.

There are already a number of Ion 330 configurations on offering, with the 330HT-BD which nosotros are reviewing today being Asrock'south almost prized. This version ($580) includes a Blu-Ray combo bulldoze along with a Media Center Edition remote control and a few other swell features that nosotros volition become to shortly.

Merely before we show you more of the Ion 330HT-BD, nosotros volition get downwardly the memory lane with a cursory summary of the Mini-ITX form cistron history. We will also discuss the development of the Intel Cantlet series and explain exactly why we feel the proposition behind the Ion platform is so relevant to its continued success...