Gigabit Ethernet galore

This crazy Jetway barebone features no less than TEN Intel GbE ports. Powered by the 15W i5-4300U, the rugged mini PC also features two SO-DIMM slots, 2.5" and mSATA options, HDMI, DisplayPort, and some very interesting cooling fins shaped like tuning forks. It's available right now for $899.95.

AMD mini-STX prototypes

cirrus7 incus A300-35W - for AMD Ryzen 35W TDP
by cirrus7 computing

cirrus7 incus A300-65W - for AMD Ryzen 65W TDP
by cirrus7 computing

After a rough start, the mini-STX format is slowly gaining traction. cirrus7 is working on 35W and 65W fanless chassis for the AMD-compatible ASRock DeskMini A300. What do you think? We're still on the fence about mini-STX, especially with AMD-ready Thin mini-ITX motherboards coming soon.

Intel's new 35W family

Intel's fanless-friendly desktop processors now include:

i9-9900T (8C / 16T up to 4.40 GHz, UHD Graphics 630, $439)
i7-9700T (8C / 8T up to 4.30 GHz, UHD Graphics 630, $323)
i5-9600T (6C / 6T up to 3.90 GHz, UHD Graphics 630, $213)
i5-9500T (6C / 6T up to 3.70 GHz, UHD Graphics 630, $192)
i5-9400T (6C / 6T up to 3.40 GHz, UHD Graphics 630, $182)
i3-9300T (4C / 4T up to 3.80 GHz, UHD Graphics 630, TBD)
i3-9100T (4C / 4T up to 3.70 GHz, UHD Graphics 630, $122)
Pentium G5600T (2C / 4T @ 3.30 GHz, UHD Graphics 630, $75)
Pentium G5420T (2C / 4T @ 3.20 GHz, UHD Graphics 610, $64)
Celeron G4930T (2C / 2T @ 3.00 GHz, UHD Graphics 610, $42)

Particularly remarkable are the $42 3.00 GHz Celeron, a pair of nicely priced i5s, and the long-rumored i9-9900T, an absolute beast of a processor.

via: AnandTech

Compulab's turbocharged Airtop3

Compulab is introducing Airtop3 – a ruggedized small-form-factor fanless IoT edge server powered by an 8-core Intel Core i9-9900K Processor and Nvidia Quadro RTX 4000, both passively cooled using Compulab’s Natural Airflow technology. With a volume of just 7.5 liters, Airtop3 can passively dissipate up to 300W and operate in the wide temperature range of -40°C to 70°C. Airtop3 ships with a 5 year warranty.

Airtop3 supports 9th Generation Intel Core i9 Processors and future Intel Xeon E Processors, including the highest power 95W Core i9-9900K. The maximum RAM capacity is 128 GB DDR4-2666. Standard storage is comprised of 6 devices – two NVMe SSDs – up to 2 TB each and four 2.5” SATA 3 HDD/SSD with RAID support. Standard networking includes two GbE ports and support for Wi-Fi 802.11ac and 4G modem. Standard I/O includes 3 4K displays, 6 USB 3.1 ports, 3 RS232 and audio.

Airtop3 cooling is based on Compulab’s Natural Airflow technology that increases airflow without moving parts. The CPU, GPU and storage devices each have their own dedicated thermal zone. The 7.5 liter all-aluminium housing is made of die-cast and extruded parts with precision machining for seamless fit, shock and vibration resistance. The Airtop3 is available from $1,559.

Source: Compulab

AMD Thin Mini-ITX

The Thin mini-ITX format is back. Opening the way for an AMD-compatible Akasa Euler type of chassis, ASRock launches the A320TM-ITX, a Thin mini-ITX motherboard for Raven Ridge / Bristol Ridge APUs up to 65W TDP.

✓ 2 x DDR4 SO-DIMM
✓ 1 x M.2 socket
✓ 1 x SATA 6Gb/s
✓ 4 x USB 3.0 ports
✓ 2 x HDMI
✓ 1 x Gigabit LAN

Source: ASRock via @momomo_us

Tranquil PC's secret project

Tranquil PC is working on something powerful and truly gorgeous. Stay tuned for exciting updates!

The Whiskey Lake ZBOX is official

We first saw it at CES earlier this year and here it is, the Whiskey Lake ZBOX. Identical to the current $500 CI620, the CI621 doesn't offer a significant jump in terms of performance, but some Spectre / Meltdown / Foreshadow problems should be fixed. Hopefully, coil whine won't be an issue this time around.

✓ i3-8145U (2C / 4T up to 3.9GHz)
✓ 2 x DDR4 SO-DIMM slots (up to 32GB)
✓ 1 x 2.5-inch SATA 6Gbps HDD / SSD slot
✓ 3-in-1 card reader (SD / SDHC / SDXC)
✓ 2 x USB 3.1 Type-C (Front)
✓ 4 x USB 3.1 (Rear)
✓ 1 x USB 3.0 (Front)
✓ 2 x Ethernet ports
✓ 1 x HDMI 2.0 (up to 3840x2160@60Hz)
✓ 1 x DisplayPort 1.2 (up to 4096X2160@60Hz)
✓ WiFi 802.11ac / Bluetooth 5.0
✓ 204mm x 129mm x 68mm

Source: ZOTAC

Passively-cooled Core-based motherboard

Avalue just announced a product that many silent PC enthusiasts had been waiting for. The EMX-KBLU2P is a Thin mini-ITX motherboard rocking a 15W Skylake-U or Kaby Lake-U processor. The 170 x 170 mm motherboard features on-board power, two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, four USB 3.0 ports, two Intel Gigabit Ethernet ports, three display outputs, and M.2 support. We have no doubt that a similar motherboard from ASUS, ASRock, or GIGABYTE would be a success.

Source: Avalue

The Nofan CR-95C is back in limited quantities

This is the last chance to own the legendary fanless CPU cooler. Quiet PC USA is getting the remaining stock of CR-95C from Nofan Corporation. Both the CR-95C Pearl Black and CR-95C Copper are available for pre-order starting today for $139 and $126 respectively. While they perform similarly, the Black Pearl has the advantage. We desperately want one.

Source: Quiet PC USA

The Zotac ZBOX CI660 AnandTech review

Our friend Ganesh from AnandTech takes a look at the most powerful fanless PC from a mainstream brand, and likes it overall. Unfortunately, the coil whine from hell - mentioned in other reviews - is once again noticeable.

"... it does have its share of issues: While the system contains no moving parts, a dull whine can be heard if you were to keep your ears close to the top of the system. In addition, occasional noises similar to the grating of fingernails over the fins of the heat sink could be heard. All said, though Zotac can claim that the system is fanless and passively-cooled, it is not an entirely noiseless system."

Source: AnandTech