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Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/07/gigabyte_merom_mini_media_pc/

Gigabyte gives 'Merom' room in mini media PC

But the A963's not as cute as the Mac Mini...

By Tony Smith in Taipei

Posted in PC Builder, 7th June 2006 09:41 GMT

Computex 2006 Intel's upcoming mobile Core 2 Duo processor, 'Merom', made an appearance - well, sort of - at Computex 2006 this week, slotted inside a Gigabyte-made compact media centre PC.

Like the 'Santa Rosa'-based notebook ECS had on display, you'd never have known from the imaginatively named A963 itself that its has Intel's next-generation notebook CPU on board. Maybe it didn't, but Gigabyte indicated the 'mobile on desktop' box will at the very least support the new chip when it ships.

The Viiv-compliant machine contains Intel's 945GM/GT North Bridge and the ICH7M-DH South Bridge part. It's got 10/100Mbps Ethernet on board - the Viiv minimum - Gigabyte said, and 7.1-channel HD audio. Gigabyte was keeping the A963's other specifications under its hat, though it did say the box measures 23.4 x 21.3 x 6.4cm - not quite as small as FIC's rival mini PC, the GE2 tiny Viiv machine (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/07/fic_shows_smallest_viiv_pc/). ®

gigabyte merom-based mini media centre

Full Computex coverage at Reg Hardware (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/07/rh_computex_2006_coverage/)