VIA Technologies ha da poco ufficialmente presentato il suo nuovo processore VIA Nano (con core Isaiah), ed ora ha completato l'opera presentando al pubblico il nuovo standard Mini-ITX 2.0, per schede madri a form factor ridotto, che renderà possibile sfruttare al massimo i processori VIA Nano.

Lo standard Mini-ITX 2.0 mira a definire le specifiche minime per le future schede madri Mini-ITX per incoraggiare i produtori a progettare piattaforme in grado di incontrare l'attuale domanda di mercato.

Le caratteristiche chiave di Mini-ITX 2.0 includono uno slot PCI Express x16 per espansione, e supporto per minimo 2GB di memoria DDR2. Lo standard prevede anche il supporto almeno per le DirectX 9.0 nell'IGP e la certificazione Windows Vista Capable. DirectX 10 e certificazione Vista Premium dovrebbero essere possibili tramite una scheda aggiuntiva.

Altre specifiche definite nello standard includono un minimo di quattro USB 2.0, Gigabit LAN, e almeno due porte SATA e una IDE; inoltre le schede madri dovranno continuare a misurare 170×170mm come definito nelle specifiche Mini-ITX originali.

Confrontato con i requisiti Intel per le schede madri per piattaforme Atom, Mini-ITX 2.0 ha il vantaggio di includere più di uno slot DIMM ed una connessione PCI Express, invece di una semplice PCI.

Mini-ITX 2.0 is a set of minimum specifications for the next generation of Mini-ITX boards to encourage the integration of the latest PC technologies into the small form factor market and to provide OEMs, system integrators and end-users alike greater freedom of choice in configuring mini PCs and home media centers to deliver an optimized graphics, high definition video, and computing experience. Mini-ITX 2.0 makes the ideal platform for such systems due to its advanced performance, high levels of feature integration, and easy expandability, coupled with the broad infrastructure of cases and accessories that has been built up around the form factor.

At the core of Mini-ITX 2.0 is a high performance yet power efficient x86 processor, such as the VIA Nano processor announced last week, to provide all the horsepower necessary for running the latest applications and operating systems in a space-constrained environment. To maximize flexibility in configuring mini PC systems for today's increasingly immersive graphics and high definition visual computing environments, such as advanced DirectX 10 graphics and Blu-ray Disc playback, Mini-ITX 2.0 also defines a 16-lane PCI Express slot as a prerequisite, enabling the integration of a high performance graphics add-in card.

"With the Mini-ITX, VIA set the de facto standard for small form factor x86 platform integration, triggering industry-wide innovation in mini PC systems," said Timothy Chen, Special Assistant to the President, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Through the introduction of Mini-ITX 2.0, we are defining the mini PC platform of the future, paving the way for the emergence of a new generation of high performance systems that deliver an optimized experience in today's increasingly media rich environment."

In line with the company's long-term commitment to supporting open industry standards, VIA is working with leading industry partners including NVIDIA, the world leader in visual computing technologies and the inventor of the GPU, to drive innovation and maximize freedom of choice around the Mini-ITX 2.0 standard.

"VIA has pioneered small form factor PCs, in contrast to competing closed designs, VIA's new solution allows customers to play today's latest PC games and experience new video and photo applications available with NVIDIA's DX10 GPUs," stated Drew Henry, general manager, NVIDIA MCP business.

Mini-ITX 2.0 Standard

Mini-ITX 2.0 is an open industry standard that defines the minimum platform requirements for media-rich optimized mini PCs. Key features include the following:

• Processor: High-performance, power efficient x86 processor, such as the VIA Nano processor
• Memory: Support for minimum 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Graphics: DirectX 9.0 integrated (IGP); DirectX 10 through an add-in card
• Display: 1 VGA port for LCD display; 1 HDMI port on add-in card
• HD Audio: 3 Audio jacks for up to 6-channel surround sound
• Broadband Connectivity: 1 Gigabit LAN port
• Storage: 2 Serial ATA II slots +  1 IDE (PATA) slot
• Peripheral Connectivity: Minimum 4 USB2.0 ports
• Expansion: 1 PCI Express 16-lane slot
• Size: 17cm x 17cm
• O/S Support: Microsoft Windows Vista; Microsoft Windows Vista Premium (through an add-in graphics card); Microsoft Windows XP, and major Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Suse Linux and gOS

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