[section_title title=Introduction]Introduction
- Brand: ECS
- Model: LIVA Mini PC Kit
- Price: $179 (at time of review)
With the ever present advances in technology today, it is no surprise that we are walking straight into a world which demands smaller but more powerful devices; ones that can be taken literally anywhere at a whim. Laptops and tablets have filled the void for those not willing to relocate their desktop PC (which often is nothing short of painful depending on your form factor) but they aren’t without their own drawbacks. The Raspberry PI has given users another alternative in a tiny package, but it lacks the power for any serious productivity. What if I told you there was an alternative to the micro sized PI, but with a lot more power?
Well ECS (Elitegroup Computer Systems), who were founded in 1987 and who currently hail from Taiwan might have done just that. They have developed not only what I would consider to be a revolutionary piece of kit, but they have also done it at a relatively affordable price; given the premium for small powerful devices.
Today I will be taking a look at the ECS LIVA Mini PC Kit which features support for Windows 8.1 x64, HDMI, passive cooling an even built in Wi-Fi. Have ECS revolutionised the Nano PC market or is it a long way off before “mini PCs” start to come up trumps? Only time will tell for that one, but right now it’s time to take a look at the Mini PC Kit, starting with the specifications…
What ECS have to say about the LIVA Mini PC Kit:
With the combination of “Living” and “Life (Viva)” LIVA is expressing the passion and the pursuit of aesthetics in every way of life.
Specifications:
Motherboard |
ECS BAT-MINI |
|
CPU / Chipset |
Intel Bay Trail-M |
|
Memory |
2GB DDR3L |
|
Storage |
eMMC 32GB |
|
LAN |
Realtek RTL8111G |
|
Audio |
Realtek ALC282(2CH) Combo Jack |
|
Wireless |
By NGFF Card: WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.0 |
|
USB 3.0 / 2.0 |
1/1 Port |
|
I / O Interface |
1 HDMI 1 VGA 1 USB 3.0 / 1 USB 2.0 1 Audio Combo Jack 1 Power Connector (Micro USB Port) 1 LAN Port |
|
Thermal |
1 Fan-less Heat Sink |
|
OS Support |
Windows 8.1 |