ZOTAC Announces ION Platform - ZOTAC Ion

[Apoptosis]

ZOTAC is pleased to announce the world's first NVIDIA ION-based mini-ITX platforms - the ZOTAC ION series.
The new ZOTAC ION platforms deliver superior power efficiency without any compromises. Powered by an NVIDIA ION
graphics processor and your choice of an Intel Atom N330 dual-core or N270 single-core processor, the ZOTAC ION
features Blu-ray high-definition video playback capabilities, compatibility with NVIDIA CUDA-enabled applications
and quick multi-tasking performance.

ZOTAC Unleashes Premium Power-Efficient Platforms

New ZOTAC ION with single and dual-core Atom processors and ION graphics processor deliver superior power efficiency with premium 1080p HD video and true-fidelity 7.1-channel audio

HONG KONG – May 12, 2009 – ZOTAC International, an award-winning manufacturer of graphics cards and motherboards, today unleashes its first premium power-efficient all-in-one platform – the ZOTAC ION. The ZOTAC ION™ delivers a premium computing experience in a miniature mini-ITX form-factor.

Powered by a brand new NVIDIA ION™ graphics processor, the ZOTAC ION™ is ready to take on DirectX 10, OpenGL 2.1, NVIDIA CUDA™ and PhysX™ games and applications with its 16 blazing-fast stream processors. The ION graphics processor also delivers a premium Windows experience in Windows Vista and the highly anticipated Windows 7.

An integrated Intel Atom™ processor provides ample performance for daily productivity, email and web browsing tasks. Single and dual-core Atom™ processors power the ZOTAC ION™. A single-core Atom™ N230 processor delivers plenty of power for daily computing uses while an optional dual-core Atom™ N330 processor is available for those demanding more power.

“Achieving greater power efficiency while maintaining competitive performance was previously a hard feat to achieve. With the new ZOTAC ION™ platforms, we’re able to deliver competitive performance with unmatched power efficiency,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.

NVIDIA PureVideo™ HD technology enables high-definition video playback on the ZOTAC ION™ platforms. With PureVideo HD technology, the ZOTAC ION™ is able to playback vivid 1080p high-definition movies smoothly and enhance standard-definition contents to near-high-definition levels.

A native HDMI output enables easy connectivity to the latest high-resolution monitors or high-definition television sets. The native HDMI output also supports high-resolution and true-fidelity 7.1-channel audio output when connected to supported hardware, enabling superior audio fidelity from movies with high-resolution Dolby Digital True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio audio technology. HDCP compliance secures the HDMI connection for playback of protected video content. DVI and VGA outputs are also available for multiple display connectivity.

“Home theater PCs are becoming popular around the globe. Our new ZOTAC ION™ is an instant solution for users seeking to build a HD video capable HTPC. Since the CPU and GPU are integrated on the board, we’re also able design a fan-less cooler for the motherboard for silent operation” Mr. Berger added.

Integrated 802.11n wireless networking on Atom N330 equipped ZOTAC ION™ motherboards allow blazing-fast network connectivity at speeds up to 144 Mbps for high-speed wireless file transfers and high-definition video streaming. The Atom™ N330 equipped ZOTAC ION™ motherboard also features an onboard DC/DC power supply that delivers greater power efficiency than standard AC/DC power supplies.

“The onboard DC/DC power supply removes the need for a large internal power supply that is typically noisy and occupies a lot of space. With the onboard DC/DC power supply, the dual-core ZOTAC ION™ motherboard can fit into slimmer and more stylish mini-ITX chassis’ with ease,” Mr. Berger said.

ZOTAC stands by the quality of the ZOTAC ION™ motherboards and backs it with an extended warranty. With the ZOTAC extended warranty, the ZOTAC ION is guaranteed to be trouble-free throughout its lifetime.

General details
• New ZOTAC ION platforms
• Superior power efficiency
• 10x faster graphics and video transcoding
• Full 1080p HD video playback
• Windows Vista Premium capable and Windows 7 ready
• NVIDIA ION mGPU
• 16 stream processors
• Integrated Intel Atom N230 (single-core) or Atom N330 (dual-core) processors
• 533 MHz front-side bus
• HDMI (w/7.1-channel true-fidelity audio), DVI and VGA outputs
• HDCP compliant
• 2 DDR2 DIMM slots
• DDR2-667/800 compatible
• Up to 4GB of DDR2 memory
• Integrated DC-DC power supply (optional)
• Included 19V AC/DC power brick (optional)
• Integrated 802.11n WiFi (optional)
• Mini PCI Express slot (optional)
• Microsoft DirectX 10 and OpenGL 2.1 compatible
• NVIDIA CUDA™ and PhysX™ ready
• NVIDIA PureVideo™ HD technology
• ZOTAC Extended Warranty (visit http://www.zotac.com for details)

Specifications:
Product Name: ZOTAC ION (N230) ZOTAC ION (N330)
CPU Intel Atom N230 (single-core) Intel Atom N330 (dual-core)
GPU: NVIDIA ION™
Stream processors 16
Shader Clock 1100 MHz
Display Options: DVI, HDMI (w/7.1-channel Audio) and VGA
Memory support DDR2-667/800
Memory capacity 2 DIMMs, up to 4GB
Expansion 1 Mini PCI Express (optional)
SATA 3 SATA 3.0 Gbps (RAID 0, 1, 0+1),
1 e.SATA (3.0Gbps)
PATA NA
Ethernet 10/100/1000Mbps
Firewire NA
USB 2.0 10 (6 on back panel, 4 via pin header)
Audio Onboard analog 5.1-channel high-definition audio
7.1-Channel LPCM digital audio (HDMI)
DirectX support DirectX 10 with Shader Model 4.0
Other hardware features OpenGL 2.1 compatible, NVIDIA PhysX ready, NVIDIA CUDA ready, PureVideo HD technology, integrated 802.11n WiFi (optional), integrated DC-DC power supply (optional)
HDCP: Yes
Software Features: nView Multi-Display
Windows Vista capability Windows Vista with aero user interface compatible

About ZOTAC International (MCO) Limited
ZOTAC International is a part of PC Partner Ltd. Group. ZOTAC is also one of the largest NVIDIA add-in board and motherboard manufacturers in the world with over 10 years of quality manufacturing experience. The ZOTAC philosophy is to deliver the latest products at competitive prices without sacrificing quality.
For further information please visit http://www.zotac.com

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[Skippman]

This + SSD + NAS = Excellent HTPC!

Wonder what the street price will be?

[Apoptosis]

Just got this response from ZOTAC with regards to pricing:

$179 etail/189 retail for the IONITX-A-U (N330 dual-core, 90-watt PSU, 802.11n WiFi)
$139 etail/149 retail for the IONITX-B-E (N230 single-core, mini PCIe slot)

[Skippman]

So that's with powersupply, without case, correct?

[Apoptosis]

So that's with powersupply, without case, correct?

correct

[hnzw_rui]

Woohoo. That's excellent pricing. I think I'll be getting a couple of the A models and replacing my Popcorn Hour with a couple of these puppies.

[Skippman]

Woohoo. That's excellent pricing. I think I'll be getting a couple of the A models and replacing my Popcorn Hour with a couple of these puppies. :D

Let me know what case you end up with. You gonna use a SSD?

[hnzw_rui]

Let me know what case you end up with. You gonna use a SSD?

The case has been picked out a long time ago - the Apex MW-100 Black (getting it from NCIX as it's cheaper than Newegg). No, I won't be going with an SSD. They're a bit too expensive for my taste and storage habits. Yes, I've got a fairly large file server, but knowing me, I'll be filling the hard drives on the Ion builds sooner rather than later. Besides, I find 2.5" 5400RPM hard drives to be quiet enough and even the 500GB 2.5" drives are often on sale nowadays.

[Skippman]

Nice and simple. Had no idea Mini-ITX cases were so expensive. Haven't messed with the form factor since my CarPuter days.

[hnzw_rui]

Nice and simple. Had no idea Mini-ITX cases were so expensive. Haven't messed with the form factor since my CarPuter days.

Actually, I think the reason the Apex MW-100 is somewhat expensive is because of the 80W DC-DC board and 60W AC-DC adapter. There are a bunch of mini-itx cases in the $50 range, however, I really liked the size of this one. I own a couple of these and they're housing Intel D945GCLF2-based builds.

Besides, if you look at some of the other mini-itx cases (some reaching $200+), the one I have is fairly reasonably priced.

[Alathald]

Looks like they can be preordered at mini-itx.com...anyone know where we can get them this side of the atlantic?

[hnzw_rui]

Looks like they can be preordered at mini-itx.com...anyone know where we can get them this side of the atlantic?

Well, they've been available for pre-order from mini-itx.com since last week and they do ship internationally. Pricing there is a bit insane though, specially when you add shipping costs. Last time around, NCIX was one of the first etailers to have the Zotac 9300 Mini-ITX board available. Maybe they'd stock the latest Ion board first, too?

EDIT:
A quick check of NCIX shows they have the Zotac A, B & C available for pre-order.

[hnzw_rui]

Zotac ION A, B, C and D boards now available for pre-order from Amazon. So far, I've found Amazon to have the best prices on these boards.

Btw, does LR have affiliate links for Amazon? One board I go to automatically updates links to products on Amazon to affiliate links so they get a bit of revenue from that. Maybe you could do the same here.

[Apoptosis]

Zotac ION A, B, C and D boards now available for pre-order from Amazon. So far, I've found Amazon to have the best prices on these boards.

Btw, does LR have affiliate links for Amazon? One board I go to automatically updates links to products on Amazon to affiliate links so they get a bit of revenue from that. Maybe you could do the same here.

Which board does that?

[hnzw_rui]

Which board does that?

AVS Forum. They do the same with Newegg.