VIA ARTiGO Pico-ITX kit unveiled - costs only $300

VIA today launched VIA ARTiGO, a $300 DIY builder kit for enthusiasts wanting to build an ultra compact personal computer. Designed by the creators of the Pico-ITX form factor, the VIA ARTiGO Builder Kit offers consumers a more sophisticated DIY experience.

Imagine a complete x86 computer in the palm of your hand – a sleek black x86 system that can handle the day-to-day rigors of modern computing with a full complement of multimedia features. Weighing about 520g (less than 1.2lbs) and measuring a mere 15cm x 11cm x 4cm high (5.9" x 4.3" x 1.8"), the VIA ARTiGO is about half the size of a regular desktop optical drive and can even be installed inside the drive bay of a regular desktop PC.

Available from leading online and IT stores in the US and the UK, the VIA ARTiGO kit contains a VIA EPIA PX10000 Pico-ITX board, chassis, power adapter and all essential accessories, making it the ideal holiday gift for PC enthusiasts. The powerboard has been specially designed to support the remarkably low power draw, with a complete system consuming around 15 watts in idle, while the mainboard itself consumes a maximum of only 20 watts under full load.

The VIA ARTiGO package also supplies all the cabling and port accessories the DIY builder needs. Moreover, the system is customizable – simply add your choice of system memory and hard drive and you’re ready to install your choice of operating system.

Inside this DIY builder's package you'll find one VIA EPIA PX10000 Pico-ITX board, one VIA PWB-N550 power board, an Ultra-ATA cable, PS/2 cable, COM port, DVI cables and a driver CD. Also included is the tiny black chassis with assembly accessories, a 60-watt power adapter, power cord and easy assembly instruction manual. The VIA ARTiGO chassis measures 15cm x 11cm x 4cm (5.9" x 4.3" x 1.8").

Broadband networking is seamless through the 10/100 Fast Ethernet port, and display output through the VGA port also at the rear supports all regular monitors. Peripheral connectivity, including for the latest keyboards and mice, is made simple through four USB2.0 ports at the front of the chassis, along with two audio jacks for easy access to plug in headphones and microphone.

Powered by the 1GHz VIA C7 processor and supporting up to 1GB of DDR2 533 SO-DIMM system memory, the VIA EPIA PX mainboard is based on the single-chip VIA VX700 system media processor, boasting the VIA UniChrome Pro II IGP 3D/2D graphics core, MPEG-2/-4 and WMV9 hardware decoding acceleration and display flexibility. The onboard VIA VT1708A HD audio codec also contributes a rich entertainment experience.