VIA shows off first VIA Nano processor motherboard

VIA demos the first VIA Nano mini-ITX processor board, the VIA VB8001, at the Embedded Systems Conference in Boston. This tiny motherboard measures just 17cm x 17cm and features the 1.6GHz VIA Nano processor, supports up to 4GB of DDR2 memory, Gigabit LAN, two Serial ATA ports, integrated VIA CN896 DirectX 9 graphics, VIA Vinyl 5.1 audio and a x16 PCI Express slot. You can find the full specifications of the motherboard at VIA.

The VIA VB8001 board is a full featured Mini-ITX board using the eagerly-awaited 1.6GHz VIA Nano processor, which boasts support for up to 4GB of DDR2 memory, Gigabit LAN and two Serial ATA ports, delivering exceptional 64-bit performance within a rigidly low thermal envelope, while a mini-PC slot can extend connectivity to wireless broadband.

The VIA CN896 digital media IGP chipset provides for a rich multimedia experience, with its integrated Chrome9™ graphics accelerator for DirectX 9.0 3D graphics, and support for VIA Vinyl 5.1 Audio and popular add-in graphics cards through the 16-lane PCI Express slot, opening up a new realm of optimized and small form factor desktop PC designs.

"We are delighted to bring the first VIA Nano processor based product to our customers," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "The VIA Nano processor offers the perfect balance of performance, features and power efficiency for truly optimized computing."

ESC attendees can also view the forthcoming Pico-ITXe form factor, a flexible design standard designed to take advantage of the I/O-centric Stackable Unified Module Interconnect Technology™, a serial expansion approach to embedded system design that uses specially designed connectors and stacking technology. Also on show will be the latest system and board level products, including the forthcoming VIA VIPRO, a thin and durable all-in-one touch panel system, and VIA's new segment specific NAS and NAB boards.