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The NVIDIA ION nettop platform

The end of 2008 is in front, it looks like NVIDIA is really having a busy end of the year. The chip maker is getting ready to launch some much anticipated products, GTX 285 and GTX 295 to be more specific, which is to become the company's highest-performance desktop PC graphics cards available. But the aforementioned card is still weeks away from their official launch, but that has not stopped NVIDIA from announcing a product that will probably take the market by storm. Trapped in a 0.6L cases NVIDIA ION is the first nettop which will provide users with moderate performance in order to use it for things such as video encoding, games, or things you do not normally think about core Intel-based nettop.

NVIDIA has been to introduce the new system in various parts of the world, and we had the good fortune to be, as they say, at the right time in the right place. It was quite difficult to notice the ION, mainly because of its small form factor and comes from the place where it was done was full of systems that boasted high-performance NVIDIA GeForce graphics card. Still, when you see a small device that the ION, next to a Full HD Sony Bravia LCD, run 'The Dark Knight "as a true high-performance desktop, you immediately shift your attention to the little" thing ".
What NVIDIA has done with ION is to create a platform that combines a GeForce 9400M chipset with an Intel Atom processor, all located on a Pico-ITX PCBs. Sure, if you are not familiar with the form factor, which does not say much, but remember that you can actually fit inside a computer of your pockets.

And this is all the more impressive when you will read the technical specifications for this thing. The small ION is just large enough to provide you with six USB 2.0 ports, two eSATA ports, an Optical SPDIF and a 7.1-channel LPCM audio. Thanks to the integration of the GeForce 9400M, the Pico-ITX platform can provide a 5x faster transcoding than Atom processor alone (according to NVIDIA). The chip maker has also mentioned that ION is not so high on energy consumption, since it has proven power of 22W when in full load, according to internal benchmarks that have already been implemented.

You must already be wondering about the price - so guess we thought that the moment we got up close and personal with ION. Unfortunately, NVIDIA has not put a price on it yet, but it would be a $ 50 premium over the price tag of most Netbook out. Given the capacity of this small computer, pay $ 50 more can be considered a real bargain.

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