VIA Stuffs 1GHz C7 CPU And VX900 Into EPIA-M720 Mini-ITX Mobo

VIA Stuffs 1GHz C7 CPU And VX900 Into EPIA-M720 Mini-ITX Mobo

Thursday, September 29, 2011 - by Ray Willington
Embedded systems just aren't what they used to be. And by that, we mean that they're far more potent and useful to the masses than they were just a few years back, when they were only powerful enough to handle mundane enterprise chores and the like. VIA has been capitalizing on the uptick in power and power efficiency lately, and their newest board is living proof. The next-gen EPIA-M720 Mini-ITX motherboard features the VIA VX900 MSP, and acts as the upgrade to the EPIA-LN. There's DDR3 and SATA II support, as well as a VIA 1GHz C7 processor coupled with the VA VX900 all-in-one media system processor.


All combined, what you're left with is a small footprint that's plenty powerful to chew through most HD video, and there's even HDMI support for carputers or small HTPCs. Measuring just 17cm x 17cm the VIA EPIA-M720 features the 1.0GHz VIA C7 processor for fanless configurations with ultra low power requirements. The VIA C7 processor is combined with the VIA VX900 MSP, supporting up to 4GB of DDR3 1066 DIMM system memory and featuring the VIA ChromotionHD 2.0 video processor. The VIA EPIA-M720 also adds support for Windows 7 and Windows Embedded 7 operating systems.


Rear panel I/O includes two PS/2 ports (KB/MS), one HDMI port, one VGA port, one COM port, one Gigabit LAN port, two USB 2.0 ports and three audio jacks. An onboard PCI slot is accompanied with two SATA II connectors, an additional COM port, a further three USB 2.0 pin headers for 6 USB ports (including two optional ports), SPDIF out, one pin header for LPT and an SMBus header. There's no word on pricing just yet, but it should be hitting retailers soon.
Via: VIA | News Archive | Tags: Motherboard, VIA, Enterprise, mainboard
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By KBastomi on Sep 29, 2011

combined with pci style zotac 520 gt this board will rocks......

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By omegadraco on Sep 29, 2011

This a nice offering from VIA. These would be cool to use in a trade show booth and be easy to mount/transport so they are not seen.

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By OptimusPrimeTime on Sep 29, 2011

"I think that this is going to be a tough sell if its priced above $99. Even at $99 is kind of hard to swallow with AMD Apu's on the market. The most affordable processor in the Llano line up is the Dual Core MD A4-3400 at $70, its clocked at 2.7 and the GPU a way superior. Add to that a $75 ASRock A75M FM1 which has superior connectivity and expansion, and you got a excellent more capable multimedia HTPC ."

"I give Via credit , this has a small footprint yes, and the loudest component will be the hard drive or Spinning Optical drive, but, AMD has the edge ."

"Anyhow, I would like to add that my Gateway MX3228 is still going strong with its Via VN800 chip. Its run hot as h--, but I have it around my living room for any quick email or page browsing check up."

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By AKwyn on Sep 29, 2011

This should do well for what it's designed for. I mean it's not an AMD APU powered computer, it's one designed to be fit into the smallest footprint possible, and if priced accordingly, it can also be a good deal as well....

It may not have the edge but if you're using it for business a VIA C7 processor is all you'll need. Just push it into one of those kiosks and ATMs, program it and you'll be good to go; it doesn't make any noise and I'm going to assume that the power consumption will also be low as well.

Some people may use this in their HTPCs and it may not have the edge as AMD has but this motherboard is going to be a win for businesses and some enthusiasts who like motherboards like this.

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