VIA Processors

VIA Introduces New VIA Nano 3000 Series Processors

News — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:13:53 GMT

VIA Introduces New VIA Nano 3000 Series Processors

VIA's fastest and most power efficient processors yet deliver richest mobile and all-in-one desktop computing experience

Taipei, Taiwan, 3 November 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today introduced its new VIA Nano 3000 Series processors, bringing enhanced digital media performance and lower power consumption to Windows 7 thin and light notebook and all-in-one desktop PC markets.

Based on the 64-bit superscalar 'Isaiah' architecture, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors deliver the most compelling thin and light notebook computing experience with their rich HD entertainment capabilities, including support for flawless playback of high bit-rate 1080p HD video, as well as low power consumption resulting in longer battery life.

With a host of advanced features including 64-bit support, advanced CPU virtualization technology, SSE4 for enhanced multimedia processing, and the industry-leading encryption and security capabilities integrated in the VIA PadLock Security Engine, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors also provide a secure, high-performance solution for emerging cloud-based computing environments.

"With the VIA Nano 3000 Series, we are launching our fastest and most power-efficient processors yet," commented Richard Brown, VP International Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Coupled with our market-leading digital media chipsets, they enable the richest experience across a broad range of mobile and all-in-one system designs."

VIA Nano 3000 Series
VIA Nano 3000 Series processors are built on the successful 64-bit, superscalar architecture that powers the VIA Nano 1000 Series and 2000 Series processors, which have been adopted by leading OEMs worldwide for a growing number of market-leading mini-note, small form factor desktop, and energy-efficient server designs.

Available at speeds from 1.0GHz to 2.0GHz, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors deliver up to 20% higher performance using up to 20% less power than current VIA Nano processors and boast a number of new features including support for the SSE4 multimedia instruction set and VIA VT virtualization technology.

Fully compatible with all Microsoft operating systems, including the new Windows 7, as well as all popular Linux distributions, the VIA Nano 3000 Series processors use the NanoBGA2 package, making them pin-to-pin compatible with VIA Nano 1000 Series, VIA Nano 2000 Series, VIA C7, VIA C7-M and VIA Eden processors for easy upgrades of existing designs.

VIA Nano 3000 Series Availability
VIA Nano 3000 Series processor samples are currently available for OEMs and motherboard vendors, and will enter mass production in Q1 2010.

VIA Nano 3000 processors will be available in the following product skus:

VIA's Eden CPU In Fujitsu FUTRO S100 Thin Client

News — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:54:23 GMT

We can remember a time when VIA was rarely mentioned when talking CPUs, but now the company has made a ferocious comeback that has its processors slipping into netbooks, small form factor PCs and now, Fujitsu thin clients.

Starting today, Fujitsu will utilize VIA's Eden ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) processor for its next generation FUTRO thin client series. Said chip will provide 500MHz of power with a low TDP of just one watt. The first FUTRO to featur ethe chip will be the S100, a completely fanless and silent thin client and virtual workplace solution.

VIA's angle is that more and more companies are selecting its low-power CPUs due to the benefits of going green, and in fact, the entire S100 system under full load will only eat up 11 watts. Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, didn't hesitate to brag about the occasion:

"Our VIA Eden ULV processors allow the creation of a new class of fanless and silent devices that are today seeing significant growth in the enterprise. The FUTRO thin client series from Fujitsu represents the leading edge of energy-efficient client computing, something we are proud to be a part of."

The Fujitsu FUTRO S100 thin client is designed for server-based computing and virtual workplace solutions and contains no moving parts, and aside from the 500MHz CPU, you'll also find a VIA VX800 media system processor, two USB 2.0 sockets, a VGA port, fast Ethernet and flash-based storage. There's also VIA's own Chrome9 HC3 graphics set and compatibility with a range of server client infrastructures including Linux-based eLux RL and eLux Lite, VMware, Citrix and Windows CE 6.0. Pricing has yet to be revealed, but it's available now for consumers who inquire.

VIA Launches Stackable Multi-Story Chassis for EPIA Boards

News — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:05:47 GMT

VIA Launches Stackable Multi-Story Chassis for VIA EPIA Boards

VIA AMOS-1000 and VIA AMOS-2000 chassis use unique stackable and modular designs for Mini-ITX and Nano-ITX-based industrial SBCs

Taipei, Taiwan, 27 August 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced its latest additions to the VIA AMOS series of universal chassis products; the VIA AMOS-1000 and VIA AMOS-2000 chassis are specially designed to work with VIA EPIA Mini-ITX and Nano-ITX boards and feature unique multi-story stackability.

VIA developed the VIA AMOS-1000 and VIA AMOS-2000 chassis to make complete system design as straightforward and expedient as possible. The guiding principle behind the VIA AMOS-1000 and VIA AMOS-2000 is the ability to add additional layers to the chassis, facilitating simple system expansion for optical drives, system storage and PCI or PCI Express AIBs.

"The expansion of our VIA AMOS chassis series to include Mini-ITX and Nano-ITX products is something that we are certain our customers will appreciate," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "These new chassis designs offer a comprehensive feature set that can be easily sculpted into a wide variety of application specific designs."

The VIA AMOS-1000 and VIA AMOS-2000 chassis designs are ideal for a wide range of industrial and commercial applications including digital signage, healthcare, industrial control and automation, kiosk, POI/POS, gaming and surveillance. The modular and fully customizable nature of these chassis designs means that customers can bring products to market faster, using fewer resources. All VIA AMOS chassis are designed to be user friendly, making system maintenance as simple as possible.

The VIA AMOS-1000 Mini-ITX Chassis
The VIA AMOS-1000 is specially designed to work with VIA’s extensive range of VIA EPIA Mini-ITX boards. The VIA AMOS-1000 in a basic configuration involves a main system chassis that contains a VIA EPIA Mini-ITX board, 2.5” hard disk with a DC to DC power board and optional companion boards including wireless, COM, DVI and USB boards. These companion boards provide additional I/O on the reverse of the chassis.

This basic chassis configuration can be supplemented with additional layers, including an ultra thin storage chassis that can support an slimline optical storage drive, as well as a Compact Flash slot, MiniPCI port and two additional S-ATA II 2.5" hard drives. This storage module takes the potential storage capacity of a VIA AMOS-1000 system to a theoretical max of 3TB.

The VIA AMOS-1000 also supports a riser expansion chassis that adds support for up to two PCI or PCI Express add-in-boards; offering multitude of I/O options that include high-end discrete graphics and video support, networking I/O or a plethora of other application-centered configurations.

VIA's Nano CPU Finds Shuttle's XS29F SFF PC

News — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:24:32 GMT

Wow Shuttle, branching out, are we? The company made famous for delivering rectangular barebones kits that ruled the SFF roost for years is now spreading its wings and delving into more low-power type rigs. Don't believe us? Have a look at the latest release from VIA, which proves that Shuttle is accepting VIA's Nano CPU in its newest small form factor PC.

The fanless Shuttle XS29F is smaller and less flashy than most of Shuttle's wares, and the company is targetting home users and small business users who don't really need loads of horsepower to handle basic daily work tasks such as email, Word processing and spreadsheet creation. Furthermore, the fanless design ensures that the unit remains practically silent, so we suspect these would be just perfect in library environments, too.

Powered by a VIA Nano U1700 processor, the XS29F also packs a VX800 media system processor, VGA / DVI outputs, Ethernet, SATA II storage and up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM. There is also four USB 2.0 ports, HD audio and Chrome9 HC3 integrated graphics, and Shuttle asserts that the machine will have a maximum power usage of under 50 watts. Sadly, no pricing or release information has been divulged.

VIA Demos End-to-End Cryptographic Security

News — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:55:38 GMT

VIA Offers Customized Security Solution Service to Embedded Customers

VIA demos end-to-end cryptographic security solutions at Computex 2009

Taipei, Taiwan, May 21, 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced that it will be showing examples of its customized security solution service at Computex 2009, helping customers to employ a comprehensive and effective security infrastructure in all segments.

VIA Nano, VIA C7 and VIA Eden processor platforms are the only processors that currently offer a built-in Advanced Cryptographic Engine. In order to better help customers access this unique feature, VIA is now offering a comprehensive security solution service that can accurately meet the security needs of individual customers across a range of embedded segments.

Digital signage customers can ensure that proprietary content is secure across a distribution network with end-to-end encryption while kiosk and ATM applications can now provide absolute assurance to customers that every transaction is completely secure. Regardless of industry segment, VIA's end-to-end cryptographic security service makes data protection simple.

"VIA is very excited about empowering our customers with a wholly new and more rational security infrastructure" said Daniel Wu, Vice President of VIA Embedded, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Our processor platforms have security features embedded in their core and our challenge today is to help our customers get the most out of these features."

VIA Embedded at Computex 2009
Join VIA at Computex 2009, Nangang Exhibition Hall, Booth L409A and experience the very latest in end-to-end cryptographic security from VIA. A live demonstration will illustrate the benefits of on-the-fly, hardware-based encryption using a realistic security scenario involving secure, validated OS booting and transparent application data encryption and decryption.

Visitors to Computex 2009 will also be able to see a range of innovative small form factor boards and systems as well as new system level design manufacturing services from VIA.

Board-level innovations on display include products based on VIA's recently announced form factors: Pico-ITXe and Em-ITX. Visitors will be able to see the I/O-centric VIA EPIA P710 board, the first product on the market to feature the new Pico-ITXe form factor, supporting a range of stackable, customizable expansion cards through its unique SUMIT connectors.

The VIA EITX-3000 board takes advantage of the latest Em-ITX form factor specification, adding longer dual I/O coastlines to provide ample space for a wide array of I/O options. Designed for ultra-thin embedded applications, the VIA EITX-3000 can withstand a wide range of temperatures and features a 1.3GHz VIA Nano processor.

Small form factor industrial PC designs will be shown including the VIA AMOS-3000, a versatile and fanless, ultra-compact box PC based on the VIA EPIA P700 Pico-ITX board. Ideal for a variety of industrial applications, the VIA AMOS-3000 is constructed from heavy-duty steel, aluminum and copper for superb heat dissipation and stability in always-on industrial environments.

System level products on display include the VIA VIPRO VP7710 panel PC for kiosk, POI and HMI applications; a fanless and rugged industrial grade touch screen panel PC featuring a water and dust resistant 10.4" TFT LCD touch screen panel.

Dell Selects VIA Nano CPUs For Unique New Server

News — Sat, 16 May 2009 16:07:51 GMT

With Intel getting hit with that massive $1.45 billion fine this past week, it's got the whole technology industry thinking about the ins and outs of antitrust. Granted, we fully expect that Dell has had this here deal cooking for some time now, but the timing of this introduction is almost poetic. For the longest while, Dell has offered processors from Intel, a few from AMD and... well, that's about it. Starting next, all that changes.

According to a new report from The New York Times, the Texas-based PC maker is gearing up to unveil a new, unique system that uses a dozen full servers running on chips from none other than VIA. In fact, the strange device will utilize the notoriously slow and energy-efficient VIA Nano chips in a 3.5" high case, which is three times as many servers as Dell typically shoves into similarly small systems. Naturally, Dell plans to push the power saving aspect, with each server consuming just 15 to 30 watts of power -- or right around one tenth the power of an ordinary server.

We know what you're thinking, and you're right: "A VIA Nano...in a sever?" Typically, the Nano has been reserved for low-cost, low-power machines that do little more than power PCs designed for Word processing and e-mail checking. We're told that this device, which will officially be known as XS11-VX8, will be aimed at specialized applications. Specifically, it'll be marketed towards companies that buy hundreds upon hundreds of servers to support Web site hosting, and it can only be procured via a special group within Dell that makes custom hardware for bulk-order customers.

Just to refresh your memory, a typical VIA Nano runs at just 1.3GHz or 1.6GHz, but it'll help keep the cost of this new product under $400 each. It's expected that these servers will have plenty of power to handle the few tasks that are put on them: accept a click, do the redirect and keep web surfers on the right track. Sounds so easy, doesn't it?

VIA Unveils Pico-ITXe Board with Stackable I/O

News — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:52:01 GMT

VIA Unveils First Pico-ITXe Board with Stackable I/O Expansion at ESC Boston

VIA EPIA-P710 utilizes new SUMIT connectors for the modular addition of advanced serial connectivity including PCI Express, offering developers more flexible and cost effective design options for compact embedded systems

Taipei, Taiwan, October 29 2008 - VIA Technologies, Inc., a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA-P710, the world's first single board computer based on the new Pico-ITXe specification of the Small Form Factor Special Interest Group (SFF-SIG), providing a more rational approach to system design.

Supporting up to four customizable I/O expansion modules, the VIA EPIA-P710 Pico-ITXe enables a highly flexible and affordable implementation of serial connectivity options. Designed as the perfect baseboard, the VIA EPIA-P710 uses an intelligent board layout to allow efficient module stacking and aid heat dissipation.

The VIA EPIA-P710 board features two SUMIT (Stackable Unified Module Interconnect Technology) connectors that integrate common high and low speed, legacy and serial expansion buses, including, most notably, PCI Express, LPC, SPI and USB 2.0. This extensive support sets Pico-ITXe apart from competing standards, facilitating an off-the-shelf solution to power the next generation of embedded devices. SUMIT is an open standard administered by the SFF-SIG.

Powered by a 1GHz VIA C7 processor and the latest VIA VX800 media system processor, the VIA EPIA-P710 delivers an incredibly full-featured yet flexible, power-efficient platform within the remarkably small footprint of 10cm x 7.2cm.

"VIA is excited to be the first to deliver a truly innovative product that leverages the ultra compact dimensions and modular expandability of the new Pico-ITXe specification," said Daniel Wu, Vice President of VIA Embedded, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Our collaboration with SFF-SIG has borne a product that will set the standard for the embedded industry and shape the market for years to come."

The VIA EPIA-P710 possesses the technical diversity to offer system developers considerable scope for customizing I/O simply and cost effectively through the addition of selected Pico-I/O bus expansion modules, for demanding applications such as industrial automation, data acquisition and process monitoring. The board can also be used as a stand-alone platform for mid-range signage and kiosk solutions.

VIA EPIA-P710 Pico-ITXe: Setting the Standard for the Embedded Industry
Measuring a mere 10cm x 7.2cm the VIA EPIA-P710 uses a 1GHz VIA C7 processor and the latest VIA VX800 advanced all-in-one media system processor, which features the integrated VIA Chrome9 IGP with DX9 Graphics and MPEG-2/4, WMV9 and VC1 video decoding acceleration. The board supports up to 2GB of DDR2 system memory, one IDE channel, two S-ATA channels and the VIA Vinyl HD Audio.

I/O configurations include two SUMIT QMS connectors that provide I/O support for up to 3 USB, 1 LPC, 2 PCIe x1, a PCIe x4, SMBus and SPI buses. Pin headers provide Gigabit LAN, VGA, LVDS, audio and front panel LED. The VIA EPIA-P700 will ship in December 2008, with samples available to developers upon request.

VIA Nano Processor Cryptography Performance

News — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:00:46 GMT

VIA Nano Processor: World's Safest, Most Power Efficient Cryptography for Mini-notes and x86-based Computers

New SiSoftware Sandra 2009 benchmarking software includes measurable cryptographic tests showing the VIA Nano processor using only 5% of the power and almost double the speed
of competing CPUs

Taipei, Taiwan, October 14, 2008 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today showed that the cryptographic performance of the VIA Nano processor is the most power efficient on the market, due to its dedicated VIA PadLock Security Engine, a suite of security tools integrated directly into the processor die.

The hardware security implementation within the VIA Nano processor means that user data is handled more efficiently and safely by circuitry deep inside the silicon, rather than by using more vulnerable operating system, memory and software resources.

The benchmarking of the 1.3GHz VIA Nano processor using SiSoftware's newest release of the SiSoftware Sandra 2009 diagnostic utility showed the VIA Nano processor performing the cryptographic tests at a blazing 765MB/s of bandwidth, over 93% faster than a 3.2GHz Intel Core 2 Quad QX9770 processor, yet using a mere 5% of the power.

"Fast, power efficient and safe data encryption are quickly becoming a top concern of mobile PC users," said Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Data protection and identity theft for lost and stolen devices are issues that are compounded by the growth of the mobile computing market, key areas where the VIA Nano processor can significantly help protect users data."

"Cryptography has become an important part of our digital life: it allows us to conduct safe transactions online, certify programs and services, keep our data secure and much more." said C. Adrian Silasi, CTO, SiSoftware. "The speed at which cryptographic operations (encryption, decryption, hashing, signing) can be performed is thus very much important."

The VIA PadLock Security Engine integrated wholly into the VIA Nano processor enabling secure computing by adding extra functions (opcodes) to the processor that gives programmers a whole suite of tools which, when implemented, can make data unreadable to unauthorized users (data encryption), and help prevent attacks from hackers and worms. More information about VIA Padlock Security Engine and open source data encryption applications for Windows and Linux based devices can be found here.

A short video showing the performance testing results for a VIA Nano 1.3GHz based VIA OpenBook can be viewed below:

VIA Announces Nano-ITX Board with VIA VX800

News — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:31:43 GMT

VIA Announces First Nano-ITX Board with VIA VX800

The VIA EPIA N700 features the latest VX800 unified all-in-one media system processor and extended I/O ports for reduced cabling in tight spaces

Taipei, Taiwan, 15 August 2008 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA N700 Nano-ITX board, designed as a complete solution for compact industrial PC and embedded automation devices. Featuring a 1.5GHz VIA C7 or 500MHz VIA Eden processor, the VIA EPIA N700 is the first Nano-ITX board to feature the latest VIA VX800 media system processor, offering system designers the perfect balance of ruthless miniaturization and uncompromising functionality.

Compact, yet user friendly, the VIA EPIA N700 uses additional onboard ports to make system design of compact PCs easier; two S-ATA ports, a Gigabit LAN port, a COM port, two USB 2.0 ports and a VGA port are provided, with additional COM, LVDS and IDE support available through onboard pin-headers. With the VX800 offering an integrated DX9 graphics core and excellent hardware accelerated video playback, this compact, low heat, power-efficient board is the ultimate solution for designing low heat, compact systems.

The VIA EPIA N700 is the lowest profile Nano-ITX board ever. The addition of onboard VGA, USB, COM and Gigabit network ports on this compact board helps to reduce cluttered cabling, adding improved air-flow for enhanced stability in always-on systems and a further reduced system foot-print. The VIA EPIA N700 requires only a single 4-pin power cable as its sole power source, again saving space, while the external CMOS battery allows flexible, efficient placement within the chassis.

"The VIA EPIA N700 Nano-ITX board has been specially developed to excel in space constrained environments while offering an extensive feature set based around the VIA VX800," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Through listening carefully to customers, we're confident that we've made the VIA EPIA N700 as user friendly as possible".

The VIA VX800 Media System Processor
The VIA EPIA N700 is equipped with the latest VIA VX800 media system processor, an all-in-one, highly integrated digital media IGP chipset featuring the latest video, graphics and connectivity performance in a single chip. Measuring just 33x33mm, the VIA VX800 features an integrated VIA Chrome 9™ graphics core with full DirectX 9 support and the VIA Chromotion™ video engine which provides superb video acceleration for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9, VC1 and DiVX video formats, plus a VMR capable HD video processor. The VIA VX800 includes an integrated multi-configuration 24-bit, dual channel LVDS transmitter, enabling display connection to embedded panels. Learn more about the VIA VX800 system media processor here.

About the VIA EPIA N700
The VIA EPIA N700 is available with either a 1.5GHz VIA C7 or 500MHz VIA Eden processor coupled with the VIA VX800 unified media system processor supporting up to 2GB of DDR2 667 system memory.

In terms of storage, the VIA EPIA N700 has two onboard S-ATA connectors, an IDE connector through pin-headers and a compact flash port. Expansion is easy with a mini-PCI slot on the reverse side of the board. Both VGA and Gigabit ports are included while 24-bit dual channel LVDS is supported through pin-headers.

Two USB 2.0 ports are available through the I/O array while a further two are available through front panel pin headers, as is PS/2 support for keyboard and mouse. One serial port is included with support for RS232/422 and RS485 configurations, while a further three COM ports are available through pin-headers including a 12v/5v jumper. Other pin-headers provide support for SM Bus, SPI and digital I/O including 4 x GPI and 4 x GPO support.

Security can be augmented by enabling the VIA PadLockSecurity Engine, a hardware based security technology that provides the latest military-grade encryption and protection with the world's fastest x86 security engine. More details about the VIA EPIA N700 Nano-ITX board may be found on the VIA website.

VIA Nano L2100 vs. Intel Atom 230: Head to Head

News — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:03:06 GMT

VIA caused quite a stir a few months ago when the company first revealed initial details regarding their low-power Nano processor. At the time, the product was referred to by its internal codename of Isaiah and the president of the design center that was tasked with making the processor was decidedly outspoken, which made for some exciting reporting. When news of the Isaiah core first broke, we hopped on the line with Glenn Henry, VIA's Centaur design center president, and got many questions answered regarding the processor's architecture, features, expected performance, and the company's plans for the CPU. We also covered the official announcement of the VIA Nano processor and detailed the exact models that would be available at launch. One thing we hadn't been able to do, however, was a direct performance comparison of the VIA Nano processor versus Intel's recently released Atom, which is target at the same market segment. Thankfully, we were recently given the opportunity to take a VIA Nano reference platform for a spin to see what it could do and will be presenting our results for you here today...

VIA Nano L2100 vs. Intel Atom 230: Head to Head

Introducing the VIA Nano Processor

News — Wed, 28 May 2008 21:05:02 GMT

VIA made quite a splash early this year when they announced the Isaiah CPU architecture, which was developed at their Centaur design center. At the time of the announcement, we spoke with VIA's Centaur design center president, Glenn Henry, to get a deeper insight into what VIA had in store with Isaiah, but we weren't given many hard details regarding final clock speeds and specifications, performance, branding, or availability.

Today though, VIA is ready to disclose a few more details regarding the Isaiah CPU architecture. First off, Isaiah-based processors now fall under the Nano brand. Due to their low-power design, VIA's Nano processors will initially be used to power a broad range of thin and light notebooks, but they will also appear in ultra mobile, mini-note type devices and small form factor, energy efficient "green" desktop systems as well. If you look back at our interview with Glenn Henry, we answer many questions regarding VIA's Nano processors and have an architectural FAQ posted at the end. To reiterate some of what we cover in that piece, the VIA Nano is the first 64-bit, superscalar, speculative out-of-order processors in VIA’s x86 product line-up. It leverages Fujitsu’s 65nm process technology for enhanced power efficiency despite having roughly twice the numbers of transistors as the 90nm-based VIA C7 processor.

Although the chips are being manufactured at 65nm, Nano processors have a larger die than C7, mostly due to the Nano having roughly 8x the amount of total cache. VIA Nano processors have a die size of 7.650mm x 8.275mm, or about 63 square mm, versus the 32 square mm of the 90nm-based C7. Nano processors use the same packaging, however, VIA's compact 21mm x 21mm NanoBGA2 package.

As you can see in the chart above, VIA's Nano processors will initially be offered in five different skus, two “Low Voltage” versions, the L2100 and L2200, and three “Ultra Low Voltage” versions, the U2400, U2500, and U2300.

According to the specifications, initial production versions of the 1.0GHz VIA Nano ULV processor will have a maximum Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 5 watts with an idle power of just 100mW. At the other end of the spectrum is the 1.8 GHz VIA Nano processor a 25.5 watts TDP and 550mW idle power rating.

This high-level block diagram gives a basic architectural overview of the VIA Nano processor. Other features of the design include:

64-bit Superscalar Speculative Out-Of-Order MicroArchitecture: Supports a full 64-bit instruction set and provides for macro-fusion and micro-fusion functionality, and sophisticated branch prediction for greater processor efficiency and performance.
High-Performance Computation and Media Processing: The high-speed, low power VIA V4 Front Side Bus starting at 800MHz, plus a high speed floating point unit, support for new SSE instructions, and two 64KB L1 caches and 1MB exclusive L2 cache with 16-way associativity gives a big boost to multimedia performance.
Advanced Power and Thermal Management: Aggressive management of active power includes support for the new “C6” power state, Adaptive PowerSaver Technology, new circuit techniques and mechanisms for managing the die temperature, reducing power draw and improving thermal management.
Scalable Upgrade to VIA C7 Processor: Pin-to-pin compatibility with current VIA C7 processors enables a smooth transition for OEMs and mainboard vendors, enabling them to offer a wider range of products for different markets with a single board or system design.
Greener Technology: In addition to full compliance with RoHS and WEEE regulations, product manufacturing will be halogen-free and lead-free at launch, helping to promote a cleaner environment and more sustainable computing.
Enhanced VIA PadLock Security Engine: Industry-leading on-die hardware cryptographic acceleration and security features, including dual quantum random number generators, an AES Encryption Engine, NX execute protection, and SHA-1 and SHA-256 hashing.

VIA is also quick to make a comparison of the security features offered in the latest x86 processors. As the above chart shows, the Nano has a number of cryptographic acceleration and security features integrated into the CPU die, which Intel and AMD do not.

Please note, the benchmark results posted above comparing the VIA Nano and C7 processor were provided by VIA to show the comparative performance of the two processors when coupled with the new VIA VX800 digital media IGP chipset. A variety of applications were tested, grouped into three main categories - productivity, multimedia, and synthetics.

As the numbers show, the Nano offers about 1.6x to 3.2x the performance of the C7 clock-for-clock while within a similar, albeit somewhat higher, power envelope.

VIA also provided a Performance Per Watt comparison between a 1.6GHz Intel Celeron-M 520 and a 1.6GHz VIA Nano. The test was based on the overall score from an OfficeBench 2007 benchmark run and the TDP for a 1.6GHz Celeron-M (31 watts) versus the TDP of a 1.6GHz VIA Nano (17 watts). As per VIA's results, the Nano offers 1.9x the perf per watt of a similarly clocked Celeron M. We hope to verify these results four ourselves, sometime in the near future.

According to VIA, Nano processors are available now for OEMs and motherboard vendors, and systems featuring VIA Nano processors should hit the market in Q3 2008.

VIA Pico-ITX Goes Low Profile, Integrates Power

News — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:08:48 GMT

VIA Pico-ITX Goes Low Profile, Integrates Power Supply

New VIA EPIA P700 board features in-line I/O pin-headers and extended feature set including Gigabit LAN, S-ATA II and an integrated power adapter

Taipei, Taiwan, 27 June 2008 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA P700 Pico-ITX board that couples more features within a streamlined, ultra compact footprint designed for low profile systems, with extended I/O port options through two companion boards.

Now featuring native S-ATA II support, Gigabit LAN, and support for GPIO, SM bus and LPC devices, the 10cm x 7.2cm VIA EPIA P700 is based on the VIA VX700 unified digital media IGP chipset and is powered by a 1GHz VIA C7 or fanless 500MHz VIA Eden ULV processor. An integrated power adapter coupled with the 5-volt S-SATA power cable negates the need for a separate power daughterboard, saving considerable space for ultra compact systems.

Linear on-board pin-header placement means developers can use a single cable to effortlessly connect various I/O devices in a streamlined way that reduces cable clutter. Flexible battery placement is also geared towards improved miniaturization, making the VIA EPIA P700 the most slimline Pico-ITX board yet.

Two companion boards make light work of design implementation and product testing. The P700-A board features an RJ45 port, a VGA port and a COM port, while the P700-B sports four USB ports and three audio jacks for multi-channel surround sound. The two companion boards fit seamlessly with the streamlined linear pin-headers on either side of the VIA EPIA P700 to enable ultra low profile devices.

"VIA has listened to its customers to learn how we can add even greater features to our products," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Pico-ITX continues to evolve in tandem with the needs of our customers, addressing the challenge of producing full-featured, ultra compact embedded systems that can be brought to market as quickly and as easily as possible."

About the VIA EPIA P700 Pico-ITX Board
The VIA EPIA P700 Pico-ITX board is powered by either a 1.0GHz VIA C7 or fanless 500MHz VIA Eden ULV processor and supports up to 1GB of DDR2 system memory. The VIA VX700 unified digital media IGP chipset boasts 2D/3D AGP graphics and video decoding acceleration for WMV and MPEG-2/4 video through the VIA UniChrome™ Pro II IGP graphics core. The VIA VT1708B high definition codec offers eight channel audio and DTS multi-channel digital surround sound for an all-round high fidelity experience.

The VIA EPIA P700 negates the need for a traditional power board with an integrated +12V DC 2-pin power jack and lock which also includes a 5V S-SATA power cable.

The VIA EPIA P700 has both an onboard IDE and S-ATA II ports. I/O connectivity through pin-headers and bundled companion cards include a Gigabit Ethernet port, a CRT/DVI header, a LVDS port, a COM port, 3 audio jacks, 4 USB 2.0 ports, a PS/2 port and an LPC/SM Bus/GPIO pin header. For more details about the VIA EPIA P700 please visit the VIA wesbsite.

New VIA EPIA M700 Mini-ITX Enables Dual Displays

News — Sun, 25 May 2008 18:02:36 GMT

New VIA EPIA M700 Mini-ITX Enables Brilliant Dual Digital Displays

First board to feature the new VIA VX800 digital media chipset delivers enhanced video playback, dual display and dual Gigabit LAN

Taipei, Taiwan - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA M700 Mini-ITX board, the first to feature the VIA VX800 chipset, for sophisticated digital signage and retail display systems.

As today's information, entertainment and commercial display system feature ever more immersive content, the VIA EPIA M700 addresses the increasing demands for enhanced media playback and visual clarity across multiple displays in digital multimedia applications with support for dual-DVI or DVI plus HDMI configurations with unique resolutions, pixel depths and refresh rates.

Featuring a 1.5GHz or a fanless 1.0GHz VIA C7 processor, the VIA EPIA M700 leverages the uncompromising multimedia performance of the VIA VX800 unified chipset with its integrated VIA Chrome9 HC3 integrated graphics core for DirectX™ 9.0 3D graphics and up to six-channel VIA Vinyl HD Audio rich surround sound, while the VIA Chromotion video engine provides advanced hardware video acceleration and an improved visual experience for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9, VC1 and DivX video, plus a VMR capable HD video processor.

As multimedia file sizes grow, so speedy server connectivity is becoming increasingly important in dynamic digital signage and kiosk solutions, so the VIA EPIA M700 boasts two PCI-Express based Gigabit LAN ports to facilitate wideband data transfer for large video and other files over networks.

"The VIA VX800 system media processor brings digital content to life on embedded systems," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "The VIA EPIA M700 harnesses the power of the VIA VX800, delivering a product that embraces the latest digital multimedia experience while maintaining our commitment to rigid power and heat efficiency".

The VIA VX800 media system processor
The key to the outstanding multimedia performance of the VIA EPIA M700 is the latest media system processor from VIA, the VIA VX800. An all-in-one, highly integrated digital media IGP chipset, the VIA VX800 offers incredible versatility and multimedia performance on the latest display standards on a single chip measuring just 33x33mm.

About the VIA EPIA M700 Mini-ITX Board
Available in two skus, the VIA EPIA M700 uses either a 1.5GHz or fanless 1.0GHz VIA C7 processor, depending on system performance, size and thermal requirements, and supports up to 2GB of the latest DDR2 system memory.

As well as a front panel DVI port, pin headers for an additional DVI or HDMI port through a daughterboard are also included, as is support for 18-bit TTL displays. Digital video input is available through pin headers supporting CCIR-656/601//transport stream video, and there is also an S/PDIF connector. The VIA Vinyl VT1708B HD Audio codec supports up to six high definition channels with a 192kHz sampling rate, delivering a richer all-round digital media experience.

Storage includes both an IDE port with a shared Type I Compact Flash port, 2 SATA II ports and up to 6 USB 2.0 ports, two through onboard connectors. Connectivity comes in the form of dual Gigabit LAN ports on the high speed PCI-Express bus. Data protection is assured with the integrated VIA PadLock Security Engine and the onboard MFX-01 module.

VIA EPIA M700 Mini-ITX board samples will be available in early June to project customers and in channel distribution later; for more information see here.

VIA To Run WIth The Big 45nm Dogs Next Year

News — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:12:15 GMT

According to Digitimes, who always seem to know someone inside everywhere, VIA will roll out their own dual core processors by the end of next year, and will manufacture their processors using 45 nanometer scale architecture.

VIA has also revealed more details of its initial-launch Isaiah-based processor, which will feature a core frequency of 2GHz, a V4 Bus speed from 800-1333MHz, and two 64KB L1 cache and 1MB L2 cache pairs with 16-way associatively. The CPU will be manufactured by Fujitsu adopting a 65nm process. The CPU is pin compatible with the company's C7 processors.

Taiwan-based VIA is the largest independent manufacturer of motherboard chipsets in the world.

VIA Unveils the World's Lowest Power x86 CPU

News — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:00:43 GMT

VIA Unveils the World's Lowest Power x86 Processor on the World's Smallest Board

VIA EPIA PX5000EG Pico-ITX board features the 1-watt VIA Eden ULV processor for ultra low power embedded platforms

Taipei, Taiwan, May 14 2008 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA PX5000EG Pico-ITX board that features the extremely power efficient 500MHz VIA Eden ULV processor, offering embedded developers an uncompromisingly compact, highly integrated board.

Building on the success of the VIA EPIA PX10000 Pico-ITX board, which took the embedded industry by storm last year as the world's smallest mass production x86 board ever, the VIA EPIA PX5000EG adds the incredible heat and power efficiency of the 500MHz VIA Eden ULV processor with its maximum power draw of just one watt. System designers of embedded automation and industrial control devices can now take advantage of a full x86 system that fits neatly into the most extreme space constrained, heat sensitive environments.

"The introduction of the VIA EPIA PX5000EG elevates the VIA EPIA range of innovative embedded solutions to new heights of thermal and energy efficiency in an extremely miniaturized form factor," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "The VIA EPIA Pico-ITX form-factor continues to evolve, addressing the embedded industry's needs for greater efficiency and miniaturization."

Developed exclusively by VIA, the Pico-ITX form factor squeezes a full feature set into a mere 10cm x 7.2cm. A complete system in the palm of your hand, the VIA EPIA PX5000EG includes both LVDS/DVI and VGA support, integrated 5.1 channel audio, fast 100/10 Ethernet, both IDE and S-ATA drive support and up to six USB ports and a COM port.

Join the VIA Naked Pico Challenge
With a maximum thermal envelope of just one watt, the 500MHz VIA Eden ULV processor assures complete system stability in always-on systems. To demonstrate this remarkable power and thermal efficiency, VIA welcomes you to take part in the 'Naked Pico Challenge' where we will push the VIA EPIA PX5000EG Pico-ITX board to its absolute limits by running a system under full load without any cooling whatsoever. Simply correctly guess how long this tiny board can take the strain and win a VIA ARTiGO Pico-ITX Builder Kit.

About the VIA EPIA PX5000EG
The VIA EPIA PX5000EG uses a fanless 500MHz VIA Eden ULV processor with a maximum power draw of only one watt and supports up to 1GB of DDR2 system memory. The VIA VX700 system media processor adds VIA UniChrome™ Pro II IGP 3D/2D graphics with MPEG-2/-4 and WMV9 hardware decoding acceleration and pin support for LVDS, DVI and VGA display configurations. The VIA EPIA PX5000EG has both onboard IDE and S-ATA connectors as well as an integrated 100/10 Fast Ethernet port. Connectors are included to support PS/2 keyboard and mouse, 1 multimedia connector to support external TV-out, a video capture port interface & LPC interface (add-on card required), 1 audio connector for line-out, line-in, mic-in, S/PDIF in & 5.1 channel audio output and 1 Pico-ITX power connector.

VIA's Glenn Henry Speaks On New Isaiah Processor

News — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:49:52 GMT

With all the buzz around VIA's recent announcement of their next generation low power Isaiah mobile processor, we thought it would be a good idea to get together with some of VIA's top architecture and design brass in a "fireside chat" sort of venue. The idea was to provide a little more insight into what the team at VIA feels will be the real value proposition of their ultra low power Isaiah mobile X86 processor and how the product will differentiate versus current and future offerings from the likes of Intel, AMD and others. Our direct line of contact was with VIA's Centaur design center president, Glenn Henry. Former Dell CTO and IBM Engineering Fellow, Glenn founded Centaur back in 1995 and the highly successful company has the lowest employee attrition rate in the industry - no small feat for a semiconductor design house. Click the link below for the full scoop...

VIA's Glenn Henry Speaks On New Low Power Isaiah Processor

VIA Unveils Next-Generation Isaiah x86 Processor

News — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:13:05 GMT

VIA Unveils Next-Generation Isaiah x86 Processor Architecture

New architecture provides substantial increases in performance and functionality with leading power efficiency to enable next generation "Small is Beautiful" computing devices

Austin, Texas, US, 24 January 2008 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of x86 silicon and platform technologies, today announced details of the VIA Isaiah Architecture, a new x86 processor architecture that will deliver significant boosts to the functionality and performance of desktop, mobile and ultra mobile PCs while minimizing power requirements, saving on battery life and enabling ultra compact system designs.

Designed from the ground up by the company's US-based processor design subsidiary, Centaur Technology Inc., the VIA Isaiah Architecture combines all the latest advances in x86 processor technology, including a 64-bit superscalar speculative out-of-order microarchitecture, high-performance multimedia computation, and a new virtual machine architecture. The first generation of Isaiah-based products will be pin-compatible with the VIA C7 processor family, enabling a smooth transition for system builders and providing them with an easy upgrade path for current designs.

The first processors implementing the VIA Isaiah Architecture will use proven 65 nanometer technology for greater power efficiency, which, combined with new enhanced power and thermal management capabilities, will ensure the best performance per watt on the market and help drive the rapidly emerging categories of green, silent and small form factor desktop PCs and home media centers, and ultra thin and light notebooks and mini-notes.

"Today is an exciting day for everyone at Centaur," commented Glenn Henry, President, Centaur Technology Inc. "With a team of less than one hundred first-class engineers, we have created from scratch the world's most power-efficient x86 processor architecture with state of the art features, outstanding performance, and flexible scalability for the future."

"The introduction of the new VIA Isaiah Architecture is an extremely significant milestone in VIA's processor business," commented Wenchi Chen, President and CEO, VIA Technologies, Inc. "In achieving these new levels of functionality and performance, it provides the ideal complement to our industry-leading family of low power VIA C7 processors and will enable us to further extend our growing presence in the global x86 processor market."

Via's Isaiah Is Out Of Order...And That's Good

News — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:30:35 GMT

Via Technologies, and their subsidiary,
Centaur, think their next generation 64-bit processor, the Isaiah, will
outperform Intel's soon to be released Silverthorne chip. Glenn Henry
of Centaur hedges his bet a little, as hard info about Silverthorne's
capabilities is hard to come by. And he says Isaiah won't be able to
match a Core 2 Duo. But in the niche of low power consumption/high
performance/inexpensive processors, Isaiah's "out-of-order" processor
architecture might make Via a winner.

An in-order processor
is similar to a factory with a single assembly line. The chip can only
work on one operation at a time, and other operations must wait for the
assembly line to clear before they can be processed. An out-of-order
processor, like Isaiah and Intel's Core 2 chips, is equivalent to a
factory with multiple assembly lines where different operations can be
processed simultaneously.

Other factors also come into play.
Silverthorne likely has a substantially smaller cache than Isaiah
processors -- which have 1M byte of level 2 cache -- and could use a
slower front-side bus, giving Via's chip an additional edge, Henry said.

Silverthorne's
performance will also be constrained by business considerations.
"They've got to protect the high-end money makers in the Intel product
line," Henry said.

This is why we need competition in
the chip industry. If Intel isn't pushed by other manufacturers, they
might configure their processors more towards maximizing profits on
their whole line than putting out the best units they can. Of course,
Silverthorne might come out later this year and have out-of-order
processing. Competition works both ways, whether you're David or
Goliath.

VIA Announces Ultra Thin VESA Mounted PC

News — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:56:30 GMT

VIA Announces Ultra Thin VESA Mounted PC for Instant Display Systems

The VIA vmpc vm7700, a unique approach to digital signage and media display, converts any standard LCD monitor into a full x86 PC in minutes

Taipei, Taiwan, 8 October 2007 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading developer of x86 silicon and platform solutions, today announced the new VIA vm7700 VESA mounted PC (vmpc) that turns a standard display panel into a fully functional PC for signage, kiosk and other intelligent display applications, providing a radically superior space management, cost effective and flexible alternative to traditional panel PCs.

From small desktop LCD monitors to larger flat panel displays, the VIA vmpc vm7700 leverages the industry-standard Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) 10cm x 10cm mounting specification for simple attachment behind the customer’s screen of choice, and offers considerable cost savings when upgrading or replacing screens. Through-chassis mounting allows the VIA vm7700 to be secured behind a flat screen display in seconds, or firmly mounted on walls or under desks, while dual-view support extends display utility.

Fanless configurations based on a 1.0GHz VIA C7 or 1.5GHz VIA Eden ULV processor and the ultra low power VIA CX700M2 system media processor enable the VIA vm7700 to deliver a solution packed with rich multimedia features within a maximum power of only 12 watts and a low 45ºC thermal envelope – essential for display-mounted systems...

A List of VIA Processors

Covert_One24 — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 19:13:41 GMT

Its amazing that some technology has come so far in so little time. Me personally, i didnt know VIA was still making processors for all different applications but to my defeat they are. They have officially come out with the worls first carbon free processor. It also has the smallest dimensions i have ever seen for a processor *21mm x 21mm* Read about the all new VIA C7-D Processor here.

And for a list of the up-to-date VIA manufactured processors here is a list for you.

List