Get Under the Hood of the New Mini-PCs

By Ed Tittel

November 27, 2006

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One of Intel's major objectives in introducing its new Core Duo family of processors in January 2006 was to bring out a fast, powerful dual-core processor with low power-consumption requirements. Of course, Intel's business objective was to counter AMD's ever-increasing market share, especially where low-power parts are concerned.

Released in July 2006, Intel's family of Core 2 Duo mobile processors (codenamed "Merom") fit the LGA 775 socket and work with Intel 945 chipsets (or newer). Intel now appears poised to impact the notebook PC market, where lower power consumption translates directly into longer battery life and quieter operation. Also, lower power needs translate into less heat output and, therefore, less need for noisy cooling systems.

This PC architecture can be used not only in notebook PCs, but also in stationary systems. In this article, I examine a new category of mini-PCs that's just hitting the market: media centers.

I'll also give you a guided tour of the innards of one small, attractive system from PC Alchemy. The company is a well-known purveyor of multimedia systems and components. I hope my guided tour will make the point that small, quiet PCs can also be beautiful on either the desktop or an entertainment center.

Digging Deeper Into the Core Duo Processor

It just so happens that the combination of the Intel Core Duo processor, along with the company's Viiv technology (which identifies equipment designed for digital entertainment), can be bundled inside a small, potent package. This package makes for a great system that can handle all kinds of media, including movies, music, videos, TV, and more.

It's important to understand some fundamental characteristics of systems built around these low-power Core Duo processors.

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