Wednesday, December 17th 2008

NVIDIA Reference Design Atom Nettop Spotted

NVIDIA has concrete plans to take up chipset manufacturing for ULPC, and nettop platforms based on the Intel Atom processor. With its visual computing expertise and platform core logic technologies, NVIDIA hopes to cash in on the segment in need for better consumer value than what it already enjoys. VR-Zone pictured the reference design nettop PC that uses the Intel Atom processor, aided by NVIDIA's MCP79 chipset.

The chipset is monolithic, and handles the jobs of a memory controller, graphics controller, and a peripheral hub. The chipset sits on a 10-layer PCB motherboard, which gives you an idea on the component density of the MCP79. The platform supports single core and dual core Atom processors. It supports single channel DDR3 memory in speeds up to the PC3-10666 (1333 MHz), with connections to a SO-DIMM module. A GeForce 9 series integrated graphics controller provides display output through DVI-I. There is a gigabit ethernet controller, and 8-channel HD audio. The front portion of the chassis provides a larger portion of the connections, which includes the audio (including optical SPDIF), USB 2.0, and eSATA. NVIDIA will allow OEM vendors to make their own case designs housing the platform.
Source: VR-Zone
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43 Comments on NVIDIA Reference Design Atom Nettop Spotted

#26
DarkMatter
We just need keyboads and mice of the same size, and the ultimate bring-it-to-your-friends' computer was just born.

A touch screen, with some sort of software emulating a keyboard in the place of the Nvidia logo would be even better.
Posted on Reply
#27
erocker
*
Love it! I would just like to see one or two more eSATA ports.:D

*Didn't realize there was a HDD in the thing already. One is enough.
Posted on Reply
#29
DarkMatter
Easy Rhinouh... so the atom can fit on a pico-itx platform? is it more powerful than the VIA C7 ?
Yeah significantly faster. Not to mention the dual core Atom.
mount a 7 inch LCD on it and you can put it all sorts of places.
It wouldn't fit on that box!!!! 5 inch screen is about the biggest one you could put on that box... :laugh:
Posted on Reply
#30
cdawall
where the hell are my stars
Easy Rhinouh... so the atom can fit on a pico-itx platform? is it more powerful than the VIA C7 ?
ive been looking at these...

www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS4473724652.html

mount a 7 inch LCD on it and you can put it all sorts of places.
however its not faster than the Via Nano
Posted on Reply
#31
Easy Rhino
Linux Advocate
cool, cause i want to make an car in-dash PC with an LCD. but i dont think an atom can run on DC power. maybe i am wrong.
Posted on Reply
#32
cdawall
where the hell are my stars
Easy Rhinocool, cause i want to make an car in-dash PC with an LCD. but i dont think an atom can run on DC power. maybe i am wrong.
all PC PSU's are DC you just need to find a psu that converts your cars DC12v into 12v, 5v and 3.3v
Posted on Reply
#33
Easy Rhino
Linux Advocate
cdawallall PC PSU's are DC you just need to find a psu that converts your cars DC12v into 12v, 5v and 3.3v
but on those pico psu's they are extremely small and generally built into the case. im just curious to see how it would work with an atom board and i wonder how much power they pull.
Posted on Reply
#34
lemonadesoda
Will it play crysis?

(sorry for that)

What I really mean is:

1./ Any idea how powerful the MCP79 chipset is for graphics.
2./ Can it handle DX10, for Vista desktop bling.
3./ I wonder if it can handle older DX7 games... I doubt it, but who knows. Would be interesting if it could handle a minimum DX and OpenGL spec even if not that fast.
4./ MOST IMPORTANT, is that a full spec dual link DVI? Can I run 2 screens at 1600x1200 on it? Or can I run 1 screen at 2460x1600?
5./ Is the HDMI output fuill spec 1080p? Can I run separate screens, one on HDMI and one on DVI? Or is it duplicated on the different connector.
Posted on Reply
#35
tkpenalty
Wow... I'd want one of these so bad considering the lack of real estate I have at home. I mean its so small that you could safely ziptie it to the back of a monitor!

A 9400M would mean that it would be able to not only watch HD vids but moreover play the source engine based games properly (as well as many recent titles, at low quality however).

Kudos to nvidia for making such a simple platform, but yet with much capabilities. Only thing is that I'd hope that that platform stays cool. It'd be a shame if the TDP of the chipset is dreadful however-it would only be limited to nettops and that would somewhat suck.
Posted on Reply
#36
1Kurgan1
The Knife in your Back
DX7 should be fine, I read a article about one of these quiet some time go in what comp magazine I can't remember. They built their own and it was the size of a CD drivebay, probably wasn't as powerful as this and they said the highest things it could do was DX7, how well it played them I don't know.
Posted on Reply
#37
p_o_s_pc
F@H&WCG addict
insiderDang the thing is tiny!
thats not what she said... :eek:
Posted on Reply
#38
Haytch
That looks to be a great little unit. Priced right and everyone that already has a PC and LCD TV could end up with one. The more i consider the size and features the more i like it, the more i look forward to better and smaller products.

Unfortunately i cant use things for just what they are designed to do, so personally im going to need a little more then a dualcore Atom and a single channel of ram to do my bidding before the bigscreen.

The MCP79 is full HDMI 1.2 1080p capable with DirectX10. Im pretty sure the MSI VR705 & Asus F50GX notebook has the same chipset. I think there are 5 or 6 variants of the MCP79 chipset, one being the MCP79-SLi chipset. MMMM Hybrid SLiiiiiiiiii.

No this little ' Nbox ' as OnionMan put it cannot play DirectX 7, but can do DirectX8 :)
lemonadesodaWill it play crysis?.
This little baby is so advanced its beyond Crysis :P
Posted on Reply
#39
Unregistered
Too bad the BR drives are still a bit expensive, in addition you have to buy an external enclosure with the built in SATA > USB converter, isn't so cheap after all this...
Posted on Edit | Reply
#40
theJesus
Quote of the day:
AnandTechNVIDIA even built an ugly looking reference machine to show you what was possible with Ion.
:roll:
Posted on Reply
#41
wolf
Performance Enthusiast


Ok thats cool.
Posted on Reply
#42
Error 404
DarkMatterWe just need keyboads and mice of the same size, and the ultimate bring-it-to-your-friends' computer was just born.

A touch screen, with some sort of software emulating a keyboard in the place of the Nvidia logo would be even better.
Its called a laptop. :p

This thing is really cool though, and with a dual core Atom it would rock along fine: I could see schools buying this (I want my school to buy some, we don't have enough PCs), it would make a great net-top or multimedia PC, and a backup PC...
I want one! But, I don't have the money. :(
Posted on Reply
#43
DarkMatter
Error 404Its called a laptop. :(
Eeerrrrrm no. :p

We need 4"x3" keyboards and a thumb sized mouse. :laugh::laugh::laugh:
erockerLove it! I would just like to see one or two more eSATA ports.:D

*Didn't realize there was a HDD in the thing already. One is enough.
I was just curious why do you want so many eSATA ports in such a thingy? I think that even my PC doesn't have so many. :confused:
Posted on Reply
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