News AMD announces AM1 platform: socketed Kabini

New low-cost, low-power platform offers interchangeable processor option.
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2014/03/04/amd-announces-am1-platform-socketed-kabini/1

 

Nice idea for embedded solutions, should offer allot more flexibility when it comes to cooling too. I like the way they are marketing XP support as a plus : P

 

AMD do good job of keeping sockets alive and in some cases backwards compatability for CPU support. I noticed the emerging markets comment in there. For some parts of the world Windows 98 is the norm and affordable hardware to run XP would be welcome.

 

I somehow doubt that. The first world exports so much ewaste to the third world that they burn it to recover the precious metals. I'm sure they have their pick of hardware and even legit-ish XP and vista OEM licenses that come with the hardware.

 

Of the 15 mainboards mentioned only 2 are mini-itx? disappointing.

 

3: ASUS AM1I-A

 

Gigabyte also has a mITX-board for Kabini. Not sure why it's not listed.

Anyways... where's the thin mITX-ones with an onboard-PSU?

 

thin mini-ITX is an Intel standard, effectively making it a niche or a niche.

 

Anyone else confused by the name? Why are they calling it AM1? There's already AM2 and AM3, so it seems like this naming scheme is already at a dead end.

If anyone can supply a pico ITX board for a price point like this, I'd be far more interested. Intel has some pretty tiny boards but I'm looking for something smaller, cheaper, and less awkward to work with. Most of the intel embedded systems have the stupidest layouts.

 

Then atleast release a normal one with onboard-PSU. The AT5IONT-I Deluxe for example was the best mITX-board for building a HTPC. Actually it still is, as the Atom330 paired with the 9400m is totally capable of FullHD-playback, while only drawing some 30W from the pluck including a BluRay-drive.

 

I do hear you and we need to focus on bettering whole system low-power! But afaik, didn't sell so well as onboard DC-DC means you have to have a compatible power brick, which very few shops stock.

I'm not sure if it's possible without a fixed CPU as well - I've yet to see it.

What we really need is PSUs where the double-digit power efficiency is 90+%. When you get down below ~30-40W any gains in system power efficiency are immediately lost in PSU inefficiency. How good are PicoPSUs?

 

Well, the thin mITX-boards have onboard PSUs and an external 90W powerbrick, while sporting a standard 1155/1150 socket. Sure, you're limited to 65W CPUs, but that's good enough imho.

Yes, picoPSUs would be feasible aswell, but the circuitry is so small, that it wouldn't be a problem to include it on the boards. Efficiency is 90+% for them aswell.

And compatibility shouldn't be a problem, if you stick to 8-19V widerange-input and the usual round connector found in notebooks.

 

Ah I don't remember seeing any with onboard power.

I guess it's a factor of volume. We can probably expect to ship as many of these boards we do the niche thin mini-ITX. Therefore making a niche of a niche within AM1 is not worth it. You can do a lot of things, but ROI just isn't there. :/

 

That's the `problem` - you start looking at a niche within a niche and commercial viability becomes a factor , design , build alpha prototype , back to drawing board and redesign , another prototype , testing for compliance and maybe redesign again - all costs time and money , for what sadly is a very small market.

 

There are a lot of itx and other smaller form factor motherboards that are made with integrated power for industrial, thin client and etc markets... have never been sure why those aren't marketed for htpc as well. Maybe if the tiniest bit of aesthetics were applied to those industrial motherboards they would be an easier sell to consumer side and need for less models.
The other big problem is when the choice is made to use some bizarre power connector and not include it either. That is the reason those models are not bought.