It is finally time for AMD to start their move to a smaller manufacturing node. Unlike the recently reviewed AMD Richland APUs, these new chips will be based on a new 28 nm architecture codenamed “Jaguar”. These chips will allow ECS their first opportunity to build a new mini-ITX motherboard family around Kabini and the first born is called the KBN-I.
The APUs will have an on-die Radeon HD 8400 supporting DX 11.1 and are all Windows 8 certified to take full advantage of all of its features. The ECS KBN-I brings a lot to the table as well with one PCI-E x16 slot, two SATA 6GB/s connections, two USB 3.0 ports, and 4 x USB 2.0 ports. There is also add on support for 1 full-sized and 1 half-sized mini-PCI cards. 1080p output on HDMI and standard analog output on VGA adds to a well-rounded mini-ITX board.
Called the world’s 1st Quad-core SoC (System-on-a-chip) processor the AMD A6-5200 and A4-5000 will be options for the KBN-I as an Embedded chip. There will also be a dual-core E1-2100 option as well. While we cannot be sure of overclocking at this point, ECS is including the iEZ utility, eSF Smart Fan, and EZ BIOS.
This promises to be a pairing that offers great software support from ECS and great hardware options. If nothing else, it is history in the making.
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ECS Reveals its First Motherboard with the AMD Kabini – KBN-I
New Power Efficient Mini-ITX Motherboard with an Integrated Jaguar Processor
19th Jun 2013 – Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) reveals its latest Mini-ITX motherboard family－KBN-I－featuring the world 1st Quad Core SoC (system-on-a-chip) processor with the newest “Jaguar” 28 nanometer architecture. The ECS KBN-I is integrated AMD Quad Core A6-5200 APU with AMD Radeon HD 8400 Graphics, support new generation DirectX 11.1 graphics, and offer 50% longer battery life performance. The ECS KBN-I with official Windows 8 WHCK certification (Windows Hardware Certification Kit) allows users to take full advantage of the touch browser and function-oriented design of Windows 8. The NM70-I is optimized for home, general computing productivity and multimedia applications.
Up to 25% More Power Efficiency
Designed to save space and energy, the ECS KBN-I is the ideal solution for small-form factor systems, with the AMD Kabini Quad Core SoC processor and maximum of 25W low power consumption. It improves a better power efficiency with up to 25% more power efficiency thru clock gating and unit redesign compared with current generation low power platform. Thanks to new generation design of increasing the amount of core, instructions per clock(IPC), and boost clock speed, the ECS KBN-I reducing energy usage by operating at lower frequencies when performance is not necessary. The ECS KBN-I also has 9W fanless Heat Sink design, full electrostatic discharge protection and 100% solid capacitors to maximize the reliability and longevity of your system.
Excellent Extension Support
Even with the mini-ITX size of the KBN-I, ECS has kept in mind the expansion needs of future-proof minded customers. The ECS KBN-I supports video and storage upgrades with 1 x PCI-E x16, 2 x SATA 6GB/s connections, 2 x USB 3.0 ports and 4 x USB 2.0 ports. For industrial applications, the KBN-I is equipped with Serial port output (COM). The Mini-PCIe slot is designed for laptops and other small-footprint computer systems and supports Mini-PCI card (one full-card and one half-card) for mini-Wireless, mini-TV tuner and so on. Moreover, users can enjoy high definition media as the KBN-I support HD 1080p output including HDMI and standard analog D-Sub VGA output. The NM70-I is bundled with additional software including Norton anti-virus, Muzee, Cyberlink Media Suite, and the ECS iEZ utility, which combines eBLU BIOS Live Update Utility, eDLU Drivers Live Update Utility and the eSF Smart Fan Utility.
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