Going Green with Small Form Factor Computers

Just about everything is going green thesedays, our TECH LAB “home brewed” computers are no exceptions to this phenomenon. Our concept is straight forward, let’s build something practical while leaving behind the least amount of carbon footprint possible. To accomplish this, we need to build something smaller than the conventional 300w 15x20x10 units, we need something less than half the size and a 1/3 of the power consumption while still pack a hefty punch in functionality and usability. To do this, we created 4 distinctive models to fit the discern taste and needs for our client tale. The 4 models are PICO, NANO, KILO, & lastly but not the least SUMO.

The PICO is a basic computer suitable for anyone looking for a computer replacement that is 3-4 years old. It can be configured with any of the 3 cases we have. In the heart of the machine is a ATOM 510 (Quad) CPU with passive heatsink which means it’s dead silent when it’s in operation. At full power the machine is measured at 40w of power consumption. Comes with 160GB of stroage, DVDRW burner, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP pre-installed. Prices start at $299.99, upgrades are available.

The NANO is a step up from the PICO in its graphical capability. It’s ultra compact and can be attached to the back of the monitor for even the tightest spaces. In the heart of the machine is a ATOM 230 (Duo) CPU paired with nVidia ION. Fitted with a notebook style slim DVDRW burner, 2GB of RAM, 160GB of disk space, HDMI with digital optical out, and Windows XP preinstalled. Max 45w of power consumption and near silent operations. Perfect choice for a professional office environment and a recipientionlist best friend. Prices start at $399.99

The KILO is meant to the the heart of your home media center, watch or burn Bluray and DVD movies, connect to your existing home audio system with ease, listen to your iTunes or live streams, and surf the web with your favorite browser of course. Loaded with 1TB of storage, 4GB of RAM, Windows 7 Home premium, XBMC live, and WiFi built-in. Prices start at $599.99

The SUMO is a media center with gaming capability, get all the benefits of the KILO plus dedicated graphics by nVidia or ATI. Still a small form factor and uses no more than a 80w of power. Even more storage (2x 1TB) drives, 4GB of RAM, Windows 7 Home premium, XBMC live, WiFi built-in, Prices start at $899.99