Tailored for mini-ITX motherboards, Asus has designed a new graphics card based on GeForce GTX 970 adapter. The GeForce GTX 970 DirectCU Mini OC features 170x122x40 mm dimensions only, targeting small-sized chassis for mini-ITX platforms. The heart of the card is Nvidia’s GM204-200-A1 GPU with 13 SMM blocks, 1664 CUDA cores, 104 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. It runs at the nominal 1088 MHz frequency but might be overclocked to 1228 MHz index.



Asus GeForce GTX 970 DirectCU Mini OC employs a shortcut PCB that accommodates a two-slot cooler with a vapor chamber, a backplate, and a high-efficiency CoolTech Fan. The latter is distinguished by a unique design that dramatically enhances airflow. The incorporated hardware base features Super Alloy Power design. It implies the inclusion of prime-quality chokes, capacitors, and power transistors. Their combination provides for some incredible efficiency and a prolonged lifespan.


The integrated GPU is accompanied with 4GB of GDDR5 memory; it …

ECS decided to tackle the problem of sameness, developing a new motherboard on the basis of Intel NM70 Express chips. The implementation exactly of these chips makes the board a pioneer in its product class. ECS NM70-I is designed in mini-ITX form factor and houses Intel Celeron 847/807 CPU. The latter consumes only 17W of power to add the board power-efficient properties. Such approach to layout secures a harmonious balance between performance parameters and price ranges, and is an ideal match for compact PC systems.



Irrespective of the initial motherboard's compact dimensions, the manufacturer stipulated expansion opportunities if the user finds such a need in future employment. The availability of 1x PCI Express slot x16, SATA 3Gb/sec and 6Gb/sec sockets promote for the unimpeded upgrade of video system and data storage devices. ECS NM70-I facilities allow the customer to play back high-contrast HD and Blue-Ray multimedia content. Moreover, ECS equips its board with two …

Adata keeps on developing its hardware potential. This time the company introduces a lineup of M.2 2280 solid-state drives, targeting gamers & enthusiasts. The XPG SX8000 is based on 3D MLC NAND chips, combined with SMI 2260 controller. The drive employs PCI Express 3.0 x4 external interface and shows a total compatibility with NVMe 1.2 standard.



Adata XPG SX8000 will be available in four capacities: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB & 1 TB. Nonetheless, the company has unveiled performance showings only for the first three models. Thus, the junior model offers 1000/300 MB/sec speed on sequential Read/Write operations (ATTO compression); 1000/300 MB/sec speed on sequential Read/Write operations (CrystalDiskMark uncompressed); 900/280 MB/sec speed on sequential Read/Write operations (AS SSD uncompressed). At the same time, the drive’s random showings make up 45000/75000 IOPS (Read/Write).


To continue, the XPG SX8000 256 GB item features the following efficiency specifications: …