Motherboard maker Biostar launched a new line of mini PCs on Monday. Called the iDEQ-T1, the new line includes two models that feature Intel Celeron "Bay Trail" processors. Both will soon be available at Amazon, CompUSA, Newegg and other online retails for an unknown price.
"The iDEQ-T1 has some nice BIOS features such as the 'RESURE BIOS'," the press release said. "This allows the BIOS to be automatically loaded into a hard drive. Using the UEFI BIOS design it supports a variety of graphics manipulation operations and BIOSTAR's research team added the 'Super Rescue Function' where if the iDEQ-T1 is attacked by a virus you can recover the BIOS with Super Rescue."
There are actually two models, and the difference between the two seems to only reside in the audio component: Realtek Codec ALC662 or C-Media CM108AH. However, everything else appears to be identical, including the two empty DIMM slots supporting up to 16 GB of DDR3L 1333 MHz memory and support for a 2.5-inch SATA 2 (3 Gbps) 7 mm or 9 mm hard drive.
The two mini-PCs include an Intel Celeron N2940 quad-core processor with 2 MB cache and clocked up to 2.25 GHz. This mini PC also includes integrated Intel HD Graphics, a Realtek RTL8111G gigabit Ethernet controller, and a mini PCIe card that can play host to an optional Wireless N card.
On the back, the mini PCs include a USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, an HDMI connector, a VGA port, an audio line-out jack and a microphone jack. On the front, the device includes two USB 2.0 ports and the power button. The units' overall size is 8.23 x 1.57 x 7.28 inches, and they weigh 1.76 pounds.
The beauty of Biostar's new iDEQ-T1 line is that the device can be mounted anywhere so that it's out of sight, unlike most big bulky desktops. The company also revealed that these two mini-PCs support Hi-Fi K-BAR for manually adjusting the audio settings, as well as Charger Booster technology for the speedy charging of phones and tablets when they are connected.
The Biostar mini-PCs appear to compete directly with Zotac's solutions, including the CI320 nano. Zotac's CI320 uses the Intel Celeron N2930 quad-core processor, Intel HD graphics, and one 204-pin SODIMM slot for up to 8 GB of DDR3L 1333 MHz memory. Other features include gigabit Ethernet, Wireless AC and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, support for one SATA 3 2.5-inch HDD or SSD, and more.
UPDATE: The release date was altered at the beginning of the article to reflect that we don't know when the unit will ship.
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