ECS Shows Atom Mobo With PCI-e x16 Slot

We know all too well what we get when we pair an Intel Atom CPU with subpar integrated graphics – basically what we have on the majority of netbooks and nettops today – a modest system that’s able to perform light desktop duties but nothing multimedia-heavy.

Nvidia’s also shown us what’s possible when you add some GPU muscle, as we’ve seen with the Ion, which allows Atom-based systems to join into 3D gaming and 1080p video playback.

While we’re seeing Nvidia Ion-based motherboards at Computex, Elitegroup has on display something a little more interesting for those looking to add more than just a GeForce 9400M to their Atoms.

On Hexus are pictures of the ECS 945GCD-M, which as the name suggests, runs on the Intel G945CG + ICH7 with an integrated dual-core Atom N330. It’s all pretty plain until you spy the PCIe x16 slot ready for your GPU upgrading pleasure, giving it graphical possibilities beyond the Nvidia Ion.

Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.