ECS' LIVA Mini-PC Comes Unassembled

ECS, which stands for Elitegroup Computer Systems, has announced its LIVA PC, a tiny PC with a fairly entry-level hardware configuration.

Inside the machine you'll find a Bay-Trail M SoC, which packs a dual-core CPU that can clock in at up to 2.0 GHz. Wired to this you'll find 2 GB of DDR3 memory along with 32 GB of eMMC solid state storage. Cooling is taken care of passively. Due to running a Bay-Trail M platform, it will actually run Windows as well.

Now, one of the real highlights of this PC is the low power consumption. It is powered by a micro-USB interface, rather than a 110 V source or a DC adapter. The USB interface can draw up to 15 W, so while not all USB ports will be able to power it, most wall warts should be able to. ECS even claims that the LIVA PC will run off most portable battery banks. We don't entirely get the point of powering it off a power bank, as you'll still need a monitor, but it is a nice demo to show how efficient the system really is.

Also, the system does not come preassembled. Instead, it comes as a kit and you'll have to assemble it yourself. That said, the process is fairly straight forward, as you can see in the video below. The entire thing only consists of a few pieces and weighs no more than 190 grams when assembled.

I/O is handled by a VGA port, an HDMI port, Ethernet, USB 2.0, and a single USB 3.0 port.

Pricing is set at about $200.

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Niels Broekhuijsen

Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.

  • DragonFireXY
    Looks just slightly smaller than the Gigabyte Brix, but the low power consumption seems to be the selling point.
    Reply
  • Amdlova
    i think it is a little better than my duron 1000 462p but for 200u$ its hard to belive!
    Reply
  • Bondfc11
    I always thought ECS stood for Easily the Crappiest System.
    Reply
  • bootsattheboar
    Academic and geologic engineering field use is the reason for powering it off a battery bank. Most battery banks recharge with solar panels and/or generators. Many use cases don't require constant connection to a monitor
    Reply
  • cobra5000
    Pretty cool but what would this be used for, ideally? Raspberry Pi and similar products are much cheaper. It seems like this would be fun for around $100, not $200.
    Reply
  • sykozis
    Raspberry Pi and similar products are useless to the vast majority of users. This, on the other hand, can easily be connected to most TV's and used for occasional web surfing and e-mail without being an eye sore. Since it's easily passively cooled, it can be hidden just about anywhere. You can also run Windows or Linux off it as long as you have reasonable performance expectations.
    Reply
  • ferooxidan
    Looks just slightly smaller than the Gigabyte Brix, but the low power consumption seems to be the selling point.

    Lol no, mate. It's way smaller than BRIX.
    Reply
  • Smallfilou
    Pretty cool but what would this be used for, ideally? Raspberry Pi and similar products are much cheaper. It seems like this would be fun for around $100, not $200.

    Totally agree, I mean this is netbook hardware. For 200 USD you get... a complete netbook!
    Reply
  • sykozis
    This is smartphone/tablet hardware..... For $200, you get a smartphone/tablet in a very compact, wannabe desktop.....
    Reply
  • Etienne H-G
    were is the external sd docking for extra space !!!
    Reply