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Intel D945GCLF Essential Series Mini-ITX DDR2 667 Intel Graphics Integrated Atom Processor Desktop Board - Retail by Intel
Digital Photo Product DetailsManufacturer: Intel Audio: English (Original Language) Format: CD Platform: Windows Model: BOXD945GCLF Product features: Accessories:
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Intel D945GCLF Essential Series Mini-ITX DDR2 667 Intel Graphics Integrated Atom Processor Desktop Board - RetailCustomer Review: A small board for a small computer Summary: 5 Stars
First, let me state an obvious thing: this board is not for everyone. It is a small, low-power computer mainboard built, designed and made (although not in that order) to use precisely as that, a small computer.
It measures exactly 17 by 17 centimetres, five centimetres tall. It has an Atom processor running at 1.6 GHz, enough power to run various flavours of Linux and Windows XP, but you don't want to run Vista on it. Why would you want to run Vista at all, I wonder? Well, that's another entirely different question and I won't answer that.
It is a very limited board. It has a single memory slot, up to 2 gigs of DDR2 memory, shared with the video chip, which has just a VGA port, unlike her sister board, D945GCLF2, whom has a s-video port. It also has a single PCI slot, so you can install, let's say, a wireless network internal card or a TV tuner. It has 8 USB ports, so you can plug a lot of stuff. It has a serial and a parallel port, a keyboard and mouse port, both ps/2 style, an ethernet port (1 gbps) and integrated audio ports that sounds good enough. It has two Serial-ATA ports and an EIDE port so you can safely plug a couple hard drives and a couple dvd burners, and no floppy port (who uses floppy drives today anyway?).
Now, let's be clear, this is an underpowered board, no doubt about it. But as today's underpowered machines are yesterday power computers, I'd say this baby was like a workhorse computer in 2003, or a server in 2000. It has enough power to decode most HD formats, at least those I've tested. You cad surf the net, play games that doesn't demand a supercomputer to load the splash screen and do general computing chores and tasks, all that using barely 35 watts, including one laptop hdd and one laptop dvd drive, but not the monitor. Why would you like --or want-- to purchase this baby, then? Two words: limited desktop space. You can get a small MiniITX case and you'll build a computer that uses less space than the yellow pages, allowing you to put it in a corner of your desktop, or, if you are like me, under your desktop, with the help of some screws or duct tape. This way the space you save may be used for something really valuable, like, let's say, your pizza. Hey, sometimes you have to eat...
Description of Intel D945GCLF Essential Series Mini-ITX DDR2 667 Intel Graphics Integrated Atom Processor Desktop Board - RetailThe Essential D945GCL Desktop Board is designed to support Internet-centric computing delivering incredible capabilities for the new flexible Mini-ITX form factor. Featuring the integrated 45nm Intel Atom processor and the Intel 945GC Express Chipset, this board is an energy-efficient solution for home users as well as for unique vertical market needs. Designed with Intel''s leading edge 45nm Hi-k metal gate processor, this board delivers incredible opportunities to communicate, listen, watch, play, and learn via Internet connectivity.
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