Silence is golden (or black, or silver)
Published: 13 Mar 2003 15:17 GMT
Hush Technologies has launched the Silent Mini-ITX PC in Hannover. It uses a new cooling technology to eliminate all fans from the system so it produces no noise at all during normal operation.
Only when the CD-ROM drive is used does any sound escape the sleek metal chassis.
This chassis is the key to the system, having cooling fins down both sides that help dissipate the heat generated by the processor, power supply and other components.
The Silent Mini-ITX looks much like a Hi-Fi component such as a CD player, and has only the power switch and the drive bay to adorn the front panel. It's available in a number of colours, including black, silver and gold. At 37 x 34 x 5.9cm it's also very compact for a PC.
This PC uses the Mini-ITX form factor motherboard introduced by VIA last year. Other cases for Mini-ITX have been released but have tended to have a fan for the power supply at the very least.
While Hush Technologies designed the Silent Mini-ITX with the workplace in mind, its lack of noise makes it perfectly suited as an entertainment centre PC in the home. The level of features available is dependent on which model of Mini-ITX motherboard is fitted, but it should be possible to build a PC that, say, connects to a TV.
The case itself will take the motherboard, a single hard drive, a slim-line removable media drive and a single PCI card in a riser from the motherboard. Initial models will have a 55W power supply, but versions with higher rating power supplies are under development.
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