GIGABYTE Launch Thin Mini-ITX Series Motherboards

Leading the Development of the DIY All-in-One PC Ecosystem

Taipei, Taiwan, February 20th, 2013 – GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced the debut of its latest motherboards series based on the Thin Mini-ITX form factor. The new GIGABYTE H77TN and B75TN motherboards enable the creation of slim and compact All-In-One (AIO) PC designs that adhere to Intel’s AIO PC specification.

Featuring a low profile design that is 43% thinner than traditional Mini-ITX motherboards, GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX motherboards offer a full featured PC experience with performance and specification options that you’d expect from a traditional desktop PC setup. In addition, GIGABYTE’s Thin Mini-ITX motherboards also offer flexible power input and IO expansion specifications that make them suitable for a broad range of commercial and industrial PC designs that also conform to Intel’s Thin Mini-ITX specification.
“GIGABYTE’s Thin Mini-ITX motherboards underline our commitment to the desktop PC market and cement our leadership position in the high growth AIO segment,” commented Henry Kao, Vice President of GIGABYTE Motherboard Business Unit. “By embracing new form factors like Thin Mini-ITX, GIGABYTE is enabling continued innovation in desktop PC design while also opening doors to market segments, such as industrial PCs, that we have not traditionally serviced.”
“IDC is expecting the AIO growth rate to be about 26% over the next three years. It is no surprise that AIO is the hot growth market for desktop systems in 2013 and beyond. We are thrilled to see GIGABYTE participating in the development of this important AIO ecosystem”, said Steve Dallman, Intel Vice President for the Reseller Channel. “In particular, we are excited to see GIGABYTE enabling new products, based on the Intel^® B75 and H77 Express chipsets, for both small business and home platforms. I look forward to the new AIO systems, built upon these new GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX motherboards that will soon be in the market”

GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX Motherboards
The GIGABYTE H77TN and GIGABYTE B75TN motherboards are based on the Intel^® H77 and B75 chipsets supporting 2^nd and 3^rd generation Intel^® Core™ processors. At just 17cm x 17cm, and a mere 2.5cm high, GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX motherboards also integrate flexible power specifications that include a selectable panel power driver, selectable back light power including 12v and 19v options, and a wide 12v to 19v voltage input range for a variety of power source options.
GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX motherboards also offer excellent IO flexibility with a x4 PCI Express expansion slot accompanied by both mSATA and Mini PCIe slots offering a wide range of modern and legacy IO options.

The Thin Mini-ITX: A Quickly Evolving Eco-system
Thin Mini-ITX builds on the popular and mature 17cm x 17cm Mini-ITX form factor, adding an additional 2.5cm IO shield height limitation that ensures compatibility with thinner chassis and builds. Other optimizations such as CPU socket placement and SODIMM memory come together to make a form factor that is built to power sleek system designs that don’t compromise on performance and features.
Several All-in-One chassis designs that follow Thin Mini-ITX guidelines are currently available and dozens more expected later in 2013, Most of the chassis combine touch-capable HD displays, internal cooling component and are geared to work seamlessly with GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX motherboards.
GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX motherboards make an excellent choice in a range of slim-line industrial and commercial spaces including POS systems, casino gaming PCs, industrial PCs and digital signage units. However a GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX motherboard is the starting point for any DIY user or enthusiast builder looking to create their own All-in-One PC.

Build Your Own All-in-One PC with GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX Motherboards

GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX motherboards are designed to revolutionize the DIY PC industry, offering DIY users the opportunity to build their own All-in-One PC. All-in-One PCs are becoming a very popular choice for many of today’s consumers, offering a space-saving, more integrated PC experience that doesn’t compromise on performance and features.

Until now however, there was no established standard around which manufacturers could design and build All-in-One designs, resulting in a fragmented eco-system that inevitably added cost and limited innovation. The new Thin Mini-ITX standard has been developed specifically with All-in-One PCs in mind, outlining several key guidelines concerning the design and integration of the key components that make up an All-in-One PC including power delivery, CPU socket position and more.

Thin Mini-ITX: 43% Thinner than Standard Mini-ITX
Thin Mini-ITX builds on the standard 17cm x 17cm Mini-ITX form factor, adding an additional 2.5cm IO shield height limitation that ensures compatibility with thinner chassis designs and builds. Other optimizations such as external power delivery, CPU socket placement and SO-DIMM memory come together to make a form factor that is built to power sleek system designs that offer great performance.

Typical All-in-One features include HD touch-enabled screens, built-in stereo speakers, integrated WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, an integrated card reader, additional digital display outputs, USB 3.0 connectivity and built-in ambient light sensors.

Several All-in-One chassis designs that follow Thin Mini-ITX guidelines are currently available with dozens more expected later in 2013. These chassis combine touch-capable HD displays, internal cooling components and are geared to work seamlessly with GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX motherboards.
Assemble Your Own All-in-One PC with GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX Motherboards
All-in-One PCs are becoming a very popular choice for many of today’s consumers, offering an integrated and slick PC experience that also saves space. Until recently however, there was no standard around which manufacturers could design and build All-in-One designs, resulting in a fragmented eco-system that inevitably adds cost and limits innovation. Intel®’s new Thin Mini-ITX standard introduces a set of guidelines that not only help to nurture vendors and manufacturers, but also provides DIY users the opportunity to build their own All-in-One PCs. The new Thin Mini-ITX standard outlines several key guidelines concerning the design and integration of the key components that make up an All-in-One PC, most notably the position of the motherboard in relation to the chassis. GIGABYTE currently has two Thin-Mini-ITX motherboard models that comply with these guidelines; the GIGABYTE H77TN and GIGABYTE B75TN, both models support 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processors with onboard Intel® processor graphics. Key Components Here is a list of the components that we used to construct our All-in-One PC. 1 GIGABYTE H77TN Motherboard 1 Intel® Core™ i3 3225 Processor 1 Sandisk mSATA SSD 2 x 2GB Transcend SODIMM DDR3 Memory 1 Atheros AR5B22 Mini PCI-E wireless network card (integrated 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0) 1 Thin Mini-ITX-compliant chassis with integrated LED touch screen display Note: The CPU heatsink and fan are supplied with the chassis and are specific to that chassis design. Some chassis manufacturers may specify certain limitations regarding CPU model compatibility due to thermal design constraints. Installation Step 1 – Install CPU and Memory First we need to install the CPU in the motherboard socket as per the standard CPU mounting procedure for all socket 1155 CPUs, paying particular attention to not damage or bend the socket pins. Thin Mini-ITX specifies smaller SODIMM DDR3 modules. These simply click into place and are securely held by latches on either side of the module.   Step 2 – Prepping the AIO Chassis It is recommended that the chassis is laid flat on a desk or workspace using plastic Styrofoam to protect the screen during installation. We can then remove the back panel by unscrewing the back plate screws, allowing access the chassis’ interior. You can see that space within the interior is limited, so it is recommended that the internal wring be kept as neat as possible, with CPU and memory installed on the board prior to installing within the chassis. Step 3 – Installing the GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX Motherboard Next we can install the Thin Mini-ITX motherboard inside the chassis. As with all Mini-ITX specification motherboards, the board is installed by using four small screws that are located in each of the board’s four corners. Step 4 – Connecting the LVDS Display Once the motherboard is securely installed within the chassis we can then connect the PC’s display. A thin LVDS connector is standard for Thin Mini-ITX AIO builds and should be found already connected to the display inside the chassis. As you can see in the image below, the LVDS connector then attaches to a port on the side of the motherboard. Make sure that the LVDS connector is connected correctly. Connecting the LVDS connector the wrong way could cause a short circuit. Note: Display and backlight voltage requirements may vary by All-in-One chassis model. Voltages can be adjusted using the onboard pin-headers on the motherboard, labeled LCD_VCC (panel power) and FPD_PWR (backlight module power). Incorrect voltage settings can result in display malfunction.    Step 5 – Install the Heatsink and Cooling Fan Next we need to install the CPU heatsink and cooling fan. The exact design of the heatsink and fan will vary by chassis model, but the guiding principles will be the same for each chassis. In the example shown below, the heatsink is firmly attached to the board over the CPU socket, ensuring a good contact between the CPU and the heatsink which is then connected to the fan by copper tubing.  The fan is located on the edge of the chassis allowing hot air to be expelled from the PC.  Step 6 – Installing the mSATA SSD GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX motherboards support an mSATA slot for easy integration of an mSATA SSD module. Designed to host the PC’s OS, an mSATA SSD provides a fast and responsive PC experience while also requiring very little space and zero cabling. The mSATA SSD simply slots into place and is then be held securely with two small screws. Some chassis designs may also support either 2.5” or 3.5” hard disk drives for additional data storage. Some designs may also integrate a thin DVD drive bay. These can be added to the system via the onboard SATA ports. Step 7 – Installing the WiFi/Bluetooth Module The final step involves installing the Mini-PCIe WiFi/Bluetooth module. GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX support a half height Mini-PCIe slot which supports a range of network and communications modules. In similar fashion to the mSATA slot, the Mini PCIe module sits in the slot held in place by two small screws. Once the hardware installation is complete, the back panel can be re-mounted and secured. Now you can go ahead and install your OS – Windows 8 would certainly seem to be a good fit for any All-in-One PC that features a touch capable display.  MODEL GIGABYTE MOTHERBOARD