Date: March 10th, 2004
Article by: Roger (Hardware Reviewer)
Product was donated by: VIA Technologies
<---Shop for the VIA EPIA ME6000 MINI-ITX MOTHERBOARD Here

CORPORATE PROFILE

The VIA Platform Solutions Division (VPSD) is an autonomous new business unit established by VIA. Its aim is to provide our customers with a complete set of innovative platform building blocks for building high quality, high performance servers, workstations, PCs, and Total Connectivity devices that meet the needs of all market segments.

VPSD products include both mainboards and reference system designs such as the Information PC and InformationStation. Based on VIA's industry-leading chipset technologies, they not only deliver the highest levels of performance and reliability, but also come with the most advanced features and technologies such as DDR266 SDRAM support. As a result, VPSD products help OEMs and System Integrators increase their competitiveness by speeding up product time to market and reducing validation cycles.

To ensure the highest levels of quality, reliability, and compatibility, VPSD products undergo stringent testing during both the design and manufacturing phases and are built using top quality components. Boards are subjected to an extensive battery of stringent thermal, emissions, stress, environmental, signal quality, and BIOS functionality and compatibility tests across a full range of operating system platforms before being released for production. Manufacturing is carried out using state of the art equipment, and rigorous QA and QC procedures are applied at all stages of the production process. VPSD products are backed up by a full range of support services through the company's branches and service centres in Taiwan, Europe, and the USA. Distributors and SIs are provided with hot swap RMA, while technical support enquiries can be handled by phone hotline or email.

PRODUCT INTRODUCTION

When you're working on an HTPC, the last thing you want is some big, honkin' system. You want something small that will preferably fit into your entertainment center unnoticed. To help you with this, many motherboard manufacturers are now pushing their smaller form factor boards. They understand that when it comes to HTPCs, smaller is better. They also understand that their smaller boards are also perfect for those who don't need an Athlon 64 or an Intel Extreme, because all they do is work on office documents or surf the internet. And then there are the modders… oh, that special breed of human being that feels the need to make computers out of toasters.

"No toast with tea… however can I interest you in a movie I downloaded yesterday?"

*obligatory note* I'm not condoning online piracy… it's just a joke.

One company has gone a step further and has offered the smallest native x86 mainboard platform. VIA's Epia line of Mini-ITX motherboards have found a niche for themselves in today's packed market. At 17cm x 17cm, they are perfect for people looking for the smallest desktop, not to mention the obvious appeal the size has for modders.

Today I'll be reviewing the Epia ME6000, or as I like to call it, the fanless wonder. That's right, this motherboard does not use a processor core fan, which equates to ultra-low power requirements, not to mention silence. As a father of four, I've mentioned how important silence is to me.

The board has many great features, and we'll get to them ASAP.