E-Machines is not a brand name that is well known in Malaysia. After being bought by Gateway (which was subsequently bought by Acer) several years ago, they seem to have languished and been forgotten but I have recently spotted a unit at a local computer store. The EL1700 is destined to be a HTPC machine.
At a glance, it has:
- Intel E2200@2.2GHz processor
- 1GB RAM
- GeForce 7100 graphics
- nForce 630i chipset
- VGA and HDMI video outputs
- 5 Audio ports and S/PDIF audio outputs
- Multiple memory card readers
Its VGA and HDMI ports mean that it can be connected to any LCD-TV unit with ease. The 5.1 and S/PDIF audio outputs enable it to output sound to any low or high end sound system. The integrated memory card reader allows photos from digital cameras to be viewed. Most importantly, it has a built in PCI/E port for adding a suitable TV capture card.
Wow!
My main concern is power. I’m pretty sure that the ‘active’ power usage will be higher than an Atom based system. However, ‘passive’ power usage should not be too bad. I will definitely hibernate the machine when it is not in use, which will be most of the time. Until I actually measure the power consumption using a DMM, I won’t trust any power consumption numbers released by the manufacturers.
PS: It does not look half bad either. You can even lie it down flat.
Sybreon Ones Nought 