MSI launches low power Braswell motherboards. AMD Kabini killer?

[LukaP]

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9147/braswell-msi-launches-three-miniitx-eco-motherboards

 

 

Braswell (codename Cherry Trail-D) is Intels version of Airmont architecture for the desktop markets. The Chips come with up to 4 cores, and 2.4GHz clockspeed. Since they are based on Airmont, which is a 14nm shrink of Silvermont, they are quite capable cores, but nowhere close to what Core is.

 

The SKUs feature the same graphics architecture as their Core brothers though, simply called Gen8. (This is just my assumptions, but id say they will come with two subslices, meaning 16EU.) Their TDP will be 6W, so the cooling is passive. Since this is the same GPU architecture as with their bigger gpus, it also includes hardware H.265/HEVC Encode and Decode capabilities, making this product very suitable for a SteamBox type device.

 

Now lets talk about what MSI are bringing out. Its part of their "low power" ECO range, from which the B85 ECO is. They are bringing in three SKUs, with the only differing factor being the CPU. The top part uses a quad core 2.4GHz part, middle range uses a quad core 2.08GHz part, and the low end SKU uses a dual core running at 2.16GHz.

 

The motherboards are as said teh same, and include two DDR3L-1600 SODIMM slots, PCIe2.0x1, 2xSATA III, 1GbE, USB3.0, and what appears to be a 2.1 audio codec. 

 

So if the pricing of this is right, this could very well kill Kabini, as its faster and less power hungry, as well as passively cooled.

[TheSLSAMG]

Looks like a really solid product to me. If I were in the market, I would probably wait and pick one up.

[dadasmithywinkle]

It will kill Kabini and may be my next NAS mobo.

[Sauron]

If it's cheap I'll probably make a media pc out of one.

[LukaP]

It will kill Kabini and may be my next NAS mobo.

It only supports 2 SATA ports, and the PCIe is limited to 2.0x1 so only 500MB/s per direction for bandwidth. you need to keep that in mind

[AMICLG]

Kabini still has a place because AMD includes AES-NI on all they're newer processors something Intel only does on a handful, granted more since Haswell but still not all. So a pfSense router is a good use for a embedded Kabini unlike most Intel counter parts.

[LukaP]

This.

Why.

Always.

Only.

TWO.

Fking.

SATA

Ports?!?!?!

Because.

It.

Will.

Probably.

Cost.

Less.

Than.

Seventy.

Fukin.

Dollars.

[dadasmithywinkle]

It only supports 2 SATA ports, and the PCIe is limited to 2.0x1 so only 500MB/s per direction for bandwidth. you need to keep that in mind

True, but I only have 2 6TB HDD's and a boot SSD, so I dont need too much connectivity.

[LukaP]

True, but I only have 2 6TB HDD's and a boot SSD, so I dont need too much connectivity.

would still need a Raid/SATA card to use all three, at which point you might as well go 1150 Celeron with B85 or something like that.

[dadasmithywinkle]

would still need a Raid/SATA card to use all three, at which point you might as well go 1150 Celeron with B85 or something like that.

Bah fuck. G1820 and H81 is what I'll do then. ~$85 so not too bad.

[LukaP]

There're mb's for kabini with 4 SATA ports and for less than 70 $ CPU+MB

But Kabini is a shitty product. Jaguar/Puma IPC is 0, while they suck way too much power. And their GPU is too much for what they are meant to be. plus 28nm while this is 14nm. 

[LukaP]

Bah fuck. G1820 and H81 is what I'll do then. ~$85 so not too bad.

Id still wait and see what the price on this is. and maybe someone else will come out with something similar with 4SATA ports

[dadasmithywinkle]

Id still wait and see what the price on this is. and maybe someone else will come out with something similar with 4SATA ports

True true

[LukaP]

Still... What about Slim ODD+SSD+HDD?!?!?!??!sdfsdfsdfsdfdfasiodga8sdgfaw Like... they could add 2xSATA2 ports for cheap

Yes i know. Ill go research into the Cherry Trail platform a little, and will skype you later you can rant there Though this would be perfect for your stupid ass builds you do all the time

 

Also, this is a sub 70$ platform, its hardly expected to use both an SSD and a HDD in it

[MeDownYou]

4 ports an utilize regular ram and I'd be sold.

[cesrai]

But Kabini is a shitty product. Jaguar/Puma IPC is 0, while they suck way too much power. And their GPU is too much for what they are meant to be. plus 28nm while this is 14nm. 

I disagree I think it isn't a shitty product for it's price and performance.

 

And to be clear we are talking about AM1 ? or embedded ?

[Norman_the_Owl]

This seems like a very hard to sell product

[LukaP]

I disagree I think it isn't a shitty product for it's price and performance.

 

And to be clear we are talking about AM1 ? or embedded ?

Well you are kinda dumb...

 

Yeah AM1.

 

This seems like a very hard to sell product

well it would be great for a cheap steambox or a HTPC sort of thing. Not that good as a nas, with other offerings by intel already filling that space nicely and for cheap...

[cesrai]

Well you are kinda dumb...

 

Yeah AM1.

 

well it would be great for a cheap steambox or a HTPC sort of thing. Not that good as a nas, with other offerings by intel already filling that space nicely and for cheap...

Will you know I learned from the best 

 

I think it's actually great, low power and cheap, yeah I know it's IPC is not that good comparing to Intel but still it's compelling for me.

[FakezZ]

But Kabini is a shitty product. Jaguar/Puma IPC is 0, while they suck way too much power. And their GPU is too much for what they are meant to be. plus 28nm while this is 14nm. 

Jaguar/Puma IPC is 1 is what you meant? Cause 0 makes no sense

[LukaP]

Jaguar/Puma IPC is 1 is what you meant? Cause 0 makes no sense

Sarcasm baby I meant that its so damn low its nearly useless

[razor767]

I wonder how good these would be for a HTPC.

[Guest Kloaked]

BUT CAN IT RUN CRYSIS I DONT THINK SO PEASANT BOARD LMFAO PC MASTER RACE

[Bsmith]

so this+ parents=cheapest pc they need and works properly?

[LukaP]

I wonder how good these would be for a HTPC.

It would be great. 4 Airmont cores, Gen8, hardware HEVC decode... all you need

 

BUT CAN IT RUN CRYSIS I DONT THINK SO PEASANT BOARD LMFAO PC MASTER RACE

Yes it can probably low 720p 30fps