Taiwanese chip vendor, Via Technologies, will begin shipping its smallest PC processor and motherboard before the end of the year, according to the company's chief executive officer (CEO), Wen-chi Chen.
Small enough to fit on the end of a finger, the Nano-BGA (Ball Grid Array) version of Via's 1GHz C3 processor measures 15mm x 15mm and was announced at the Via Technology Forum, that is being held with the Computex exhibition.
The Nano-BGA C3 uses the same silicon die found in Via's existing C3 chips. However, the tiny Nano-BGA package that encases the silicon core of the chip had allowed Via to make it smaller, Via spokesman, Tim Handley, said.
The Nano-BGA C3 will be paired with a new motherboard form factor, the Nano-ITX, that is smaller than existing PC motherboards.
Small motherboards such as the Nano-ITX are crucial components for devices such as computer-equipped TVs and home entertainment systems, that require a small footprint, Chen said.
The Nano-ITX motherboard measures 120mm x 120mm, substantially smaller than the Mini-ITX motherboard form factor, the smallest PC motherboard form factor measuring 170mm x 170 mm.
Both the Nano-BGA chip and the Nano-ITX board ship in volume by the first quarter of next year, Chen said. Pricing was not disclosed.
