Gigabyte recently launched two new motherboards that conform to the Thin Mini-ITX specification. This new spec is essentially Mini-ITX but keeps heatsinks and rear IO height to a minimum–allowing for thinner All-In-One PCs and HTPC chassis. The two new boards are the GA-H77TN and GA-B75TN, and they support Intel Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge processors, SODIMMs, and mSATA SSDs. Considering the boards measure a mere 17cm x 17cm and are 2.5cm high, it is a lot of power in a small package (I can hear Josh laughing on the podcast next week already).

The GA-H77TN (rev. 1.1) motherboard is based on the Intel H77 chipset while the GA-B75TN (rev. 1.1) is based on the Intel B75 chipset. They boards are fairly similar, but the cheaper B75 chipset does not support as many SATA 6Gbps ports. Both boards use laptop-style DDR3 SODIMM memory at up to 8GB of dual channel DDR3 1600 and either an Intel Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge processor. Also, both thin mini ITX motherboards include a PCI-E 3.0 x4 expansion slot (up to 25W), mini PCI-E slot, and mSATA expansion slot.

The motherboards also include support for Intel’s onboard CPU graphics (ie. HD 4000) and Realtek ALC887 audio codecs. The video oputs include HDMI 1.3, DisplayPort, and LVDS, with DisplayPort providing support for up to 2560×1600 resolutions. The onboard audio chip can support 7.1 channel audio, but only when using the front panel audio.

Rear IO on both the GA-H77TN and GA-B75TN includes;

  • 1 x DC-input
  • 1 x Gigabit Ethernet jack
  • 3 x Video outputs
    • 1 x HDMI 1.3 @ 1920×1200
    • 1 x DisplayPort @ 2560×1600
    • 1 x LVDS
  • 4 x USB 3.0 ports
  • 2 x audio jacks (line in/out)

The Gigabyte GA-H77TN has two SATA 6Gbps ports, two SATA 3Gbps ports, and one mSATA port. On the other hand, the GA-B75TN supports a single SATA 6Gbps port, three SATA 3Gbps ports, and one mSATA port.

The two thin mini-ITX motherboards should be available for purchase soon, but there is no word on a specific release date. While currently listed as out of stock on Newegg, the site does provide a hint at pricing. The GA-H77TN has a price of $125 while the GA-B75TN is retailing for approximately $110. Thin Mini-ITX cases are somewhat rare, but the form factor can certain enable some neat designs and the more motherboards avaialble, the more likely it is that new thin chassis will be developed.

 

The full press release is below:

City of Industry, California, 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 2nd and 3rd 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.

To learn more about GIGABYTE Thin-Mini-ITX motherboards, and how to build your own All-in-One system, please visit this page of the GIGABYTE website: http://www.gigabyte.us/MicroSite/324/aio-system.html

To see a video detailing how to build your own DIY All-in-One PC with GIGABYTE Thin Mini-ITX, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eNL6DuBtFNg