Piston pumping powah!
Given the success of the Pype 3 system we featured at last year’s CeBIT, it seems only fitting we should reveal another cylindrical PC, this time from FIC. Title the Piston, this is a complete PC in a tube, aimed at gamers and would-be media center owners.
The Piston somehow crams in a pico BTX form factor, pulling air in through the front vent and channelling it down to cool the Intel Pentium 4 Prescott sitting inside. But also slotted in there is a bass reflex unit in the bottom and a pair of cone speakers shouting out of the front, making it ideal for your media needs too.
Click for larger imageThe system comes with onboard graphics, a downer I know, but does have a 16 lane PCI Express slot so you can punch in a decent card to keep up with the pre-validated 3.8 GHz clock speed from the CPU. The Intel 945G and ICH7 chipset also provide you with 7.1 audio, DDR2 533/667, IEEE 1394, USB and all those other bits and bobs.
Click for larger imageOne rather clever feature is that the speakers built into the Piston are active even is the system isn’t on, meaning you can make use of the bass and cone speakers with external devices hooked up to the system.
Click for larger imageAnd if you’re looking for a more media orientated experience, the Piston comes supplied with an MCE remote, keyboard, mouse and 7 in 1 card reader too, as well as a total of 6 USB 2.0 ports and, to stop come light fingered bugger legging it with your PC, there’s a Kensington loop round the back too. [advert]
