Habey announced a mini PC that runs fanlessly and is aimed at digital signage applications. The BIS-6564 has a 1.8GHz, dual-core Atom D525 processor and a Nvidia Ion 2 GPU (graphics processor unit), plus room for two 2.5-inch SATA hard disk drives, two Mini PCI Express slots, and up to 4GB of RAM, according to the company.

Habey says its new BIS-6564 is based on a previously released mini-ITX board, the MITX-6564. This is one very well-traveled piece of circuitry, because Habey followed up the board's October 2010 debut with a multitude of little PCs based on it. They include:

• the ENT-6564, a slim "media-player/nettop"
• the EPC-6564, a short-depth 1U device with optical drive support
• the EPC-6568 released last November
• the EPC-6566, a barebone 1U server with dual drive bays that was released last December
• the EPC-6563, a compact PC released in May
• the PPC-6512, a 12.1-inch panel PC released in July
• and the EPC-6568S, a mini PC we covered last month

All these devices featured various combinations and permutations — which we won't attempt to review — of Intel Atom processors, Intel integrated graphics, and Nvidia's discrete Ion 2 GPU (graphics processing unit). Suffice it to say that the BIS-6564 is like the EPC-6568S in offering the most powerful combo yet: both the Ion 2 and the 1.8GHz Atom D525 processor.

Habey's BIS-6564

The BIS-6564 (above) is billed as a digital media player that can drive two independent displays. Unlike the EPC-6568S, this latest device operates fanlessly in temperatures up to 122 deg. F, thanks to passive cooling via its steel/aluminum "Icefin" case, according to the company.

Habey says the BIS-6564 has two 3Gb/sec. SATA ports as well as room for two 2.5-inch hard disk drives internally. The PC also has two SODIMM slots that jointly accept up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, plus two Mini PCI Express slots, one of which must be used to add wireless networking capabilities if desired, the company adds.

Ports on Habey's BIS-6564

Interfaces of the BIS-6564, pictured above, mostly derive directly from the coastline of the MITX-6564, as a comparison with the image below makes clear. They include an RS232 port, an HDMI port, a VGA port, an S/PDIF optical digital output, three USB 2.0 ports, a gigabit Ethernet port, a headphone output, and a microphone input, according to Habey.

Habey's MITX-6564
(Click to enlarge)

On both the BIS-6564 and underlying MITX-6564, Nividia's Ion 2 takes the form of a Nvidia GeForce GT218 module that has 512MB of dedicated video memory. The system provides dual-monitor support, hardware accelerated decoding of HD video, and resolutions of up to 2560 x 1600 pixels, according to Habey.

According to Habey, the BIS-6564 accepts 12VDC input power and uses under 30 Watts. Operating system support includes Linux, Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Embedded Standard, and Windows Vista, the company says.

Features and specifications listed by Habey for the BIS-6564 include:

• Processor — Intel Atom D525 clocked at 1.8GHz
• Chipset — Intel NM10 and Nvidia GeForce GT218
• Memory — Up to 4GB DDR2 via 2 x SODIMM slots
• Storage — 2 bays for 2.5-inch SATA hard disk drives
• Expansion — 2 x Mini PCI Express slots
• Networking — 1 x gigabit Ethernet port
• Other I/O:
  • 3 x external USB 2.0
  • 4 x internal USB 2.0
  • 1 x RS232
  • VGA
  • HDMI
  • audio — mic in, line out, S/PDIF out
• Power — 12V DC via external AC adapter
• Operating temperature — 14 to 122 deg. F (-10 to 50 deg. C)
• Dimensions — 9.64 x 7.63 x 2.28 inches