The E-450 increases clock speed only marginally over the previous top model, the 1.6GHz E-350, and has the same 18-Watt TDP. However, instead of Radeon HD 6310 graphics clocked at 492MHz, it gets Radeon HD 6320 graphics with a base clock speed of 508MHz and the ability to ramp up to 600MHz when required. (We've had no complaints about E-350 graphics, considering price, but the changes should allow games to run a bit more smoothly.)

Now, the E-450 -- which, we presume, is pin-compatible with the E-350, and uses the same "Hudson" A50M I/O controller -- is being built into a device for the first time by MSI. The new device, listed on the Ru du Commerce.com website, is a mini PC of the sort that was being called a "nettop" for a while (one of the many Intel-fielded monikers that hasn't stuck).

MSI's Wind Box DC100
(Click to enlarge)

Like other small computers from MSI (as well as the Asus EeeBox range), the WindBox DC100 targets home theater applications as well as light-duty gaming. MSI said in a May announcement (at which time the DC100 was still said to be equipped with an E-350 CPU) that the device "has a fashionable new external appearance [and is] capable of supporting 1080-pixel high-definition video output and 3D online gaming."

Indeed, the DC100 has new styling that resembles Asus EeeBoxes more than it does MSI's previous relatively plain Wind Box products. Equipped with a stand for vertical mounting, the device measures 7.55 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches, according to Rue du Commerce.com.

Other specifications supplied by the retailer are unsurprising, including mention of a 320GB hard disk drive loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium, plus 2GB of 1066MHz DDR3 RAM. The DC100 is said to have a gigabit Ethernet port and 802.11b/g wireless networking, while the images featured earlier in this story disclose six USB 2.0 ports (four front, two rear), both VGA and HDMI video outputs, and a memory card reader.

Pictures also show that the Wind Box DC100 has a microphone input and headphone jack out front, and a line/speaker output at the rear. There also appears to be an S/PDIF optical digital audio output.

Specifications listed by Rue du Commerce for MSI's Wind Box DC100 include:

• Processor -- AMD E-450 clocked at 1.65GHz
• Chipset -- AMD A50M
• Memory -- 2GB of 1066MHz DDR3 RAM (expandability not cited)
• Storage -- 320GB hard disk drive
• Expansion -- memory card reader
• Networking:
  • LAN -- gigabit Ethernet
  • WAN -- 802.11b/g wireless networking
• Other I/O:
  • 6 x USB 2.0 ports (4 front, 2 rear)
  • VGA
  • HDMI
  • audio -- mic in, headphones out, line/speakers out, S/PDIF
• Power requirements -- n/s, but uses external AC adapter
• Operating range -- n/s
• Dimensions -- 7.55 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches (192 x 151 x 34 mm)
• Weight -- n/s

Rue du Commerce says the Wind Box DC100 will be available within 30 days for 329 Euros (about $473). We wouldn't be surprised to find the device priced at $400 in the U.S., if and when it arrives, that is.

Jonathan Angel can be reached at jonathan.angel@ziffdavisenterprise.com and followed at www.twitter.com/gadgetsense.

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