Customisation and compact designs aren't two ideas that usually go together in computing terms, but Xi3 Corporation is looking to change that with its confusingly named Xi3 modular computer.
The box, which measures less than 4in per side, is designed to combine low-power operation and a compact form-factor while maintaining a flexible system that can be modified and upgraded at a later date. By cutting the logic board into three pieces and using a metal chassis with a 'flow-through' design, the manufacturer has been able to keep size to a minimum while still providing adequate cooling.
What makes the design really unique is the way that the motherboard has been split-up, with one section for the CPU and RAM and the other two handling connectivity and I/O duties. Each one can be taken out and exchanged for a new part in minutes, allowing you to quickly add power or functionality at some point down the line.
According to Jason A. Sullivan, President and CEO of Xi3 Corporation, "we reject the concept that computers should have a useful life of only two to four years. Instead we believe that computers should be upgradeable and updateable over and over and over again, and that's how we've designed the Xi3 Modular Computer, making it (potentially) the last computer you ever need to buy".
The beating heart of the system will be a single- or dual-core AMD Athlon 64 CPU mated to the 780E chipset. Even though Xi3 has given some specs for the CPUs, we've struggled to unearth too many specific details, though it looks like they are in fact older 65nm embedded parts. However, the power-usage is still impressively low, with the 1GHz single-core drawing only 8W and the top-of-the-range 2.2GHz dual-core drawing only 35W.
The Xi3 should be available at some point in early 2011 starting at $849 (£660 inc VAT) for the base model with Linux installed and prices going up from there. The system has just won a CES 2011 Innovations Award as well, meaning we're sure to see plenty more of it in January.
