Up to now there were only VIA-based mini-ITX mainboards available and despite of relatively weak performance, such solutions appeared to be so popular that even a web-site dedicated to mini-ITX platform was established. Apparently, there is a Taiwan-based company called Commell producing the first ever mini-ITX mainboard for Intel Pentium 4-M processors.

Mini-ITX form-factor and range of mainboards were first proposed as a reference design by VIA Technologies at the end of 2001 and a VIA subsidiary EPIA has been practically the one and only supplier of mini-ITX products. The main peculiarity of mini-ITX is a very small size allowing to build very unusual and sometimes truly ingenious systems. A serious disadvantage of such PCs is definitely their performance: being powered by VIA Technologies’ C3 microprocessors, the masterpieces were not capable of running serious applications fast enough. Now that there is a Mini-FlexATX/Mini-ITX mainboard for Intel Pentium 4-M processors, even the smallest systems are very likely to become powerful to work well in today’s environments.

The Commell LV-670M is based on i845GV with ICH4 I/O controller chipset with built-in Intel Extreme Graphics core and supporting Pentium 4-M microprocessors with 400MHz Quad Pumped Bus and Socket 479 form-factor. The mainboard is equipped with 1 memory slot for up to 1GB of PC2100 or PC2700 DDR SDRAM memory, 1 PCI slot for plugging in whatever is needed, an on-board single/dual-channel 18-/24-bit LVDS interface for TFT LCD monitors  with resolution up to 1600x1200 at 16M colors, an S-Video TV-Out, one 40-pin and one 44-pin IDE ports for both of desktop and slim type HDDs, an Intel PRO/100+ 10/100Mb/s Ethernet chip, USB 2.0 and FireWire (IEEE 1394) connectors, an integrated AC’97 5.1 audio with S/P DIF, an SSD (Solid State Disk) interface with DiskOnModule flash disk as well as PS/2, COM, LPT ports.

As you see, you can get a fully-functional personal computer using Commell LV-670M. It will be more expensive compared to EPIA solutions by VIA Technologies, but it is got to be substantially faster than a C3-powered system, so, now some of you will at least have a choice.

Commell’s web-site and particularly LV-670M home-page is located here. The web-site where you can find everything about mini-ITX is here.