Lenovo Group, a major maker of personal computers, on Thursday unveiled its new desktops based on microprocessors that consume less than 45W of power. The small form-factor systems may find their homes in offices, however, they are unlikely to become a truly mass product.

Lenovo’s new IBM ThinkCentre A61-series desktops are based on AMD Athlon 64 X2 or AMD Sempron processors with 45W thermal design power as well as AMD 690G core-logic with ATI Radeon X1200 graphics core. The system allows to install DDR2 memory and Serial ATA hard disk and optical drives. Lenovo claims that ThinkCentre A61-series desktops are the smallest, quietest and most energy-efficient desktop to date. The price of the new systems starts at $399.

Lenovo claims that usage of processors with 45W thermal envelope means that the brain of the system uses the same amount of energy as three energy-smart lightbulbs.

“The importance of maximizing energy efficiency and being environmentally conscious is touching all aspects of our daily lives, from the light bulbs we use to light our homes to the hybrid cars we drive to the green technology we rely on to run our businesses. Lenovo is committed to providing an extensive menu of environmentally-responsible, energy-efficient technology choices, and the ThinkCentre A61e desktop is our signature item,” said Peter Schrady, vice president and general manager, emerging products business unit, Lenovo Group.

The ThinkCentre A61e desktop marks Lenovo’s first product with EPEAT (electronics product assessment tool) Gold status, the highest designation a product can achieve in the ranking, as besides energy efficiency the system consists of 90% reusable/recyclable materials as well as 90% recyclable packaging.

“For the first time, a major PC vendor has combined small size and consistently quiet acoustics with a light weight, highly energy-efficient desktop offering at an affordable price said,” Mr. Schrady added.

Lenovo ThinkCentre A61 seems to be one of the most energy-efficient and compact desktops on the market. However, there are also Apple’s iMac desktops as well as IBM’s machines that have the same configurations as iMac systems (which are still used in banks and offices) that are even more compact.