There’s something to be said for a desktop PC that doesn’t take over the top of your desk. Just in time for CES this year, ECS is introducing two new Liva mini-PCs. These tiny barebones PCs pack Intel processors into kits that can purportedly handle 4K video and light gaming in the right configuration.
The showcase model is the updated Liva Z Plus , a machine that ECS plans to debut at CES. Powered by Intel’s latest Kaby Lake processors , the Liva Z Plus packs a good amount of muscle into a diminutive frame. The company’s internal numbers indicate that Kaby Lake gives the Liva Z Plus about 11% more performance than its previous Skylake-powered models. Users can slot two DDR4 SO-DIMMs in the machine.
About the size of the palm of your hand, the Liva XE is the smallest of ECS’s lineup of mini-PCs. It runs one of Intel’s low-power Braswell SoCs. The company’s press release is a little confusing\u2014we’re going to go out on a limb and say that this device isn’t 45″ long\u2014but we expect this little guy to measure in similarly to its predecessor, the 5.3″ by 3.3″ by 1.6″ (13.5 cm x 8.3 cm x 4 cm) Liva X .
ECS hasn’t announced pricing or availability yet, but plans to display the Liva Z Plus and Liva X machines at CES, along with the Liva Z and Liva ZE models from earlier this year.<\/p>\n