ASRock has added three more Ion powered systems to its growing 330-series of nettops. The ION 330-HT and 330HT-BD each use a dual-core Atom 330 processor clocked at 1.6GHz and are capable of playing back 1080p high definition video thanks to the built-in GPU from Nvidia, but the latter also throws in a Blu-ray drive.
Both systems feature a 320GB hard drive (with room for a secondary 2.5" unit), 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and include the same connectivity options – six USB 2.0 ports, 802.11n Wi-Fi, HDMI and VGA display outputs, S/PDIF and a combo eSATA/USB port. Amazon lists the ION 330-HT and 330HT-BD as barebones, priced at $459 and $589 respectively, although there's not much left for to the user to install besides an operating system.
A Wi-Fi-less 330Pro model is also available priced at $423. ASRock quotes sub-26dB noise levels, and says the systems measure only 12 x 9 x 4.5 inches, which makes them great candidates for a home-theater setup. We've been playing around with the ION 330HT-BD for a few days now and are really happy with its compact design, snappy Windows 7 performance, and smooth 1080p video playback – expect a full review soon.