Hands on with the ECS LIVA Mini PC Kit

At ECS’s LIVA, LEAD, L337 press event this week in Silicon Valley we were able to go hands on with their LIVA Mini PC Kit. They are dubbing this kit the world’s smallest Windows based Mini PC Kit.

ECS LIVA Mini PC Kit

The LIVA has actually been out for a little while now, but at the event ECS announced the 64 GB version (white). The black version of the LIVA is the 32 GB version. The unit itself is only 118 x 70 x 56 mm and weighs in at 190g, so yes it is very small. The device only uses 15W of power at full load and 4W during standby so it uses no more power than a light bulb!

ECS LIVA Mini PC Kit

The LIVA is powered by the Intel Bay Trail-M SoC and has 2 GB of DDR3L memory, and a M.2 slot that has an 802.11 a/b/g/n + BT 4.0 card installed (no M.2 storage options available). As I said the LIVA is available in 32 GB (black) and 64 GB (white) versions. Output connections include Gigabit LAN, one USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, and a 2CH channel combo audio jack on the front. The unit also gets power by way of a microUSB connection. That means you can power the device with a USB powerbank like you would with your mobile device.

The is sort of a DIY kit as it comes disassembled. You get the motherboard, WiFi+BT module and WiFi antenna. ECS says you should be able to complete the installation yourself in 40 seconds. Here are some shots of the motherboard disassembled.

ECS LIVA Mini PC Kit

ECS LIVA Mini PC Kit

The LIVA is compatiable with Windows 8.1, although it is not included with the unit itself. Other operating systems like Linux and ChromeOS should work on the device, but they have not been certified yet. No Windows 7 support yet. ECS says that the LIVA is intended to be used for a media machine, web surfing, and productivity tasks such as Microsoft Office.

The 32 GB version of the LIVA is currently selling for $179.99 at my favorite online retailer. That means if you add Windows as your OS you will have a fully operational PC for around $279.99. Expect the 64 GB version to be just a little more expensive.

Expect a review from us on the device very soon!

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