The Xi3 ‘Piston’ Is The Next Step in Computers! [Video]

The biggest thing to come out of CES is the alleged Value Steam box or for now the Xi3 Piston. CES is like a giant nerd orgy where big name manufactures come out and flex their muscles and show of new tech, and the 'Piston' has me so confused I can't even comprehend that it's a legit computer!

It's so damn small!

Manufacturer Xi3 is a specialist in developing micro-size modular computing without performance tradeoffs. Its systems are typically four-inch cubes, barely larger than a Rubik's Cube, and also allow for relatively straightforward swapping and upgrading of components.

Xi3 chief marketing officer David Politis told games site Polygon that Piston will offer up to one terabyte of internal storage, eight USB ports (half of them using the significantly faster USB 3.0 standard) and a HDMI output for 1080p TV display.

Politis added that the Steam Box is based on the company's X7A system, so while the final Steam Box PC specs are unknown, it could carry:

Between 4 and 8 gigabytes of DDR3 RAM

A quad-core 64-bit, x86-based 32nm processor running at up to 3.2GHz (with 4MB of Level2 Cache)

An integrated graphics card containing up to 384 programmable cores

The X7A starts at $999, so Valve will likely want to reduce the RRP in line with its own specifications. The entry-level X5A, which uses Linux, starts at $499.

via[ Valve's Steam Box: Everything You Need to Know - ComputerAndVideoGames.com.]