Samsung Chromebox Receives Intel i5 Upgrade Option

When we think of the Samsung Chromebox and other Google Chrome OS based devices we don’t typically think of “high-end” computing. Yet Samsung on Wednesday announced that its Chromebox system is now available with Intel’s i5 processor.

The Ivy Bridge class CPU with its 1.9GHz speeds  is a huge step up from the Chromebox’s original Intel Celeron processor and that upgrade comes with an upgraded price of just $422.

While the new Chromebox XE300M22-A02US has not shown up on the Samsung website it is already being listed on Amazon.com.

Also featured on the Mac mini-inspired device is a 16GB solid-state disk (SSD) and 4GB of RAM. The Chromebox also features 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and offers a DisplayPort, DVI port and 6 USB 2.0 ports.

Much like its predecessors the Chromebox relies heavily on cloud computing for its main storage and everyday uses. Unlike Samsung’s Chromebook options the always-on internet connection is seen as less of a hindrance since the box is typically used in a single location.

Samsung recently changed the look of the Samsung Chromebox in order to differentiate itself from the Apple Mini line of desktop PCs. The new design is decidedly different in look, while the features on the device have remained largely unchanged.

Here’s a look at the older version of the Samsung Chromebox:

As cloud based computing becomes more commonplace and internet connectivity continues to improve throughout the United States, we can expect to see more pint-sized computers on the market.

If the Samsung Chromebox isn’t small enough, perhaps you should check out what Dell is attempting to accomplish with its USB-stick sized PC that can run Windows, Mac OS, Linux and other OS’ directly from a cloud based environment.

Have you picked up a Samsung Chromebox yet or do you plan on buying one in the future?

[Images via ZDNet and TheVerge]