GEEKOM AS 6 mini PC review – Part 3: Ubuntu 22.04 Linux

GEEKOM AS 6 Ubuntu 22.04 Review

We’ve already checked out GEEKOM AS 6 (ASUS PN53) mini PC’s hardware based on AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU, have tested its performance and features in Windows 11 in the second part of the review, and we’ve now taken the time to review GEEKOM AS 6 (Ryzen 9 6900HX) with Ubuntu 22.04 Linux operating system.

We had to disable BitLocker disk encryption in Windows 11, before resizing the partition in the Disk Management program in order to install Ubuntu 22.04 from a USB flash drive. The installation went smoothly once we disable BitLocker.

Ubuntu 22.04 system information

i-Pi SMARC 1200 (MediaTek Genio 1200) devkit tested with a Yocto Linux image

i-Pi SMARC 1200 Yocto Linux glmark2 benchmark

Last weekend I received ADLINK’s i-Pi SMARC 1200 development kit powered by MediaTek Genio 1200 Octa-core Cortex-A78/A55 AIoT processor, checked out the hardware and wanted to install the Yocto Linux image but stopped in my tracks because it looked like I had to install Ubuntu 18.04 first in a Virtual Machine or another computer. But finally, the documentation has been updated to clarify “Ubuntu 18.04 or greater” is required, and I had no problem flashing the image from a Ubuntu 22.04 laptop after installing dependencies and tools as follows:

That’s it for the tools. Eventually, the development kit will support three images: Yocto Linux, Android 13 (July 2023), and Ubuntu 20.04 (Q3 2023). So that means only the Yocto Linux image is available from the download page at this time, and that’s what I’ll be using today. We’ll need to connect the micro USB to USB cable between the […]

Morefine M600 6900HX review – A Ryzen 9 6900HX mini PC tested with Windows 11 and Ubuntu 23.04

Morefine M600 6900HX Review

Under review today is Morefine M600 6900HX mini PC which is a generational update to the previously released S500+ (5900HX or 5700U) although it should be noted that Morefine will soon be releasing a newer version of the M600 with either a Ryzen 7 7840HS or Ryzen 9 7940HS. The current M600 (6900HX) brings both processor and iGPU improvements over the S500+ together with a couple of port upgrades and the welcome introduction of USB4, DDR5, PCIe Gen 4.0, and an additional M.2 storage slot. This review will look at Windows 11 performance together with a quick look at running Ubuntu 23.04 and experiences from using the new features. Morefine M600 6900HX product specifications The Morefine M600 6900HX specifications are as follows:   Product overview Overview of hardware The M600 physically consists of a 149 x 145 x 40 mm (5.87 x 5.71 x 1.57 inches) square metal case with […]

A first look at i-Pi SMARC 1200 (Genio 1200) development kit

i-Pi SMARC 1200 serial console

ADLINK Technology’s i-PI SMARC 1200 is an industrial prototyping kit for AI IoT and Robotics based on a SMARC 2.1 compliant LEC-MTK-I12000 system-on-module (SoM) powered by the MediaTek Genio 1200 (MT8395) octa-core Cortex-A78/A55 AIoT processor with a 4.8 TOPS AI processor. The company sent me a sample for evaluation and review, and in this first post, I’ll go through an unboxing and how to boot the system with the supported Yocto Linux or Ubuntu. i-Pi SMARC 1200 unboxing The i-Pi SMARC 1200 may be destined for industrial users, but it still comes with a neat retail package. The “i-Pi LEC-MTK-I1200-44-64G/EU” kit features a CPU module with 4GB LPDDR4 memory and 64GB UFS storage. The package includes the board itself preassembled in a desktop frame, a Quick Start Guide, a 19V/2.37A (45W) power adapter with an EU power cord, a micro USB to USB cable for debugging, and two bits for […]

GEEKOM AS 6 review – Part 2: An AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX mini PC tested with Windows 11 Pro

GEEKOM AS 6 Windows 11 Pro

We’ve previously checked out the hardware of the GEEKOM AS 6 mini PC, the retail version of the ASUS PN53, using an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU with unboxing, teardown, and the first boot in the first part of the review. We’ve now spent more time with Windows 11 Pro on GEEKOM AS 6 for a thorough review, it’s one of the fastest mini PCs we’ve tested so far, and there are only a few downsides as we’ll see in the second part of the review. Software overview and features testing Our GEEKOM AS 6 sample shipped with Windows 11 Pro 21H2 build 22000.1281, and Windows system information confirms we have a system with a 3.3 GHz AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU and 32GB RAM. If we look at more details, we can confirm the reported specifications match the advertised ones with an 8-core/16-thread CPU, an ASUS PN53 motherboard, etc… […]

Review of BIGTREETECH Pad 7 Klipper pad with Creality Ender-3 Pro S1 3D printer

Creality Ender-3 S1 Pro + BIGTREETECH Pad 7 Benchy 3D printing

I received the BIGTREETECH Pad 7 7-inch Klipper pad and tablet PC for review earlier this month. I’ve already tested it with a Raspberry Pi CM4 as a Linux tablet PC with touchscreen, and I’ve now reinstalled the BTT CB1 Allwinner H616 system-on-module to run the pre-install Klipper OS and connect the Pad 7 to a Creality Ender-3 Pro S1 3D printer. When I first booted the Pad 7 it ended up with an error message from Klipper complaining about a missing configuration file. I connected to WiFi and update all software packages, but it didn’t help. It’s just because the Pad 7 needs to be configured for a specific printer. We can do so through the web dashboard accessible through a web browser going to http://btt-pad7.local (unless you’d changed the hostname in the system) We’ve got the same error shown in the web interface as Klipper needs to be […]

SenseCAP Indicator D1Pro Review – An ESP32-S3 & RP2040 IoT devkit with a 4-inch display, LoRa connectivity, sensors

SenseCAP Indicator D1Pro review

The SenseCAP Indicator D1Pro is an IoT development kit based on ESP32-S3 WiFi & BLE chip, a Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller, and offering LoRa connectivity through an SX1262 RF chip. It also features a 4-inch touchscreen display, two Grove interfaces with ADC & I2C, and two USB Type-C ports including one exposing GPIOs, and the D1Pro integrates tVOC and CO2 sensors, plus the kit ships with an external Grove AHT20 TH sensor for temperature and humidity measurements. SenseCAP Indicator D1Pro Features Dual MCUs and GPIO expansion with the Espressif ESP32-S3 and Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontrollers and support for over 400 Grove-compatible modules. Real-time air quality monitoring thanks to the built-in tVOC and CO2 sensors, and an external Grove AHT20 TH sensor for more precise temperature and humidity readings. Local LoRa Hub for IoT Connectivity thanks to the integrated Semtech SX1262 LoRa chip for connecting LoRa devices to IoT platforms such […]

SONOFF TX Ultimate Review – A smart touch wall switch with innovative features

Sonoff TX Ultimate Review

SONOFF has been producing a wide range of new products over the years, and since the beginning of the year, the company introduced various new products and features including the iHost Smart Home Hub local hub which no longer requires cloud connectivity. The one we are going to review is the Ultimate Smart Touch Wall Switch (also known as the SONOFF TX Ultimate). SONOFF stated that they wanted to provide a new experience with their smart switch. Initially, we couldn’t imagine what new experiences a smart switch could offer. When we think of SONOFF, we usually associate it with affordable smart switches that are durable and perform as expected, not stylish or feature-rich devices. However, the SONOFF TX Ultimate comes as a complete package with light, color, sound, and touch. SONOFF has also expanded the touch area, so there’s no need to worry about missing the button while pressing it. […]

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