MINISFORUM have recently launched their X35G mini PC on Indiegogo which differentiates itself from the many Gemini Lake mini PCs by using a 10th generation Intel “Ice Lake” Core mobile processor with Gen11 graphics. Available as a barebones device and in various configurations MINISFORUM sent a fully configured model for review. MINISFORUM X35G Hardware overview Also known as DeskMini X35G, the MINISFORUM X35G is a slightly larger mini PC physically consisting of a 136.5 mm x 121.5 mm x 40.5 mm (5.37 x 4.78 x 1.59 inches) rectangular metal case with a plastic base. It is an actively cooled mini PC that uses Intel’s second-generation 10 nm+ Core i3-1005G1 processor which is a dual-core 4-thread 1.2 GHz processor boosting to 3.4 GHz with Intel’s Gen11 UHD graphics. The front panel has a power button, a Thunderbolt 3/Type-C USB port that supports video, and two 3.1 USB ports. Also on the […]
ASRock NUC 1100 BOX Series mini PC Offers 2.5GbE, WiFI 6, and quad 4K output
The new Tiger Lake UP3 embedded processors have enabled industrial mini PCs and motherboards to get higher-end features including 2.5 GbE, WiFI 6, USB 4.0, and support for up to four independent 4K displays. ASRock industrial already unveiled ASRock iBOX 1100 rugged mini PC last month, but the company is now back with an even more compact Tiger Lake UP3 mini PC that offers quad 4K video output, 2.5GbE, and WiFi 6 connectivity. Meet ASRock NUC 1100 BOX Series industrial computer designed for entertainment, gaming, office collaboration, content creation, retail, and business applications. ASRock NUC 1100 specifications: SoC NUC BOX-1165G7 – Intel Core i7-1165G7 quad-core/octa-thread Tiger Lake UP3 processor @ up to 1.2 GHz / 4.7 GHz (Turbo) with 96EU Iris Xe Graphics; 15W TDP (Configurable between 12 and 28W) NUC BOX-1135G7 – Intel Core i5-1135G7 quad-core/octa-thread Tiger Lake UP3 processor @ up to 0.9 GHz / 4.2 GHz (Turbo) […]
Enabling AV1 Hardware Video Decoding in Windows 10
AOMedia AV1 royalty-free video codec delivers up to 50% better compression than H.264 and up to 20% better than VP9 for the same video content, so streaming companies like Netflix and YouTube enabled the codec a while ago. When I play a YouTube video in Chrome in Ubuntu 20.04 and check the stats for nerds info, it will usually show the video is played with “av01.0” codec which refers to AV1, but it’s played with software video decoding using libraries like Dav1d leveraging SIMD instructions. But ideally, you’d want hardware video decoding for lower power consumption for increased battery life, and potentially smoother videos. One good news is that Microsoft has recently announced support for AV1 GPU-accelerated hardware video decoding in Windows 10. The less good news is that support will be limited to recent and fairly powerful GPUs. So for instance, if you own mini PCs with older Intel […]
Vecow SPC-6000 Fanless Embedded PC is Powered by an Atom x6425RE Elkhart Lake Processor
Since the official launch of the Elkhart Lake processor family last month, we’ve covered a Pico-ITX SBC, a 3.5-inch SBC, and several CoM’s following SMARC, Q7, COM Express, and other system-on-module standards. So far, we had not found any Elkhart Lake mini PCs, but Vecow SPC-6000 fanless embedded PC powered by an Intel Atom x6425RE processor is one of the first such solutions offered from the market, and supports 2.5 Gbps Ethernet with TSN support. Vecow SPC-6000 specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x6425RE quad-core Elkhart Lake processor @ 1.90 GHz with 1.5MB cache, 32EU Intel UHD graphics; 12W TDP System Memory – Up to 32GB DDR4 3200MHz via a single SO-DIMM socket Storage – 1x M.2 Key M Socket (2280, PCIe x2), and 1x SATA III (6Gbps) Video Output DVI-I up to 3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz DisplayPort up to 4096 x 2160 @ 60Hz Audio Realtek ALC892, 5.1 Channel […]
Kontron Introduces Tiger Lake 3U VPX Computer Blade and COM Express Type 6 Module
Intel launched several new embedded processors last month including the brand new Elkhart Lake family and some additional Tiger Lake UP3 processors designed for the IoT edge market. There’ve been several products announced with the new processors, but here are more with Kontron introducing two new Tiger Lake embedded hardware with COMe-cTL6 COM Express Compact Type 6 module and VX3060 3U VPX computer blade. As shown in the collage above, a 3.5-inch SBC is also in the works, but while we do not have the full details yet, the company expect the board to comes with SATA 3.0, M.2 socket, 2.5 GbE LAN, as well as four DP channels driving up to four independent 4Kp60 displays. VX3060 3U VPX computer blade Key features for both “3E” and “XG” variants: SoC – Intel quad-core Tiger Lake UP3 processor up to 2.5 GHz with up to 96EU Intel Iris Xe Graphics – […]
Hailo-8 M.2 and mini PCIe AI accelerator cards deliver up to 26 TOPS
[Update Sep 3, 2020: The post has been edited to correct Google Coral M.2 power consumption] If you were to add M.2 or mPCIe AI accelerator card to a computer or board, you’d mostly have the choice between Google Coral M.2 or mini PCIe card based on the 4TOPS Google Edge TPU, or one of AAEON AI Core cards based on Intel Movidius Myriad 2 (100 GOPS) or Myriad X (1 TOPS per chip). There are also some other cards like Kneron 520 powered M.2 or mPCIe cards, but I believe the Intel and Google cards are the most commonly used. If you ever need more performance, you’d have to connect cards with multiple Edge or Movidius accelerators or use one M.2 or mini PCIe card equipped with Halio-8 NPU delivering a whopping 26 TOPS on a single chip. Hailo-8 M.2 accelerator card key features and specifications: AI Processor – […]
Windows 10 capable Rock Pi X SBC Launched for $59 and Up
Radxa unveiled Rock Pi X intel SBC powered by an Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor over a year ago with a starting price of just $39 making one of the cheapest Windows 10 single board computer together with Atomic Pi, but the latter is not super convenient to use. What’s new is that you can now buy Rock Pi X SBC, but not quite for $39 since the board has been redesigned, and instead, you’ll find the 4GB RAM/32GB eMMC flash model (Rock Pi X B4E32) for $75 on Seeed Studio, but if you can do with 2GB RAM and 16GB flash storage, AllNetChina has stock for $59 plus shipping. Those are the so-called model B boards with WiFi and Bluetooth, as well as support for an optional PoE module. Rock Pi X model B specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8350 “Cherry Trail” quad-core processor @ 1.44 GHz / 1.92 GHz […]
ASRock iBOX 1100 Industrial Mini PC Features Intel Tiger Lake UP3 Embedded Processor
We recently covered COM Express and COM-HPC modules powered by Intel Tiger Lake UP3 embedded processors announced last week. ASRock is now the first company to officially announce a Tiger Lake UP3 mini PC based on the new 15W IoT processors. ASRock iBOX 1000 rugged embedded computer is fitted with the company’s NUC-1100 motherboard that offers four 4K display outputs, 2.5GbE networking, and various other expansions and I/Os in order to target factory automation, AGV, retail kiosk, digital signage, entertainment, transportation, and other AIoT applications. ASRock iBOX 1100 specifications: SoC (one or the other) Intel Core i7-1185G7E quad-core/octa-thread Tiger Lake UP3 embedded processor @ up to 1.8 GHz / 4.4 GHz (Turbo) with 96EU Iris Xe Graphics; 15W TDP (Configurable between 12 and 28W) Intel Core i5-1145G7E quad-core/octa-thread Tiger Lake UP3 embedded processor @ up to 1.5 GHz / 4.1 GHz (Turbo) with 80EU Iris Xe Graphics; 15W TDP (Configurable […]