Giveaway Week 2024 – iKOOLCORE R2 Core i3-N300 mini PC and quad 2.5GbE router

iKOOLCORE R2 Proxmox review

Let’s end CNX Software’s Giveaway Week 2024 with a bang! The last prize is an iKOOLCORE R2 mini PC and router powered by an Intel Core i3-N300 Alder Lake-N CPU, equipped with 8GB RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD, and featuring four 2.5GbE ports. The tiny PC also comes with HDMI and USB-C ports for dual 4K video output, an M.2 E-Key socket to install a wireless module for WiFi and Bluetooth, two USB 3.1 Gen 2 (5 Gbps) Type-A ports, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C port with DisplayPort Alt. mode, and a not-so-useful USB-C audio port using Realtek ALC987 codec. My review of the iKOOLCORE R2 last year was a learning experience as it was the first time I used Proxmox VE and pfSense, and since I wanted to use the system both as a mini PC running Ubuntu 22.04 desktop and a router/firewall running pfSense […]

iKOOLCORE R2 Max 10GbE mini PC review – Part 1: Unboxing, teardown, and first boot

Dual 10GbE Dual 2.5GbE Intel N100 mini PC soft router

iKOOLCORE R2 Max is an Alder Lake-N mini PC, server, and soft router equipped with two 10GbE and two 2.5GbE ports and offered with either an Intel Processor N100 quad-core CPU, or a more powerful Intel Core i3-N305 octa-core processor. When iKOOLCORE offered me an R2 Max sample for review, I explained I did not own any 10GbE networking gear. So the company decided to send me two samples for testing 10 Gbps Ethernet networking: a fanless Intel N100 model and an actively-cooled Core i3-N305 model. Since we’ve already gone through the specifications in the first article, I’ll start the iKOOLCORE R2 Max review with an unboxing, a teardown, and a first boot. In the second part of the review, I’ll use Proxmox, OpenWrt, Ubuntu, and/or other operating systems to test the devices using one as a DUT (Device Under Test) and the other as a 10GbE server. iKOOLCORE R2 […]

UP Squared Pro 710H SBC combines Alder Lake-N CPU with Hailo-8 AI accelerator for the machine vision market

UP Squared Pro 710H

AAEON UP Squared Pro 710H is a 4×4-inch SBC and developer board designed for machine vision applications with an Intel Processor N97 or Core i3-N305 Alder Lake-N CPU and a 26 TOPS Hailo-8 Edge AI processor. The single board computer supports up to two MIPI CSI cameras via a 61-pin connector and offers expansion capabilities through a 40-pin Raspberry Pi-compatible header and three M.2 sockets for 5G, Wi-Fi, and NVMe storage support. While it’s only designed to operate in the 0 to 60°C temperature range, it does have industrial features such as 12V to 36V DC input and two RS-232/422/485 connectors. UP Squared Pro 710H specifications: Alder Lake N-series SoC (one or the other) Intel Processor N97 quad-core processor up to 3.6 GHz with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD Graphics Gen 12 @ 1.2 GHz; TDP: 12W Intel Core i3-N305 octa-core processor up to 3.8 GHz with 6MB cache, 32EU Intel […]

GEEKOM GT1 Mega AI mini PC Review – Part 1: Specifications, unboxing, teardown, and first boot

GEEKOM GT1 Mega Review Windows 11 Pro

GEEKOM GT1 Mega is an AI mini PC based on the latest Intel Core Ultra 5/7/9 Meteor Lake processor. We received a review sample from the company with an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H SoC, 32GB DDR5 memory, and a 2TB NVMe SSD as well as an Intel BE200 WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 module. As usual, we’ll do a three-part review starting with an article with the specifications, an unboxing, and a teardown followed by a thorough review with the pre-installed Windows 11 Pro operating system, and finally with the latest Ubuntu 24.04.1 OS. GEEKOM GT1 Mega specifications GEEKOM provides the following specifications for the GT1 Mega mini PC and motherboard: Meteor Lake SoC (one or the other) Intel Core Ultra 9 185H 16-core (6P+8E+2LPE) processor @ 2.5 / 3.8 / 5.1 GHz (Turbo) with 24MB cache, 8x Xe-cores Intel Arc graphics @ 2.35 GHz, Intel AI Boost NPU; […]

Intel Processor N150 and N250, Core i3-N355 Alder Lake-N Refresh SoCs show up in ASUS NUC 14 Essential mini PCs

ASUS NUC 14 Essential

Intel Processor N150, Processor N250, and Core i3-N355 new Alder Lake-N processors have recently shown up in the upcoming ASUS NUC 14 Essential mini PCs and offer a small performance boost compared to existing variants such as the N100, N200, and Core i3-N305. The upcoming NUC 14 Essential family also includes one model with the existing Processor N97 CPU, supports up to three 4K displays via HDMI, DP, and USB-C connectors, offers 2.5 GbE networking, six USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, and a single USB 2.0 port. ASUS NUC 14 Essential (NUC14MNK) specifications: Alder Lake-N SoC Intel Processor N97 quad-core processor @ up to 3.4 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD graphics; TDP: 6W Intel Processor N150 quad-core processor @ up to 3.6 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, Intel graphics; TDP: 6W Intel Processor N250 quad-core processor @ up to 3.8 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, Intel graphics; […]

Kontron 2.5”-SBC-AML/ADN Pico-ITX SBC features Alder Lake-N or Amston Lake SoC up to Intel Atom X7835RE

2.5 inch SBC AML and ADN

Kontron has launched its new Amston Lake Pico-ITX SBC, the 2.5”-SBC-AML/ADN series, optimized for low-power, real-time computing in industrial automation, smart cities, energy, retail, and healthcare applications. This compact SBC series supports Intel’s energy-efficient processors, including the Intel Atom x7000E Series, Intel Core i3 N-Series, Intel N-Series (Alder Lake-N), and the Intel Atom x7000RE Series (Amston Lake). With Intel UHD Graphics (Gen12) featuring up to 32 execution units, these Amston Lake Pico-ITX SBCs enhance graphics processing and support concurrent AI inference. Powered by Intel Deep Learning Boost, they achieve faster AI inference, which is ideal for efficient edge computing, while meeting the stringent demands of real-time, low-latency applications. Previously, we covered several Pico-ITX SBCs, including the AAEON PICO-ASL4, Jetway JPIC-ADN1, AAEON PICO-IMX8PL, and AAEON RICO-MX8P, among others. Feel free to explore these reviews if you’re interested in similar SBCs. Kontron 2.5”-SBC-AML/ADN specifications: CPU Standard Intel Atom x7211RE dual-core processor up […]

Portwell WEBS-21J0-ASL – A rugged embedded system with Intel Atom x7000RE Nano-ITX motherboard and Hailo-8 AI accelerator

WEBS-21J0-ASL Nano-ITX embedded system

Portwell’s WEBS-21J0-ASL is a fanless, rugged embedded system with a Nano-ITX motherboard powered by an Intel Atom x7000RE Series processor and optimized for industrial IoT applications. It features two 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports, dual 4K display support (DP/HDMI), and a serial port as well as M.2 E and B Key sockets for wireless and storage expansion. Designed for harsh environments, the WEBS-21J0-ASL operates in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 60°C. The system is equipped with DDR4 SO-DIMM memory (up to 16GB and 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports. It has passed vibration and shock tests for durability in rugged applications making it suitable for a wide range of industrial and automation systems. The WEBS-21J0-ASL also supports optional integration with the Hailo-8 AI acceleration module delivering up to 26 TOPS of AI performance for applications requiring advanced AI capabilities. This makes it an ideal solution for robotics, medical equipment, outdoor gateways, and […]

DFI RPS101/RPS103 mini-ITX motherboards support 12th-14th Gen Intel processors, quad 4K displays, dual 2.5GbE

DFI RPS101 or RPS103 Mini-ITX motherboard with up to 14th Gen Raptor Lake-S Refresh processor.

DFI has recently launched the RPS101/RPS103 industrial mini-ITX motherboards compatible with 14th/13th/12th Gen Intel Core processors and equipped with R680E, Q670E, or H610E chipset. They also support up to 64GB of DDR5 memory and offer various connectivity and management features including support for up to four independent 4K displays, two Intel 2.5GbE ports, and an integrated DFI M2-OOB module. These features are designed to meet the demands of factory automation and kiosk applications, and the company claims its latest mini-ITX motherboards are ideal for businesses that need to reduce TCO and accelerate AI adoption. RPS101/RPS103 mini-ITX motherboards’ specifications CPU options LGA 1700 Socket  (one or the other) 14th Gen Raptor Lake-S Refresh  – Intel 300T dual-core to Intel Core i9-14900 24-core 13th Gen Raptor Lake-S – Intel G6900TE dual-core to Intel Core i9-13900 24-core 12th Gen Alder Lake-S – Intel G6900TE dual-core to Intel Core i9-12900 16-core Graphics Intel HD […]

Youyeetoo X1 x86 SBC