Intel Processor Category - CNX Software

May 14, 2026May 14, 2026 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

DEEPX DX-AIPlayer N97 mini PC combines Intel N97 SoC and 25 TOPS DX-M1 AI accelerator

DEEPX has just launched the DX-AIPlayer, an ultra-compact edge AI mini PC with an Intel Processor “Alder Lake-N” N97 SoC and the company’s DX-M1 M.2 AI accelerator module. The system is designed for real-time vision AI applications in robotics, smart cities, and factory automation. We’ve seen plenty of Alder Lake-N mini PCs like the Jetway B420UADN1, the Avalue EPC-ASL, the AAEON UP 710S, and various others, but the DX-AIPlayer N97 is different as it integrates the DX-M1 module via an M.2 2280 M-Key (PCIe Gen 3 x4) slot. The NPU delivers up to 25 TOPS of INT8 AI performance while consuming only 1 to 5 Watts of power, and features 4GB of dedicated LPDDR5 memory to handle larger workloads and multi-model execution without bottlenecking the host system’s RAM. DEEPX DX-AIPlayer N97 specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N97 quad-core processor up to 3.6 GHz with 6MB cache, 24 EU Intel UHD graphics […]

April 28, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 21 Comments

What a difference two years make? Comparing SBC prices in 2024 and 2026

Looking back, 2024 feels like a golden year for single board computers, as the increasing price of RAM (and storage and other components) since late 2025 due to the AI demand has made those much less attractive, price/performance ratio-wise. We’ve already documented Raspberry Pi SBC price hikes, and after several increases, the Raspberry Pi 5 16GB went from $120 to $305, or a 154% change in price. Yesterday, I noticed the Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero had a new version with 4GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash, and a reader was quick to point out the $181 price tag to Europe was painful, bearing in mind it also includes VAT and shipping. Looking at the original December 2023 article, the BPI-M4 Zero 2GB/8GB sold for $28.90 plus shipping, and it now shows up at $115 before taxes. That’s a 297% hike, or about four times the price from a little over […]

April 23, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

AAEON BOXER-6407-TWL – A slim Twin Lake embedded PC for semiconductor manufacturing and digital signage

AAEON BOXER-6407-TWL is a slim (30mm thin) embedded PC powered by Intel Processor N150 or N250 Twin Lake processor, paired with up to 32GB DDR5 SO-DIMM memory and NVMe SSD storage. The fanless mini PC also features HDMI and VGA video outputs, four USB ports, dual GbE networking, two DB-9 ports for RS-232/422/485, and three M.2 slots for storage (NVMe SSD), WiFi and Bluetooth, and 4G LTE/5G cellular connectivity. Its slim design, ports, and ability to operate in the -20°C ~ 60°C temperature range make it suitable for space-constrained applications such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment and digital signage installations. AAEON BOXER-6407-TWL specifications: Twin Lake SoC (one or the other) Intel Processor N150 quad-core processor @ up to 3.6 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD graphics @ 1.0 GHz; TDP: 6W Intel Processor N250 quad-core processor @ up to 3.8 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 32EU Intel UHD graphics @ […]

April 12, 2026April 12, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

UmbrelOS – A Debian-based personal home cloud OS with a slick user interface

UmbrelOS is a Debian-based home cloud OS with a neat web-based interface that works on devices like Raspberry Pi SBCs, mini PCs, old computers, and more. Having been first released in 2020, the OS is not exactly new, but I only discovered it today after noticing it was one of the supported operating systems for the Pironman 5 Pro Max enclosure for the Raspberry Pi 5. It initially launched as a tool for running a Bitcoin full node on a Raspberry Pi easily, but eventually turned into a home cloud OS that competes against other open-source solutions such as OpenMediaVault or CasaOS/ZimaOS. UmbrelOS highlights: Intuitive web dashboard at umbrel.local or your device’s IP. Umbrel App Store — Over 300 apps, including Nextcloud or Immich for media and document storage, Jellyfin for media streaming, Home Assistant automation framework, Vaultwarden password manager, Bitcoin and Lightning nodes, AdGuard Home adblocker, and AI-related tools […]

April 6, 2026April 6, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

AAEON Intelli TWL01 Edge fanless mini PC features up to Core 3 N355 Twin Lake CPU for kiosks and digital signage applications

AAEON Intelli TWL01 Edge is an industrial mini PC with dual 4K display support powered by an Alder Lake-N/Twin Lake processor up to the Intel Core 3 N355 CPU and designed for kiosks, video conferencing suites, video walls, and interactive billboards. The fanless computer ships with up to 16GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC flash, offers M.2 sockets for NVMe storage and WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity, and features two Gigabit Ethernet ports, four USB 3.2 ports, an RS-232/422/485 COM port, and more. The company also provides DIN rail, wall, and VESA mounting options for the mini PC. AAEON Intelli TWL01 Edge specifications: Alder Lake-N/Twin Lake SoC (one or the other) Intel Processor N97 quad-core processor @ up to 3.6 GHz (Turbo) with 6 MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD Graphics @ 1.2 GHz; TDP: 12W Intel Processor N150 quad-core processor @ up to 3.6 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD […]

March 28, 2026March 28, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

TerraMaster F2-425 Plus NAS review – Part 2: Configuration, benchmarks, and AI-enhanced media storage

I received the TerraMaster F2-425 Plus 3+2 Hybrid NAS for review last month, and after checking out the hardware in the first part of the review, I’ve finally had time to test the Intel N150 NAS. After installing two 4TB SATA drives and an M.2 NVMe SSD, I’ll report my experience setting up the system with the TNAS Android app, before running some benchmarks, and testing features like photo backup with AI search capabilities. Hard drive installation I already had an old, but little-used, 4TB HGST SATA drive, and I bought a “new” 4TB SATA drive online for a pretty good deal (2979 THB or a little over $90 US). It turns out the HPE MB4000GVY2K drive I got was refurbished, having been manufactured in 2017. However, it’s an enterprise-grade drive, and the TNAS app reports it has been used “only” for 2,517 hours, so I don’t feel too bad […]

March 12, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

COM HPC Mini-sized VersaLogic Raptor “Embedded Processing Unit” features 13th gen Intel Core i5-1345URE or Processor U300E SoC

VersaLogic Raptor (VL-EPU-5530) Embedded Processing Unit is powered by a 13th Gen Intel Core i5-1345URE or Processor U300E SoC and designed for high-performance computing applications in harsh environments with a -40 to +85°C temperature range and MIL-STD-202H shock and vibration qualification. The COM HPC Mini-sized (95 x 80 x 36mm) board supports up to 64 GB of soldered-down LPDDR5 memory, features vertical USB4, USB 3.0 Type-A, and mini DisplayPort connectors, two 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports with TSN support, and three M.2 expansion sockets for NVMe SSDs, AI accelerators, or other expansion modules. Specifications: Raptor Lake SoC (one or the other) Intel Processor U300E 5-core/6-thread processor with 1x P-core @ 1.1 GHz / 4.3 GHz (Turbo) 4x E-cores up to 3.2 GHz (Turbo), 8MB Cache, 48EU Intel UHD Graphics up to 1.1 GHz; PBP: 15W Intel Core i5-1345URE 10-core/12-thread processor with 2x P-cores @ 1.4 GHz / 4.6 GHz (Turbo), 8x […]

February 19, 2026March 28, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

TerraMaster F2-425 Plus 3+2-bay hybrid NAS review – Part 1: unboxing, teardown, drives installation, and first boot

TerrasMaster F2-425 Plus Review TOS initialization

TerraMaster has sent us a sample of the F2-425 Plus 3+2-bay NAS for review. It’s powered by an Intel Processor N150 CPU paired with 8GB of RAM, with two 3.5-inch SATA bays and three M.2 NVMe sockets for storage, as well as two 5GbE RJ45 jacks, and a few USB ports. Since we’ve already written the specifications in the previous article, we’ll focus the first part of the review on an unboxing and a teardown to check out the hardware design, before showing how to install the drives, and giving it a quick first try. TerraMaster F2-425 Plus NAS unboxing We received the F2-425 Plus “All new 2-Bay Hybrid NAS” in its retail package. UPS took nearly two months to deliver it from Hong Kong to Thailand, mostly due to customs issues, but I digress. The package includes an accessories box with a Quick Installation Guide, a Limited Warranty brochure, […]