intel

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on Intel floats Modular PC design proposal for repairable laptops and mini PCs

Intel floats Modular PC design proposal for repairable laptops and mini PCs

Intel modular PC design

Intel has published an article proposing a modular PC design that would improve the repairability/right-to-repair of laptops and mini PCs and reduce e-waste through the replacement of motherboard, display, and M.2 or FPC add-on modules for the user-facing ports. Making repairable, modular electronic devices is not a new idea, and the Framework laptops are probably the best-known option now, but they do come at a premium. But most projects are limited success, for instance, Project Ara modular smartphone from Google eventually died off. We’ve also covered modular or open-source hardware solutions from smaller companies over the years such as Firefly Station P3D modular Arm mini PC with swappable cards, or Olimex Teres-I DIY and open-source hardware laptop. It’s good news that a large company like Intel is taking the repairable, modular PC topic seriously, but as we’ll see below it’s currently a high-level proposal with few technical details. Most laptops […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Disabling VT-d improves Intel Arc GPU Linux performance on Meteor Lake and newer SoCs

Disabling VT-d improves Intel Arc GPU Linux performance on Meteor Lake and newer SoCs

Improve Intel Arc GPU performance Linux VT-d disabled

In this post, I’ll check whether disabling VT-d virtualization support may improve the performance of the Intel Arc GPU in recent Meteor Lake or Lunar Lake SoC using a Khadas Mind Maker Kit with an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V CPU with Intel Arc 140V graphics running Ubuntu 24.10. A few days ago, I read a post on Phoronix about Intel publishing tips to improve the performance of Intel GPUs in Linux: Keep the system updated with the latest kernel and Mesa versions. Ensure SoC firmware is up-to-date. These firmware updates currently require installing the Windows graphics driver; firmware updates via fwupd are in progress. Use Wayland where possible, as it supports additional modifiers for better performance. For MTL (Meteor Lake) and newer integrated GPUs, disable VT-d if virtualization is not needed. For discrete GPUs: Enable ReBAR_ Enable ASPM_ I was especially curious about the line about disabling VT-d virtualization […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on ASROCK Industrial launches NUC(S) Ultra 200 (Intel Arrow Lake-H) and 4X4 AI300 (AMD Ryzen 300 AI) motherboards and BOX PCs

ASROCK Industrial launches NUC(S) Ultra 200 (Intel Arrow Lake-H) and 4X4 AI300 (AMD Ryzen 300 AI) motherboards and BOX PCs

ASROCK Industrial NUC Ultra 200 BOX PC Motherboard

Following new SoC announcements by Intel and AMD at CES 2025, ASRock Industrial has launched the NUC(S) Ultra 200 BOX Series and NUC Ultra 200 Motherboard Series powered by Intel Core Ultra 200H Arrow Lake-H processors with of to 99 TOPS of AI inferencing power, and the 4X4 BOX AI300 Series and 4X4 AI300 Motherboard Series based on  AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors with up to 50 TOPS of NPU performance. ASROCK NUC(S) Ultra 200 BOX PCs & NUC ULTRA 200 motherboards NUC(S) Ultra 200 specifications: Arrow Lake-H/U SoC (one or the other) Intel Core Ultra 7 255H (6P+8E) processor up to 5.1 GHz with 24MB cache, Intel Arc 140T GPU (74 TOPS), and Intel AI Boost (13 TOPS); PBP: 28 Watts Intel Core Ultra 5 225H (4P+8E) processor up to 4.9 GHz with 18MB cache, Intel Arc 130T GPU (63 TOPS), and Intel AI Boost (13 TOPS); PBP: 28 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments on WiFi 7 access point and client M.2 modules are cheaper than I thought

WiFi 7 access point and client M.2 modules are cheaper than I thought

WiFi 7 M.2 modules

We have already seen WiFi 7 mini PCIe and M.2 modules from Compex for business customers, but I’ve recently noticed AsiaRF AW7991-AE2 M.2 module rated BE5000 offers an affordable alternative design for access points for just $58 plus shipping. But adding WiFi 7 to a consumer device can be cheaper than I expected as Intel BE200 or MediaTek MT7925-based M.2 modules can be purchased for around $20 to $30. Let’s have a look at some of the options available. AsiaRF AW7991-AE2 dual-band WiFi 7 “access point” M.2 module AsiaRF AW7991-AE2 specifications: SoC – MediaTek MT7991AV (Filogic 660?) with 32bit RISC-V MCU for Wi-Fi protocol and Wi-Fi offload Chipset – MT7976C WiFI 6 3×3 MIMO chipset System Memory –  8MB WLAN IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be compliant Frequency bands 2.4GHz – Bandwidth: 20/40MHz; 2T2R 2ss 5GHz – Bandwidth:20/40/80/160MHz; T3R 3ss Dual-Band Dual Concurrent (DBDC) Supports up to 4096-QAM Data rate of up to 688Mbps […]

Posted on by Sayantan Nandy - 1 Comment on iBASE IB996 full-size PICMG 1.3 CPU card features Intel Q670E chipset, supports 12th to 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors

iBASE IB996 full-size PICMG 1.3 CPU card features Intel Q670E chipset, supports 12th to 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors

iBASE IB996 CPU Card

The iBASE IB996 full-size PICMG 1.3 CPU card, built on the Intel Q670E chipset, supports 12th to 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors. It is designed for industrial and embedded applications with dual 2.5GbE LAN, DDR5 support, and extensive I/O options including PCI and PCIe x16 interfaces. We haven’t covered this type of card on CNX Software before, so some basic explanations are needed. PICMG 1.3, or SHB Express, is an industrial standard for System Host Boards (SHBs) supporting PCIe, PCI, and PCI-X interfaces first ratified in 2005 (PCIMG 1.0). It uses a backplane to separate the processing unit from I/O, enabling modular design and easy integration. Commonly used in industrial automation, medical systems, and embedded computing, it ensures compatibility and scalability for high-performance applications. iBASE IB996 CPU card specifications: Supported SoC – 14th, 13th, and 12th Gen Intel Core i9/i7/i5/i3 desktop processors (LGA1700 socket) based on the Raptor Lake-S […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Vulkan 1.4 3D graphics and compute API released

Vulkan 1.4 3D graphics and compute API released

Vulkan 1.4

The Khronos Group has just announced the release of Vulkan 1.4 cross-platform 3D graphics and compute API. The new release makes some of the optional extensions and features mandatory, adds streaming transfers, and supports 8K rendering on up to eight targets. Minimum hardware limits have also been increased including at least seven maxBoundDescriptorSets and eight maxColorAttachments. Vulkan 1.4 highlights: Streaming Transfers: new implementation requirements to ensure applications can stream large quantities of data to a device while simultaneously rendering at full performance. Previously optional extensions and features critical to emerging high-performance applications are now mandatory in Vulkan 1.4, ensuring availability across multiple platforms. These include push descriptors, dynamic rendering local reads, and scalar block layouts. Maintenance extensions up to and including VK_KHR_maintenance6 are now part of the core Vulkan 1.4 specification. 8K rendering with up to eight separate render targets is now guaranteed to be supported, along with several other […]

Posted on by Sayantan Nandy - 1 Comment on AAEON FWS-2370 network appliance features Intel Atom Parker Ridge/Snow Ridge processor, up to 14 Ethernet ports

AAEON FWS-2370 network appliance features Intel Atom Parker Ridge/Snow Ridge processor, up to 14 Ethernet ports

FWS-2370 Front panel

The FWS-2370 is a network appliance powered by the Intel Atom C Series “Parker Ridge” or P Series “Snow Ridge” processor family (Atom C5315 by default), tailored for SD-WAN and uCPE applications. It incorporates Intel QAT and Intel VT-d/VT-x to accelerate encryption, decryption, and virtualization tasks. The system supports up to 64GB of DDR4 memory (ECC/Non-ECC) through dual SODIMM slots and offers onboard eMMC storage options up to 128 GB. Networking capabilities include four 2.5GbE RJ-45 ports (Intel I226-V), four gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 ports (Marvell 88E1543), and four 10GbE SFP+ ports, with optional PoE af/at support for enhanced deployment flexibility. For connectivity, the FWS-2370 features two M.2 B-Key slots for 5G/LTE modules, one M.2 E-Key slot for Wi-Fi, and two Mini Card slots with SIM support. This expansive configuration ensures seamless wired and wireless networking. Designed to manage high data throughput and multi-threaded workloads, the FWS-2370 is ideal for applications […]

Posted on by Sayantan Nandy - No Comments on Jetway MF30 – A 3.5-inch SBC with 13th Gen Intel Core i5-1335U/1335UE Raptor Lake SoC, quad display support

Jetway MF30 – A 3.5-inch SBC with 13th Gen Intel Core i5-1335U/1335UE Raptor Lake SoC, quad display support

Jetway MF30

The Jetway MF30 is a 3.5-inch subcompact board powered by 13th-generation Intel Core Raptor Lake-P U-series processors, including the Intel Core i5-1335U and Core i5-1335UE. Designed for embedded applications such as digital signage, control systems, gaming setups, and transportation hubs, the board supports versatile high-definition multi-screen configurations with two HDMI ports, two DisplayPorts, one Type-C DP, and one LVDS/eDP interface. For connectivity, the MF30 offers dual 2.5GbE ports, three USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, and a USB Type-C port, while storage options include SATA III port and M.2 (2242/2280) sockets. Jetway is well known for its SBCs, and we’ve previously covered products like the JMTX-ADN8, JNUC-ADN1 mini-ITX motherboard, and JF35-ADN1 3.5-inch motherboard all powered by the Intel N97 CPU. Additionally, we’ve explored other SBCs and Mini PCs featuring 13th-gen Raptor Lake SoCs, including the iBASE IB961, GEEKOM GT13 Pro, Cincoze DV-1100, and LattePanda Sigma. If you’re interested […]

EmbeddedTS embedded systems design