UP 710S – A slim, credit card-sized Intel N97 development board with M.2 E-Key WiFi socket and GPIO, I2C, SPI, and COM wafers

UP 710S Intel N97 development board

AAEON’s UP 710S is a credit card-sized Intel N97 SBC and development board with an M.2 E-Key socket for a WiFi and Bluetooth module, and similar interfaces such as gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and  HDMI outputs as found in Raspberry Pi boards. It’s very similar to the UP 7000 SBC with Intel N50, N97, or N100 CPU, but it’s designed to be slimmer so the 40-pin Raspberry Pi-compatible header has been replaced by 1mm pitch wafers exposing GPIO, I2C, SPI, and serial (COM) interfaces. UP 710S specifications: Alder Lake-N SoC Default – 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 Options – Intel N50, N100, N200 System Memory – Up to 8GB LPDDR5 Storage Up to 128GB eMMC flash 256Mbit flash for the BIOS/UEFI Video Output – HDMI 1.4b video output up to 4Kp30 […]

GEEKOM Mini Air12 Lite review – A low-cost Intel Processor N100 mini PC tested with Windows 11 Pro

GEEKOM Mini Air12 Lite mini PC review windows 11

We’ve already checked the hardware of the GEEKOM Mini Air12 Lite mini PC with an unboxing and teardown in the first part of the review. It is a low-cost mini PC based on an Intel Processor N100 CPU, coupled with 8GB DDR4-3200 memory, a 256GB M.2 SATA SSD, dual Display output through HDMI and DisplayPort connector, GbE, WiFi 6E, and a 9-pin expansion header port – as found in some NUC model – to access an external power button, reset button, and LEDs when housed in a cabinet or kiosk. You’ll find the full Mini Air 12 Lite specifications in our previous article about it. We’ve now had more time to test the mini PC, so we’ll report our experience with the Mini Air12 Lite running Windows 11 Pro operating system in the second part of the review. We’ll go through a software overview, test most of the features, run […]

BIOSTAR MT-N97 fanless Intel N97 industrial mini PC supports 9V-24V DC input, features RS232/RS485 COM port

Fanless industrial N97 mini PC

BIOSTAR MT-N97 is a fanless not-so-mini PC powered by an Intel Processor N97 quad-core Alder Lake-N CPU and designed for industrial applications with features such as a wide DC input (9V to 24V), an optional RS232/RS422/RS485 COM port, as well as dual GbE, and support for M.2 wireless and 4G/5G cellular modules. The mini PC supports up to 16GB DDR4 SO-DIMM memory, M.2 NVMe SSD and SATA storage, and triple display setups through two HDMI interfaces and a USB-C port. It also comes with Line-out and earphones audio jacks, and a total of seven USB ports including one with 100W USB PD support. BIOSTAR MT-N97 specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N97 quad-core Alder Lake N-series processor up to 3.6 GHz with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD Graphics Gen 12 @ 1.2 GHz; TDP: 12W System Memory – Up to 16GB DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM memory (Note: Some companies have tested SO-DIMM modules […]

Protectli VP32XX – Alder Lake-N network appliances with dual 2.5GbE, NVMe and SATA storage options

Protectli VP32XX network appliance

The Protectli VP32XX is a family of Alder Lake-N network appliances for high-performance applications. This compact device comes in two variants: the VP3210, powered by a quad-core Intel N100 processor, and the VP3230, built around an eight-core Intel Core i3-N305 processor. Both support up to 16GB of DDR5 RAM and the company mentions that they have tested it with up to 48 GB. They also include 32GB of eMMC storage with dual 2.5GbE. Storage options include dual M.2 NVMe SSD slots and an expansion bay that supports up to four 2.5-inch SATA SSDs, making them ideal for NAS applications. Additionally, they have various I/O options, including HDMI, DisplayPort, multiple USB ports, and a PCIe slot, making them compatible with multimedia workstations or networking hubs. Protectli VP3200 specifications: Processor VP3210 – Intel Processor N100 quad-core Alder Lake-N processor @ up to 3.4 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel HD graphics @ 750 MHz; […]

GEEKOM GT1 Mega Review – Part 2: An Intel Core Ultra 9 185H Meteor Lake “AI” mini PC tested with Windows 11 Pro

GEEKOM GT1 Mega Windows 11 Pro Review

I’ve already gone through the specifications, an unboxing, and a teardown of the GEEKOM GT1 Mega AI mini PC powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H “Meteor Lake” processor with 32GB DDR5 RAM and a 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD in the first part of the review. I’ve now had more time to play with the GEEKOM GT1 Mega, so I will report my experience with Windows 11 Pro operating system in the second part of the review testing features, running benchmarks including an AI benchmark, evaluating networking and storage performance, testing the thermal design while under stress, and taking measurements for fan noise and power consumption. Software overview and features testing Going to the System->About window in the Settings confirms we have a GT1-Mega mini PC powered by a 2.50 GHz (base frequency) Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor with 32GB of RAM running Windows 11 Pro 23H2 build […]

Palmshell SLiM X4L is a low-cost, ultrathin mini PC based on Intel N100 Alder Lake-N SoC

Palmshell SLIM X4L ultrathin mini PC

Radxa Palmshell SLiM X4L is a low-cost, ultrathin mini PC powered by an Intel N100 Alder Lake-N SoC, equipped with 8GB to 32GB LPDDR5 RAM and a 128GB to 1TB NVMe SSD, and with a design that somewhat reminds me of the MeLE Quieter4C fanless mini PC. It’s also an update of the Palmshell SLiM X2L based on the Radxa X2L SBC powered by an Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core Gemini Lake Refresh processor and the X4L features the exact same port layout with two USB ports on the side, a USB-C port for power, a low-profile Ethernet RJ45 port, two more USB 3.2 Type-A ports on the rear panel, two HDMI outputs, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Kensington lock. Palmshell SLiM X4L specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N100 CPU – Quad-core Alder Lake-N processor @ up to 3.4 GHz (Turbo) GPU – 24EU Intel HD Graphics @ up to […]

GEEKOM Mini Air12 Lite Review – Part 1: Unboxing, teardown, and first boot

GEEKOM Mini Air12 Lite Windows 11

GEEKOM Mini Air12 Lite is a mini PC based on Intel Processor N100 CPU whose unique feature is to include an external 9-pin expansion header port for expansion to add an external power button, a reset button, and a few LEDs. As its name implies, it’s also a cheaper version of the GEEKOM Mini Air12 that ships with 8GB DDR4-3200 memory and a 256GB NVMe SSD. The mini PC also features  HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs, Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, and six USB 3.2/2.0 ports. GEEKOM sent us a sample of the Mini Air12 Lite for review. So today, we’ll start by checking out the hardware with an unboxing and teardown, before trying to boot it up, and we’ll then test the system in more detail with Windows 11 and Ubuntu 24.04.1 in the next parts of the review. GEEKOM Mini Air12 Lite unboxing We received the […]

Axiomtek CEM710 COM Express module features Intel Xeon D-1700 SoC with up to 100Gbps Ethernet support

CEM710 main

In 2022, we covered Intel’s Xeon D (Ice Lake-D) processor family, which includes the D-2700 and D-1700 models. These processors are designed for software-defined networking and edge applications, providing data center-grade capabilities at the edge. Key features include integrated AI and crypto acceleration, built-in Ethernet, and support for Intel Time Coordinated Computing (TCC) and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) to ensure high reliability. Leveraging these advanced capabilities, companies like ADLINK Technology and Congatec have introduced COM-HPC server modules and COM Express Type 7 modules based on the new Xeon D lineup. Axiomtek’s CEM710 is a COM Express Type 7 Basic Module powered by Intel Xeon D-1700 Series processors, designed for edge computing, industrial automation, and data-intensive applications. It offers up to 10 cores, 100Gbps Ethernet, and 64GB of DDR4 ECC memory, along with PCIe Gen3 slots for expandability. With rugged features and TPM 2.0 for security, it ensures reliable performance in demanding […]

EmbeddedTS embedded systems design