Nowadays there are loads of small form-factor (SFF) systems featuring fairly high performance, there are also fanless PCss that can offer performance of regular desktops. Unfortunately, SFF and fanless worlds rarely intersect and passively cooled compact desktops are extremely rare. Yet, they exist. Recently Atlast! Solutions introduced its Sigao Model B, which packs Intel’s 10-core Comet Lake CPU into a fairly small fanless chassis.
Image 1 of 5
(Image credit: Atlast! Solutions)
Image 2 of 5
(Image credit: Atlast! Solutions)
Image 3 of 5
(Image credit: Atlast! Solutions)
Image 4 of 5
(Image credit: Atlast! Solutions)
Image 5 of 5
(Image credit: Atlast! Solutions)
The Atlast! Sigao Model B is based around Intel’s 10-core Core i9-10900T processor as well as an Asus H470-I Mini-ITX motherboard. The CPU features a 35W TDP and has a base clock of 1.9 GHz as well as a maximum turbo frequency of up to 4.6 GHz, though we would not expect the processor to hit very high clocks in a fanless system powered by a 200W PSU. The motherboard comes with all the essentials, including Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth module, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, three display outputs (DisplayPort, HDMI, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C), one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A connector, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and 5.1-channel audio.
The Sigao measures 12.6 x 12.6 x 3.4 inches (320 × 322 × 87.5 mm) without feet, so while it is definitely not as compact as Intel’s NUC or Apple’s Mac Mini, it can still be considered a small form-factor PC.
Atlast! builds its fanless systems to order, so it can equip its Sigao Model B with up to 64GB of DDR4-2666 memory, one Samsung 970 Evo Plus M.2 SSD with a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface and up to 2TB capacity, and two 2.5-inch HDDs or SSDs.
The motherboard has a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot and the system can accommodate a single slot wide add-in card using a riser, though finding a decent mini-ITX 75W single slot graphics card with passive (or even active) cooling is close to impossible, so it is unlikely that the system can be equipped with a standalone AIB. Unfortunately, the motherboard also lacks a Thunderbolt 4 port for an external graphics solution, so it looks like the Sigao Model B has to rely on Intel’s built-in UHD Graphics 630 based on the previous-generation architecture. Meanwhile, if the Asus H470-I motherboard gains Rocket Lake-S support, it should be possible to install a more up-to-date CPU with Xe Graphics featuring leading-edge media playback capabilities.
The Atlast! Sigao Model B is not cheap at all. Even the basic model featuring a Core i9-10900T, 16GB of RAM, and a 250GB SSD costs €1,922 ($2304) with taxes and €1,602 without ($1,920), which is quite expensive even by SFF standards. But a desktop PC that brings together compact dimensions and passive cooling is hard to come by, so its price seems to be justified for those who want both features.
Team Group is a well-known Taiwanese hardware manufacturer with a long history of catering to the needs of enthusiasts and gamers from all over the globe. Their lineup includes DRAM memory and solid-state drives, and they also offer various memory cards and USB thumb drives.
Today, we are reviewing the Team Group T-Create Expert SSD, which is rated for an astonishing 12,000 TBW in the reviewed 2 TB version. Yeah, you read that right, twelve-thousand terabytes, or 12 Petabytes. On top of that, Team Group offers a 12 year warranty for the drive—an industry first, too. Please note that “T-Create” is a group of products, not the name of this product. There’s also a T-Create “Classic”, this review covers the T-Create “Expert”.
Under the hood, the T-Create Expert uses a Silicon Motion SM2262ENG controller paired with 64-layer 3D TLC flash from Micron. Yup, that’s right—standard flash that has been on the market for a long time, no secret sauce here. I can imagine that Team Group is using some firmware tweaks to improve endurance, but so far, I haven’t seen anything that would support the super high TBW claim. As expected, DRAM is present, too, two chips are installed to provide 2 GB of storage for the mapping tables of the SSD.
The Team Group T-Create Expert comes in capacities of 1 TB ($400) and 2 TB ($800). Endurance for these models is set to 6000 TBW and 12000 TBW respectively. As mentioned before, Team Group includes a twelve-year warranty with the T-Create Expert.
Specifications: Team Group T-Create Expert SSD
Brand:
Team Group
Model:
TM8FPF002T0C711
Capacity:
2048 GB (1907 GB usable) No additional overprovisioning
Patriot’s Viper VP4300 is a high-end PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD with all the features and performance you could want from an enthusiast-grade SSD, but you’ll pay a premium for the privilege.
For
+ Included heatsink and graphene label
+ Appealing aesthetics
+ AES 256-bit hardware encryption
+ Large hybrid SLC cache
+ High endurance
+ 5-year warranty
Against
– Pricing
– Lacks software package
– High idle power consumption
Features and Specifications
Patriot’s Viper VP4300 pumps out fast sequential speeds of up to 7.4 / 6.8 GBps read/write and features wicked good looks, making it a top contender for our best SSDs list. Whether you’re loading up the latest Call of Duty update or scrubbing 4K or 8K content, Patriot’s Viper VP4300 delivers responsive performance. And with two optional cooling solutions included, it will keep cool and look cool during the most strenuous tasks you can throw its way.
When PCIe 4.0 SSDs first hit the market, they all had one formula in common — they came powered by a Phison E16 SSD controller that was merely a repurposed PCIe 3.0 design modified to work with the PCIe 4.0 interface, and then paired with BiCS4 flash. This pairing improved the end-user experience, but it lacked the oomph we now see from new clean-sheet controller designs that leverage the speedy PCIe 4.0 interface, like the Phison E18 and the controllers with the latest Samsung and WD SSDs.
Patriot’s Viper VP4300 now joins the list of new drives with completely new controllers. This SSD slithers its way onto our test bench with a new Rainer controller designed by InnoGrit. This new PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD controller comes paired with a healthy helping of Micron’s 96-Layer TLC flash to serve up fast performance.
The Viper VP4300 also comes with many of the features we expect from a high-end NVMe SSD, and even some we don’t. Patriot even throws in two cooling solutions – a sleek-looking 4mm thick aluminum heatsink and an ultra-thin graphene label for tighter-tolerance installations, like in notebooks. Add in the VP4300’s high endurance ratings, which even outstrip the Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850, and it appears to be a very competitive drive. Let’s put it to the test.
Specifications
Product
Viper VP4300 1TB
Viper VP4300 2TB
Pricing
$ 254.99
$ 499.99
Capacity (User / Raw)
1024GB / 1024GB
2048GB / 2048GB
Form Factor
M.2 2280
M.2 2280
Interface / Protocol
PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4
PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4
Controller
InnoGrit IG5236
InnoGrit IG5236
DRAM
DDR4
DDR4
Memory
Micron 96L TLC
Micron 96L TLC
Sequential Read
7,400 MBps
7,400 MBps
Sequential Write
6,800 MBps
6,800 MBps
Random Read
800,000 IOPS
800,000 IOPS
Random Write
800,000 IOPS
800,000 IOPS
Security
AES 256-bit encryption
AES 256-bit encryption
Endurance (TBW)
1,000 TB
2,000 TB
Part Number
VP4300-1TBM28H
VP4300-2TBM28H
Warranty
5-Years
5-Years
Patriot’s Viper VP4300 comes in just two capacities of 1TB and 2TB. Each is rated to deliver speeds of up to 7.4 / 6.8 GBps of sequential read/write throughput and sustain up to 800,000 random read/write IOPS. Priced at $255 for the 1TB model and $500 for the 2TB, the Viper VP4300 launches with high pricing that exceeds both the WD Black SN850 and Samsung 980 Pro.
The Viper VP4300 carries very robust endurance ratings, though. The 1TB model is rated to endure up to 1,000 TB of writes within its five-year warranty period, while the 2TB is rated for up to 2,000 TB. The VP4300 has very little factory overprovisioning, roughly 7% of the SSD’s capacity is dedicated to the task, and it uses InnoGrit’s Proprietary 4K LDPC ECC along with end-to-end data path protection to ensure reliable performance within the lifespan of the product.
A Closer Look
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Patriot’s Viper VP4300 comes in an M.2 2280 double-sided form factor and includes two optional thermal solutions (“heatshield options,” as they refer to them) to choose from. You can either install the slim yet aggressive-looking aluminum heatsink that measures roughly 72 x 22 x 4 mm, or you can use the very thin graphene sticker for installation into tighter spaces, like notebooks.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Like the Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850, the Viper VP4300 leverages a high-end PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD controller and NAND flash to match. Codenamed Rainer, InnoGrit’s IG5236 is a multi-core NVMe 1.4-compliant SSD controller with a DRAM-based architecture.
Two 8Gb SK hynix DDR4 DRAM chips are present on the PCB, one on each side, that accelerate FTL accesses to ensure responsive performance. The controller is fabbed on TSMC’s 12nm FinFET process and uses multiple consumer-oriented power management techniques to maintain its cool and perform efficiently, too.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Patriot paired the controller with Crucial’s fast 512Gb 96-Layer TLC flash. The controller interfaces with this flash over eight NAND channels at speeds of up to 1,200 MTps, and there are 32 NAND dies spread among the four NAND packages. The flash has a quad-plane architecture for a high level of parallelism per die, and it’s also quite robust and efficient thanks to the unique application of CuA (circuitry under array) design and tile groups.
Courtesy of Phoronix; It appears that the latest build of Windows 10 is the most optimal operating system to use for Intel’s new Core i9-11900K Rocket Lake CPU. Tests show the i9 wining more benchmarks in a Windows 10 environment compared to Linux Ubuntu.
For the test bench, Phoronix ran a core i9-119000K with 32GB of 3200MHz RAM, with 1TB of SSD storage. on a Maximus XIII Hero.
As for the operating systems, Phoronix used the latest build of Windows 10 Pro, version 19042, and the latest version of Ubuntu, version 20.10, and version 5.12 of Linux.
Performance Chart Windows 10 vs Ubuntu
Test:
Ubuntu Score
Windows 10 Score
WebP Image Encode 1.1: Encode Time
15.21
13.37
Zstd Compression 1.4.9: Decompression Speed
4784.2
4422.9
Crafty 25.2: Nodes Per Seccond
9976038
11303083
Blender 2.92: BMW: Render Time
132.49
155.59
NeatBench 5: FPS
17.4
18.2
IndigoBench 4.4
4.737
4.911
Selenium: StyleBench Chrome: Runs Per Minute
46.02
50.25
Selenium: Speedometer Chrome: Runs Per minute
186.8
174.7
The benchmarks posted above are just a few of the tests Phoronix conducted on both Windows 10 (see how to get Windows 10 for free) and Ubuntu. Overall, however, comparing all of Phoronix’s tests shows that Windows 10 Pro wins 61.5% of the overall tests compared to Ubuntu which netted a score of just 38.5%.
Phoronix also tested the 11900K’s integrated Xe graphics on both operating systems, and Windows 10 came out with an even higher win rate. In the eight graphics tests conducted, Ubuntu Linux managed only a single win, though in either case the integrated GPU it’s nowhere close to matching the best graphics cards.
This is unusual behavior coming from Intel’s processors; due to Linux’s superior resource management, we normally see Linux operating systems take the win compared to Windows 10. But with Rocket Lake, it appears the opposite is now true.
We don’t know why the tests came out this way, but presumably, Microsoft has added some extra optimizations to Windows 10 we don’t know about. We will have to do our own research into the matter to see what is really going on.
In our tests, the Core i9-11900K is faster for gaming than most of the best CPUs, but is outpaced by the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X. When we compared the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X vs the Core i9-11900K in a seven-round face-off, the Ryzen took five rounds.
The PS5 is getting its first major software update today. According to PlayStation.blog, the PS5 April Update “lets you store PS5 games on USB extended storage, share gameplay across PS5 and PS4 consoles, and more.” Here’s the scoop…
Fed up with freeing up space for new games? Today’s update allows PS5 titles downloaded to the internal SSD to be moved to a compatible USB drive and vice-versa. Handy. It’s worth noting, though, that this is purely a storage measure – games can’t be played directly off your external drive.
The other big news is that Share Play is now “cross-generational”, meaning that PS5 users can share their game screen with PS4 gamers while in a voice party. Better still, Share Play lets other players try out PS5 games by ‘passing them a virtual controller’. That way your friend can take control of your game and, say, show off their swinging skills in Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony has also streamlined the PlayStation user experience with a new “Request to Join” option in the PS5 and PS4 social menus. That should make it easier to join games without digging through the in-game menu. A similar shortcut allows you to disable in-game chat from the main PS5 menu. You can choose to cut out a loudmouth entirely, or just dial down their mic a couple of notches.
Last but not least, the PlayStation App, which connects to your console remotely, has been overhauled. You can now join a multiplayer session on PS5 from your phone or tablet, compare your trophy collection with a friend’s, and keep an eye on your storage space.
It’s not all great news, though. There’s no mention of the promised fix for the HDMI 2.1 bug that seems to prevent PS5 users gaming in 4K HDR at 120Hz on Samsung TVs. Nor is there any sign of support for M.2 storage drives – Sony says “we’re working on this feature and will keep you posted with any updates”.
MORE:
Looking for a console? Here’s where to buy a PS5
Level-up your living room: How to get the best sound from your PS5
Corsair has just announced two all-new models of its Corsair One pre-built, named the a200 and i200. Both models will be upgraded with the latest hardware from Intel, AMD, and Nvidia.
Despite measuring in at just 12 liter’s, Corsair promises an uncompromised desktop experience with the Corsair One. Thanks to dual liquid cooling solutions for both the CPU and GPU, you can expect high performance out of the system’s components.
You also get the same amount of I/O as you would on a standard computer tower, with the front panel including a 3.5mm audio jack, two USB 3.0 ports and a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port.
Meanwhile, the rear I/O will change depending on which model you choose, but either way, you will get the same amount of connectivity as you would on a standard mini ITX desktop, so expect plenty of display outputs, and plenty of USB ports as well as WiFi 6.
Corsair One a200 & i200 Specifications
a200
i200
CPU:
Up to a Ryzen 9 5900X
Up to a Core i9-11900K
Motherboard:
AMD B550 Mini-ITX Board
Intel Z490
Memory:
Up to 32GB
Up to 32GB
Graphics Card:
GeForce RTX 3080
GeForce RTX 3080
SSD:
Up to a 1TB NVME Gen 4.0 Drive
Up to a 1TB NVME Gen 4.0 Drive
Hard Drive:
Up to 2TB
Up to 2TB
Power Supply
750W 80 Plus Platinum
750W 80 Plus Platinum
The a200 will be based on AMD’s latest hardware and will come with a B550 chipset motherboard and your choice of a Ryzen 5 5600X, Ryzen 7 5800X, or Ryzen 9 5900X. You will also get up to 32GB of RAM, up to 3TB of SSD and hard disk storage, and a 750W SFX PSU.
The i200 on the other hand will feature Intel’s latest Rocket Lake platform, powered by a Z490 motherboard and up to a Core i9-11900K. The memory, storage, and PSU configuration remain the same here as is on the a200.
Both models will also be getting an RTX 3080 for graphics horsepower featuring a massive 10240 CUDA cores and 12GB of GDDR6X, all in a form factor measuring just 12 liters.
Corsair is currently listing a model of the a200 at $3,799.99 and the i200 at $3,599.99, though it’s possible there may be more options later.
The Corsair One has been one of the most compact high-performance PCs you can buy on the market today, so it’s great to see Corsair updating the chassis with the latest CPUs and GPUs, and we expect to see it in ours labs soon.
Those lucky enough to have got their hands on a PlayStation 5 despite the recent shortages can look forward to another large download in the near future, as Sony gears up for the release of the console’s first major update tomorrow, as announced on the PlayStation Blog.
(Image credit: Sony)
With the first PS5 update you’ll now be able to store PS5 games on external storage, but you won’t be able to play them from there. Copying games from a USB SSD sure beats deleting them and re-downloading, or reinstalling from a ‘disk’ (whatever one of those is) if you’re short of space on the internal SSD, but it’s not a perfect solution.
Elsewhere, there are some changes to social features and personalization options. The popup Game Base menu that covers parties and chat has been improved, you can hide titles you’re ashamed to own in your game library, and trophies are now handled better with (finally!) the ability to see a quick summary of your trophy stats. The PlayStation smartphone app is also getting some love, with added abilities including console storage management and notifications of when your friends are online.
While there’s quite a lot baked in to this update, it’s more notable for what it doesn’t contain: there’s still no way to expand the internal storage of the monolith, and Sony maintains it’s still ‘working on this feature’. For those of us used to whacking an M2 drive into any spare slot and it working first time, this seems like an unnecessarily drawn-out process, especially as Microsoft’s partnership with Seagate has seen expandable storage modules for the Xbox Series consoles become readily available.
Adata’s XPG Gammix S70 is fast and features almost everything you could want from a high-end PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD, but the heatsink is a bit restrictive and not quite as refined as our current best picks.
For
+ Very fast sequential performance
+ High endurance
+ AES 256-bit hardware encryption
+ Black PCB + Heatsink
+ 5-year warranty
Against
– It may be physically incompatible with some motherboards
– High idle power consumption on the desktop
– Slow write speeds after the SLC cache fills
– Pricey
Features and Specifications
Dishing out blisteringly fast sequential speeds of up to 7.4 / 6.4 GBps, Gammix S70 touts some of the fastest performance ratings that we have seen from an NVMe SSD. Yet, it isn’t produced by Samsung or WD, and surprisingly, it isn’t even powered by a Phison controller. Instead, Adata’s XPG Gammix S70 uses a high-end NVMe SSD controller from InnoGrit, a much smaller fabless IC design company.
InnoGrit isn’t a big name when most think of flash controllers, at least not compared to Phison, Silicon Motion, and Marvell. However, the company is far from inexperienced in controller architecture design and engineering. In fact, its co-founders have years of experience in the industry and have created a compelling product line of SSD controllers since opening in 2016.
Thanks to InnoGrit’s IG5236, a robust PCIe 4.0 eight-channel NVMe SSD controller, the company secured a contract with Adata to create the XPG Gammix S70. With this beast of a controller at its core, the S70 could potentially be the fastest SSD on the market. But it faces tough competition from Samsung, WD, and other competitors that pack Phison’s competing E18 SSD controller, like the Corsair MP600 Pro and Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus, to name a few.
Specifications
Product
Gammix S70 1TB
Gammix S70 2TB
Pricing
$199.99
$399.99
Capacity (User / Raw)
1024GB / 1024GB
2048GB / 2048GB
Form Factor
M.2 2280
M.2 2280
Interface / Protocol
PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4
PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4
Controller
InnoGrit IG5236
InnoGrit IG5236
DRAM
DDR4
DDR4
Memory
Micron 96L TLC
Micron 96L TLC
Sequential Read
7,400 MBps
7,400 MBps
Sequential Write
5,500 MBps
6,400 MBps
Random Read
350,000 IOPS
650,000 IOPS
Random Write
720,000 IOPS
740,000 IOPS
Security
AES 256-bit encryption
AES 256-bit encryption
Endurance (TBW)
740 TB
1,480 TB
Part Number
AGAMMIXS70-1T-C
AGAMMIXS70-2T-C
Warranty
5-Years
5-Years
Adata’s XPG Gammix S70 is available in capacities of 1TB and 2TB, priced at $200 and $400, respectively. The S70 is rated to deliver sequential performance of up to 7.4 / 6.4 GBps and to sustain upwards of up to 650,000 / 740,000 random read/write IOPS with the 2TB model. Like most modern SSDs, the S70 uses SLC caching to absorb the majority of inbound write requests, and in this case, the cache measures one-third of the available capacity.
The controller implements InnoGrit’s proprietary 4K LDPC ECC, end-to-end data protection, and even a RAID engine to ensure reliability and data integrity. As a result, the S70 can endure up to 1,480 TB of data writes within its five-year warranty. Additionally, the S70 supports AES 256-bit hardware-accelerated encryption for those who need both speed and data security too.
Adata has also said this drive will feature a fixed build of materials, so the components, like the NAND and SSD controller, will remain the same throughout the life of the product.
A Closer Look
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Adata’s XPG Gammix S70 comes in an M.2 2280 double-sided form factor and is equipped with a very large aluminum heatsink to keep “cool in the heat of battle,” as the company’s marketing department says. Adata claims that the heatsink reduces the SSD’s temperatures by up to 30%. While potentially effective, with the heatsink measuring 24.3 x 70 x 15 mm, its tall and wide footprint may lead to compatibility issues, as was the case with our Asus ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero (WiFi).
The S70’s heatsink prevents the SSD from fitting into the motherboard’s secondary M.2 slot and also prevents the PCIe slot latch below it from locking to secure your add-in card (like a GPU) when placed in the first M.2 slot. Furthermore, if placed in an M.2 slot under a PCI slot, the S70’s thick heatsink may also prevent AICs from slotting completely into the PCIe slot.
Making matters worse, the base of the heatsink is held onto the PCB with a very strong adhesive. If you were planning to remove the heatsink for better compatibility, the adhesive might cause you to damage the PCB by cracking it in half. We don’t recommend doing so.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Unlike Adata’s XPG Gammix S50 Lite, the S70 comes with a much faster NVMe SSD controller. The InnoGrit IG5236, dubbed Rainier, is a capable multi-core PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe 1.4-compliant SSD controller that’s fabbed on TSMC’s 16/12nm FinFET process, which is important to help control power consumption when achieving multi-GB performance figures. It also features client-oriented power management schemes, and Adata claims it consumes as low as 2mW in the L1.2 sleep state.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
To achieve its fast performance, the S70 leverages a DRAM-based architecture. The controller interfaces with two SK hynix DDR4-3200 DRAM ICs for FTL table mapping and Micron’s 96-layer TLC flash at NV-DDR3 speeds of up to 1,200 MTps spread over eight flash channels. Our 2TB sample contains 32 dies in total — each die has a four-plane architecture that responds very fast to random requests.
Micon’s flash architecture places the periphery circuitry under the flash cell arrays, differing from Samsung’s V6 V-NAND and WD’s BiCS4 to enable high array efficiency and bit density. The CuA architecture also enables redundancies while splitting the page into multiple tiles and groups, enabling fast and efficient random read performance.
Microsoft today announced the next iteration of its Surface laptop, the Surface Laptop 4. It will start at $999 when it goes on sale on April 15. Perhaps its biggest selling point is choice, with options for both 11th Gen Intel Core processors or an 8-core AMD Ryzen (again called the Microsoft Surface Edition).
Both the 13.5-inch and 15-inch version of the Surface Laptop 4 will offer Intel and AMD options. This is a change from the Surface Laptop 3, which offered Intel in the 13.5-incher and
AMD in the 15-incher
(with the exception of business models).
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (13.5-inches)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (15-inches)
CPU
Up to AMD Ryzen Microsoft Surface Edition R5 4680U (8 cores), Up to Intel Core i7-1185G7
Up to AMD Ryzen Microsoft Surface Edition R7 4980U ( 8 cores), Up to Intel Core i7-1185G7
Graphics
AMD Radeon RX Graphics or Intel Xe Graphics
AMD Radeon RX Graphics or Intel Xe Graphics
RAM
Up to 16GB (AMD), Up to 32GB (Intel), LPDDR4X 3,733 MHz
Up to 16GB (AMD, DDR4, 2,400 MHz), up to 32GB (Intel, LPDDR4, 3,733 MHz)
Storage
Up to 256GB (AMD), Up to 1TB (Intel)
Up to 512GB (AMD), Up to 1TB (Intel)
Display
13.5-inch PixelSense display, 2256 x 1504, 3:2
15-inch PixelSense display, 2496 x 1664, 3:2
Networking
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0
Starting Price
$999 (AMD), $1,299 (Intel)
$1,299 (AMD), $1,799 (Intel)
The design of the Surface Laptop 4 is largely unchanged, with a 3:2 touchscreen display with 201 pixels per inch, options for Alcantara fabric or a metal deck. There is, however, one new color, ice blue, which debuted on the Surface Laptop Go last year.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Many of the biggest changes can’t be seen. For the first time, Microsoft is offering a 32GB RAM option on the Surface Laptop (with an Intel Core i7 at 1TB of RAM on both sizes). The company is claiming up to 19 hours of battery life on the smaller device with an AMD Ryzen 5 or 17 hours with a Core i7. On the bigger size, it’s suggesting up to 17.5 hours with an AMD Ryzen 7 and 16.5 hours with Intel Core i7. Microsoft is also claiming a 70% performance increase, though it doesn’t say with which processor.
The new AMD Ryzen Microsoft Surface Edition chips are based on Ryzen 4000 and Zen 2, rather than Ryzen 5000 and Zen 3, which is just rolling onto the market. We understand Microsoft’s chips are somewhat customized, including frequencies similar to the newer chips. But these new processors should, in theory, lead to increased stability and battery life.
While Microsoft is being more flexible on allowing both Intel and AMD options on both size machines, you won’t find them with identical specs when it comes to RAM and storage. The 13.5-inch laptop will offer Ryzen 5 with 8GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, while the Intel 11th Gen Core process range will include a Core i5/8GB RAM/512GB SSD option to start, as well as both Core i5 and Core i7 models with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage and a maxxed out version with a Core i7, 32GB of RAM and 1TB storage drive. The Ryzzen versions only come in platinum, while all but the top-end Intel model also include ice blue, sandstone and black.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Microsoft)
On the 15-inch model, you can get a Ryzen 7 with 8GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage, or an R7 with 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD. For intel, You can choose between an Intel Core i7 with either 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage or 32GB of memory and 1TB of storage. These only come in platinum and black.
Commercial models will add more configurations for businesses, including a 13.5-inch model with 512GB of storage and a Ryzen processor. Overall, there are a lot of configurations, so hopefully people are able to find what they want. But there are definitely more options on the Intel side of the Surface fence.
The port situation is largely the same as last year, including USB Type-A, USB Type-C, a headphone jack and the Surface Connect port. Microsoft still isn’t going with Thunderbolt, and will be using USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 on both the Intel and AMD models. The replaceable SSD is back, though Microsoft continues to state that it isn’t user serviceable, and that it should only be removed by authorized technicians.
It’s been a long wait for the Surface Laptop 4. The Surface Laptop 3 was introduced at an event in October 2019 and went on sale that November. Last year, Microsoft revealed the cheaper, smaller Surface Laptop Go but didn’t update the flagship clamshell. We’ll go hands on with the Surface Laptop 4, so let’s hope the wait was worth it.
Microsoft is also revealing a slew of accessories designed for virtual work. They include the $299.99 Surface Headphones 2+ for Business, which is certified for Microsoft Teams with a dongle, shipping this month; Microsoft Modern USB and wireless headsets ($49.99 and $99.99, respectively, releasing in June); the Microsoft Modern USB-C Speaker ($99.99, releasing in June); and the Microsoft Modern webcam, a $69.99 camera with 1080p video, HDR and a 78-degree field of view that will go on sale in June.
Dell has unveiled a new XPS 13 option with an OLED touchscreen that is available for purchase today. The feature will cost an extra $300 over FHD models. (Note: This isn’t a brand-new XPS. It’s just an OLED version of the 9310 that came out last year.)
XPS 13 models start at $999.99 and range as high as $2,199.99, though you can often find them discounted. They can be equipped with up to an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of PCIe SSD storage.
Image: Dell
The Dell XPS 13 is consistently one of the best 13-inch laptops you can buy. It’s currently number six on our best laptop list, and I had very few complaints in my most recent review of the device. It has an excellent, spacious 16:10 display; a solid keyboard and touchpad; great battery life; a compact chassis; and some of the best performance you can find in a 13-inch model.
Image: Dell
You can currently configure the XPS 13 with a 3840 x 2400 touch display, a 1920 x 1200 touch display, or a regular 1920 x 1200 non-touch panel. The new OLED touch model will have 3456 x 2160 resolution (3.5K). Dell says it will reach 400 nits of brightness and will cover 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
Here’s what Dell calls the “Inspiron Family”Image: Dell
Dell also announced a number of new additions to its lower-priced Inspiron line. These include an Inspiron 14 2-in-1 that will support both Intel 11th-Gen and AMD Ryzen 5000 mobile processors, and Inspiron 16 Plus workstation with a 3K 16:10 display. The Inpsiron 14 2-in-1 will be available in North America on May 4th starting at $729; the Inspiron 16 Plus hits shelves on June 3rd starting at $949.99.
Microsoft is refreshing its Surface lineup with the Surface Laptop 4 today, which now offers the choice between AMD or Intel processors across both the 13.5- and 15-inch models. Both sizes will ship with Intel’s latest 11th Gen processors or AMD’s Ryzen 4000 series processors. Microsoft is shipping its Surface Laptop 4 on April 15th in the US, Canada, and Japan, starting at $999 for the AMD model and $1,299 for the Intel version — a $300 price gap between the pair.
The difference in pricing likely comes down to the fact that Microsoft isn’t using AMD’s latest 5000 series CPUs here. Instead, Microsoft is using AMD’s Zen 2-based chips for its AMD Ryzen Surface Edition processors. Despite this, performance between the Intel and AMD versions could be rather similar, but we’ll have to wait for full reviews to judge how Microsoft’s choices have landed.
The Surface Laptop 4 color options.Image: Microsoft
These processor improvements allow Microsoft to promise up to 70 percent more performance over the Surface Laptop 3, and some (on paper) battery life gains. Microsoft is promising up to 19 hours of battery life on the 13.5-inch AMD model and up to 17.5 hours on the 15-inch version. The Intel-powered 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 4 is rated up to 17 hours of battery life, while the larger 15-inch model hits 16.5 hours. Both of the Intel versions will also ship with Intel’s latest Iris Xe graphics, which means games like Overwatch will be playable at 1080p ultra.
The Surface Laptop 4 also maintains the same design of the Surface Laptop 3 that shipped in 2019. You’ll be able to pick between the classic platinum Surface style and a new ice blue color on the 13.5-inch models, both of which are Alcantara fabric. Matte black and sandstone are also available in metal options for the 13.5-inch models, while the 15-inch versions are strictly platinum and matte black in metal and no Alcantara fabric.
The Surface Laptop 4 in ice blue.Image: Microsoft
Microsoft hasn’t really updated the rest of the Surface Laptop 4, though. There’s a single USB-C port, one USB-A port, a headphone jack, and Microsoft’s Surface Connect port for charging. There’s still no Thunderbolt support, and the M.2 NVMe SSD is still removable from a slot at the rear of the device.
As a result of the choice between AMD or Intel, the Surface Laptop 4 lineup is pretty complicated this time around. The 13.5-inch base model at $999 is the AMD Ryzen 5 4680U, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The Intel base model is the 11th Gen Core i5 1135G7, with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. There will also be a variety of Intel models all the way up to the $2,299 version with a Core i7 processor, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. A second AMD model with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will ship around eight weeks after launch for $1,199.
Over on the 15-inch side, there are more AMD options starting with the $1,299 AMD Ryzen 7 4980U model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. You can configure this up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $1,699. The Intel 15-inch models start at $1,799 for the Core i7 1185G7 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, or there’s the option for 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage for $2,399.
Corsair is a US-based peripherals and hardware company founded in 1994. It is now one of the leading manufacturers for gaming gear, with a portfolio spanning nearly every component you need: DRAM memory modules, flash SSDs, keyboards, mice, cases, cooling, and much more.
The Corsair MP400 SSD is a value-optimized M.2 NVMe SSD based on the combination of a Phison E12 controller paired with QLC flash from Micron. A Nanya DRAM chip provides 1 GB of storage for the mapping tables of the SSD.
The Corsair MP400 comes in capacities of 1 TB ($110), 2 TB ($230), 4 TB ($600), and 8 TB ($1330). Endurance for these models is set to 200 TBW, 400 TBW, 800 TBW, and 1600 TBW respectively. Corsair includes a five-year warranty with the MP400.
Gigabyte’s Aorus Z590 Master is a well-rounded upper mid-range motherboard with a VRM rivaled by boards that cost twice as much. Between the Wi-Fi 6E and 10 GbE, three M.2 sockets and six SATA ports for storage, plus its premium appearance, the Z590 Master is an excellent option to get into the Z590 platform if you’re willing to spend around $400.
For
+ Fast Networking, Wi-Fi 6E/10 GbE
+ Superior 18-phase 90A VRM
+ 10 USB ports
Against
– No PCIe x1 slot(s)
– Audible VRM fan
– Price
Features and Specifications
Editor’s Note: A version of this article appeared as a preview before we had a Rocket Lake CPU to test with Z590 motherboards. Now that we do (and Intel’s performance embargo has passed), we have completed testing (presented on page 3) with a Core i9-11900K and have added a score and other elements (as well as removing some now-redundant sentences and paragraphs) to make this a full review.
Gigabyte’s Z590 Aorus Master includes an incredibly robust VRM, ultra-fast Wi-Fi and wired networking, premium audio, and more. While its price of roughly $410 is substantial, it’s reasonable for the features you get, and far from the price of the most premium models in recent generations. If you don’t mind a bit of audible VRM fan noise and like lots of USB and fast wired and wireless networking, it’s well worth considering.
Gigabyte’s current Z590 product stack consists of 13 models. There are familiar SKUs and a couple of new ones. Starting with the Aorus line, we have the Aorus Xtreme (and potentially a Waterforce version), Aorus Master, Aorus Ultra, and the Aorus Elite. Gigabyte brings back the Vision boards (for creators) and their familiar white shrouds. The Z590 Gaming X and a couple of boards from the budget Ultra Durable (UD) series are also listed. New for Z590 is the Pro AX board, which looks to slot somewhere in the mid-range. Gigabyte will also release the Z590 Aorus Tachyon, an overbuilt motherboard designed for extreme overclocking.
On the performance front, the Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Master did well overall, performing among the other boards with raised power limits. There wasn’t a test where it did particularly poorly, but the MS Office and PCMark tests on average were slightly higher than most. Overall, there is nothing to worry about when it comes to stock performance on this board. Overclocking proceeded without issue as well, reaching our 5.1 GHz overclock along with the memory sitting at DDR4 4000.
The Z590 Aorus Master looks the part of a premium motherboard, with brushed aluminum shrouds covering the PCIe/M.2/chipset area. The VRM heatsink and its NanoCarbon Fin-Array II provide a nice contrast against the smooth finish on the board’s bottom. Along with Wi-Fi 6E integration, it also includes an Aquantia based 10GbE, while most others use 2.5 GbE. The Aorus Master includes a premium Realtek ALC1220 audio solution with an integrated DAC, three M.2 sockets, reinforced PCIe and memory slots and 10 total USB ports, including a rear USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port. We’ll cover those features and much more in detail below. But first, here are full the specs from Gigabyte.
Specifications – Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Master
Socket
LGA 1200
Chipset
Z590
Form Factor
ATX
Voltage Regulator
19 Phase (18+1, 90A MOSFETs)
Video Ports
(1) DisplayPort v1.2
USB Ports
(1) USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, Type-C (20 Gbps)
(5) USB 3.2 Gen 2, Type-A (10 Gbps)
(4) USB 3.2 Gen 1, Type-A (5 Gbps)
Network Jacks
(1) 10 GbE
Audio Jacks
(5) Analog + SPDIF
Legacy Ports/Jacks
✗
Other Ports/Jack
✗
PCIe x16
(2) v4.0 x16, (x16/x0 or x8/x8
(1) v3.0 x4
PCIe x8
✗
PCIe x4
✗
PCIe x1
✗
CrossFire/SLI
AMD Quad GPU Crossfire and 2-Way Crossfire
DIMM slots
(4) DDR4 5000+, 128GB Capacity
M.2 slots
(1) PCIe 4.0 x4 / PCIe (up to 110mm)
(1) PCIe 3.0 x4 / PCIe + SATA (up to 110mm)
(1) PCIe 3.0 x4 / PCIe + SATA (up to 110mm)
U.2 Ports
✗
SATA Ports
(6) SATA3 6 Gbps (RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10)
USB Headers
(1) USB v3.2 Gen 2 (Front Panel Type-C)
(2) USB v3.2 Gen 1
(2) USB v2.0
Fan/Pump Headers
(10) 4-Pin
RGB Headers
(2) aRGB (3-pin)
(2) RGB (4-pin)
Legacy Interfaces
✗
Other Interfaces
FP-Audio, TPM
Diagnostics Panel
Yes, 2-character debug LED, and 4-LED ‘Status LED’ display
As we open up the retail packaging, along with the board, we’re greeted by a slew of included accessories. The Aorus Master contains the basics (guides, driver CD, SATA cables, etc.) and a few other things that make this board complete. Below is a full list of all included accessories.
Installation Guide
User’s Manual
G-connector
Sticker sheet / Aorus badge
Wi-Fi Antenna
(4) SATA cables
(3) Screws for M.2 sockets
(2) Temperature probes
Microphone
RGB extension cable
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
After taking the Z590 Aorus Master out of the box, its weight was immediately apparent, with the shrouds, heatsinks and backplate making up the majority of that weight. The board sports a matte-black PCB, with black and grey shrouds covering the PCIe/M.2 area and two VRM heatsinks with fins connected by a heatpipe. The chipset heatsink has the Aorus Eagle branding lit up, while the rear IO shroud arches over the left VRM bank with more RGB LED lighting. The Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0 application handles RGB control. Overall, the Aorus Master has a premium appearance and shouldn’t have much issue fitting in with most build themes.
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
Looking at the board’s top half, we’ll first focus on the VRM heatsinks. They are physically small compared to most boards, but don’t let that fool you. The fin array uses a louvered stacked-fin design Gigabyte says increases surface area by 300% and improves thermal efficiency with better airflow and heat exchange. An 8mm heat pipe also connects them to share the load. Additionally, a small fan located under the rear IO shroud actively keeps the VRMs cool. The fan here wasn’t loud, but was undoubtedly audible at default settings.
We saw a similar configuration in the previous generation, which worked out well with an i9-10900K, so it should do well with the Rocket Lake flagship, too. We’ve already seen reports indicating the i9-11900K has a similar power profile to its predecessor. Feeding power to the VRMs is two reinforced 8-pin EPS connectors (one required).
To the right of the socket, things start to get busy. We see four reinforced DRAM slots supporting up to 128GB of RAM. Oddly enough, the specifications only list support up to DDR4 3200 MHz, the platform’s limit. But further down the webpage, it lists DDR4 5000. I find it odd it is listed this way, though it does set up an expectation that anything above 3200 MHz is overclocking and not guaranteed to work.
Above the DRAM slots are eight voltage read points covering various relevant voltages. This includes read points for the CPU Vcore, VccSA, VccIO, DRAM, and a few others. When you’re pushing the limits and using sub-ambient cooling methods, knowing exactly what voltage the component is getting (software can be inaccurate) is quite helpful.
Above those on the top edge are four fan headers (next to the EPS connectors is a fifth) of 10. According to the manual, all CPU fan and pump headers support 2A/24W each. You shouldn’t have any issues powering fans and a water cooling pump. Gigabyte doesn’t mention if these headers use auto-sensing (for DC or PWM control), but they handled both when set to ‘auto’ in the BIOS. Both a PWM and DC controlled fan worked without intervention.
The first two (of four) RGB LED headers live to the fan headers’ right. The Z590 Aorus Master includes two 3-pin ARGB headers and two 4-pin RGB headers. Since this board takes a minimal approach to RGB lighting, you’ll need to use these to add more bling to your rig.
We find the power button and 2-character debug LED for troubleshooting POST issues on the right edge. Below is a reinforced 24-pin ATX connector for power to the board, another fan header and a 2-pin temperature probe header. Just below all of that are two USB 3.2 Gen1 headers and a single USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C front-panel header for additional USB ports.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Gigabyte chose to go with a 19-phase setup for the Vcore and SOC on the power delivery front. Controlling power is an Intersil ISL6929 buck controller that manages up to 12 discrete channels. The controller then sends the power to ISL6617A phase doublers and the 19 90A ISL99390B MOSFETs. This is one of the more robust VRMs we’ve seen on a mid-range board allowing for a whopping 1,620A available for the CPU. You won’t have any trouble running any compatible CPU, including using sub-ambient overclocking.
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
The bottom half of the board is mostly covered in shrouds hiding all the unsightly but necessary bits. On the far left side, under the shrouds, you’ll find the Realtek ALC1220-VB codec along with an ESS Sabre ESS 9118 DAC and audiophile-grade WIMA and Nichicon Fine Gold capacitors. With the premium audio codec and DAC, an overwhelming majority of users will find the audio perfectly acceptable.
We’ll find the PCIe slots and M.2 sockets in the middle of the board. Starting with the PCIe sockets, there are a total of three full-length slots (all reinforced). The first and second slots are wired for PCIe 4.0, with the primary (top) slot wired for x16 and the bottom maxes out at x8. Gigabyte says this configuration supports AMD Quad-GPU Cand 2-Way Crossfire. We didn’t see a mention of SLI support even though the lane count supports it. The bottom full-length slot is fed from the chipset and runs at PCIe 3.0 x4 speeds. Since the board does without x1 slots, this is the only expansion slot available if you’re using a triple-slot video card. Anything less than that allows you to use the second slot.
Hidden under the shrouds around the PCIe slots are three M.2 sockets. Unique to this setup is the Aorus M.2 Thermal Guard II, which uses a double-sided heatsink design to help cool M.2 SSD devices with double-sided flash. With these devices’ capacities rising and more using flash on both sides, this is a good value-add.
The top socket (M2A_CPU) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 devices up to 110mm long. The second and third sockets, M2P_SB and M2M_SB, support both SATA and PCIe 3.0 x3 modules up to 110mm long. When using a SATA-based SSD on M2P_SB, SATA port 1 will be disabled. When M2M_SB (bottom socket) is in use, SATA ports 4/5 get disabled.
To the right of the PCIe area is the chipset heatsink with the Aorus falcon lit up with RGB LEDs from below. There’s a total of six SATA ports that support RAID0, 1, 5 and 10. Sitting on the right edge are two Thunderbolt headers (5-pin and 3-pin) to connect to a Gigabyte Thunderbolt add-in card. Finally, in the bottom-right corner is the Status LED display. The four LEDs labeled CPU, DRAM, BOOT and VGA light up during the POST process. If something hangs during that time, the LED where the problem resides stays lit, identifying the problem area. This is good to have, even with the debug LED at the top of the board.
Across the board’s bottom are several headers, including more USB ports, fan headers and more. Below is the full list, from left to right:
Front-panel audio
BIOS switch
Dual/Single BIOS switch
ARGB header
RGB header
TPM header
(2) USB 2.0 headers
Noise sensor header
Reset button
(3) Fan headers
Front panel header
Clear CMOS button
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
The Z590 Aorus Master comes with a pre-installed rear IO panel full of ports and buttons. To start, there are a total of 10 USB ports out back, which should be plenty for most users. You have a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port, five USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports and four USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports. There is a single DisplayPort output for those who would like to use the CPU’s integrated graphics. The audio stack consists of five gold-plated analog jacks and a SPDIF out. On the networking side is the Aquantia 10 GbE port and the Wi-Fi antenna. Last but not least is a Clear CMOS button and a Q-Flash button, the latter designed for flashing the BIOS without a CPU.
Intel has initiated the end-of-life plan for all of its Optane DC P4800X SSDs with Memory Drive Technology (MDT). The same drives without the Memory Drive software will continue to be shipped as long as demand is there, but the SKUs with the said program will not be available from Intel by October.
The discontinued family of Optane SSD DC P4800X with MDT products includes models with 100GB, 375GB, 750GB, and 1.5TB capacities in U.2 and card form-factors with a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface.
Along with the drives, Intel has also EOL’d the Memory Drive Technology Software that’s sold separately for its Optane DC P4800X and SSD 900/905P drives. Interested parties should place their orders on the said products by June 30, 2021; Intel will ship the last drives with MDT on September 30, 2021.
Intel’s Memory Drive Technology software extends system memory to Optane SSDs transparently to the OS and essentially makes 3D XPoint-based drives appear like DRAM to the OS and applications. The software was introduced in 2018 alongside the Optane SSD DC P4800X/P4801X as well as Optane SSD 900P/905P drives and was designed primarily to expand system memory capacity on first-gen Intel Xeon Scalable (and older) machines in a very cost-efficient way, as 3D XPoint is significantly cheaper than DRAM.
Back in 2018, Intel sold its 1st Generation Xeon Scalable processors (and even their predecessors) that did not support yet-to-be-launched Optane Persistent Memory modules, so the Memory Drive Technology software made quite a lot of sense for the company and its customers that needed a cheap system memory expansion for their in-memory applications. In mid-2019 the company introduced its 2nd Generation Xeon Scalable ‘Cascade Lake’ CPUs that added support for Optane Persistent Memory Modules and it became even easier for its clients to expand system memory using 3D XPoint-based PMMs.
By now, the share of outdated Xeon CPUs in Intel’s shipments has probably dropped so significantly that it no longer needs either MDT or drives that come with it. To that end, it does not make sense to keep the SKUs in the catalog. Meanwhile, regular Optane DC P4800X SSDs will continue to be shipped as Intel has not announced any plans about them.
Aaeon, a leading maker of embedded and commercial systems, has quietly unveiled a rather unique 3.5-inch single-board computer (SBC) that supports socketed Intel’s Comet Lake processors. The SBC is designed mainly for embedded applications, but with some luck and DIY skills, you could use it to build an ultra-compact form-factor (UCFF) desktop with up to eight high-performance cores as well as advanced media playback capabilities.
Aaeon’s Gene-CML5 subcompact motherboard is based on Intel’s Q470E/H420E/Q470 chipset (depending on the SKU) and comes with an LGA 1200 socket that can support various Comet Lake processors with two, four, or eight cores as well as a 35W TDP (i.e., up to Core i7-10700TE with eight cores clocked at 2.0 GHz ~ 4.40 GHz).
For some reason, the manufacturer decided not to officially support 10-core CPUs with a 35W TDP, perhaps because the bundled cooling system cannot handle it. The motherboard has two slots for up to 64 GB of DDR4-2933 memory, an M.2-2280 slot for an SSD featuring a PCIe 3.0 x4 or SATA interface, and two SATA ports.
For DIY enthusiasts, it is not going to be easy to find a proper chassis for a 3.5-inch motherboard, but there are companies like Supermicro that offer them, so it is doable.
(Image credit: Aaeon)
Intel designed its Comet Lake processors primarily with high-performance systems in mind, so these CPUs are widely used on Intel’s gaming platforms for desktops and notebooks. Meanwhile, the family also includes low-power T and low-power TE SKUs for UCFF and low-power embedded applications, respectively. So far, we have not heard of many UCFF LGA 1200 systems in general, so Aaeon might be the first company to offer a 3.5-inch SBC that can handle an eight-core socketed Comet Lake processor. It is noteworthy that the company has not made any formal announcements about the product — LinuxGizmos found this board in an ad.
Not many embedded systems can benefit from an eight-core CPU today, but a lot of new applications are emerging, so some of them might take advantage of the combination of performance offered by Intel’s Comet Lake and the diminutive system size enabled by the Aaeon Gene-CML5. PC makers who have access to custom PC cases can also use the SBC to build tiny systems that boast up to eight cores and potential upgradeability.
(Image credit: Aaeon)
The miniature 3.5-inch Gene-CML5 SBC — which measures 146×101.7mm — has an essential choice of connectivity that includes two GbE ports (managed by Intel controllers with or without vPro), three display outputs (one DisplayPort++ with MST support, one D-Sub, one LVDS header), two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A connectors, four USB 2.0 ports using an onboard header, two internal RS-232/422/485 headers, a header for audio in/audio out jacks, and a PCIe 3.0 x4 through Flexible Printed Circuit interface (on Q470/Q470E SKUs only).
(Image credit: Aaeon)
Of course, since the Gen-CML5 SBC is aimed at embedded and commercial applications, the board is equipped with a TPM module, a watchdog timer, and other perks. As for operating temperatures, the SBC can function in a 0°C ~ 60°C(32°F ~ 122°F) range, so it is not suitable for industrial or outdoor applications.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
