ASUS IoT Unveils Two New Almost-Single-Board Computers, Packing 12-Core Intel Chips
Compact new models include 12 processor cores, a four-core GPU, and a neural coprocessor delivering a claimed 12 TOPS at minimum precision.
ASUS' Internet of Things (IoT) arm has announced two new entries in its almost-single-board computer lineup, this time adopting Intel processors rather than Arm parts: the C5153ES-IM-AA and C7156ES-IM-AA, available with 12 processor cores, a maximum boost clock of 5.3GHz, a 12 tera-operations per second (TOPS) neural coprocessor, and up to 64GB of DDR5 memory.
"ASUS IoT C5153ES-IM-AA is a 3.5-inch single-board computer designed for space-constrained installations," the company says of the first model in the family, though oddly not of its identically-sized stablemate. "It offers rich I/O [Input/Output] capabilities, advanced connectivity, and flexible customization options. Equipped with M.2 slots for LTE/5G and WiFi/Bluetooth, C5153ES-IM-AA is built for future-ready industrial applications. This compact board is ideal for video solutions, smart retail, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)."
Neither the C5153ES-IM-AA nor the more powerful C7156ES-IM-AA, both brought to our attention by Linux Gizmos, are true single-board computers: while their processors are soldered in place and not easily swapped out as with a traditional PC motherboard, they require the installation of SODIMM form factor DDR5 memory before they're able to boot. Both models accept up to 64GB, as two 32GB sticks on a dual-channel controller, and include M.2 M-key and SATA 3.0 storage support.
Both models include a 4k60 HDMI 2.1 output, a 5k60 DisplayPort 1.4, a second Display Port 1.4 on USB Type-C Alternate Mode, and a 1080p60 embedded DisplayPort 1.4b video outputs, the latter also usable as an LVDS output, one gigabit and one 2.5-gigabit-Ethernet ports, four USB 3.2 Gen. 2 Type-A ports, the aforementioned USB Type-C connector, two USB 2.0 ports on an internal header, M.2 E-key and B-key slots for optional Wi-Fi and cellular modules, a 40-pin general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header, dedicated I2C and SMBus headers, and two RS232/422/485-compatible serial headers, plus a header for an optional Trusted Platform Module.
Where the two differ is in the precise model of Intel processor fitted. The CM5153-ES-IM-AA features an Intel Core Ultra 5 Processor 235U, giving it 12 cores made up of two performance cores, eight efficiency cores, and two low-power efficiency cores, a maximum boost clock of 4.9GHz, and a four-core Intel Graphics Xe LPG graphics processor running at up to 2.05GHz; the C7156ES-IM-AA swaps this out for an Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 265U, which increases the boost clock to 5.3GHz and the graphics clock to 2.1GHz. Both include an on-board neural coprocessor for machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML and AI) workloads, delivering a claimed 12 tera-operations per second (TOPS) of minimum-precision compute.
More information on the C5153ES-IM-AA and C7156ES-IM-AA is available on their respective product pages; ASUS IoT had not yet announced pricing at the time of writing.