Radxa Launches the Compact, Low-Cost Intel Celeron J4125-Based X2L Single-Board Computer
Compared in footprint to a smartphone, this Intel SBC supports dual 4k30 displays and NVMe storage — and boasts an RP2040 coprocessor.
Embedded computing specialist Radxa has launched a compact, low-cost Intel-based single-board computer, roughly the footprint of a modern smartphone, with an Intel Celeron J4125 processor — and a 40-pin general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header driven by a Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller.
Described by the company as "the next generation of SBC [Single Board Computer] form factor design," the Radxa X2L measures an unusually-rectangular 155×80mm (around 6.1×3.15") — not a million miles away from the footprint of a smartphone. Its heart is a quad-core Intel Celeron J4125 processor with four cores running at 2GHz base and 2.7GHz burst and with an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 600 graphics processor.
To this, Radxa's design — brought to our attention by CNX Software — adds a choice of 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB of LPPDR4 memory, M.2 M-key and E-key slots for optional 2280-format Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) storage and radio modules respectively, a gigabit Ethernet port, two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, a 3.5mm analog audio jack with microphone support, and a pair of 4k30-capable HDMI outputs. A USB Type-C connector serves as a power input, negotiating 12V 2A over USB Power Delivery (PD).
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the board is its Raspberry Pi-like 40-pin GPIO header, which is linked to a Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core microcontroller acting as a coprocessor and delivering up to 16 pulse-width modulation (PWM) pins, two SPI, two UART, and two I2c buses, and the eight Programmable Input/Output (PIO) blocks which give the RP2040 its much-vaunted flexibility.
Being based on a 64-bit Intel x86 processor means broad software compatibility, too: Radxa confirms official support for Debian and Ubuntu Linux plus Microsoft's Windows 10, and while Windows 11 isn't officially supported it should be installable using known bypasses for the operating system's need for a Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM 2.0) missing from the X2L.
Radxa has partnered with AllNET China and Arace to sell the X2L, priced at $39 for a 2GB model, $52 for a 4GB, and $72 for an 8GB; the 8GB variant is also available with a pre-installed 32GB eMMC module at $82, while an active heatsink and fan assembly is an additional $9.90. More information is available on the official product page.