Radxa's Rock Pi X Windows 10-Capable Single-Board Computer Hits the Market, Starting at $49
A year after its unveiling, the Rock Pi X is now available to order — though the cheaper Model A variants are nowhere to be found.
Radxa's long-awaited Rock Pi X single-board computer, based on an Intel Atom processor and capable of running Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system, has finally launched — though it has, sadly, missed its target price point by opting to start with the release of an upgraded Model B design.
Radxa announced the Rock Pi X a little over a year ago, aiming to release a Raspberry Pi-like single-board computer built around Intel's Atom x5-Z8300 Cherry Trail processor at a pocket-friendly $39 price-point in its entry 1GB RAM variant. All models were to include a single USB 3.0 port, three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI 1.4, gigabit Ethernet, analog audio, and a 40-pin general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header.
A year later CNX Software has alerted us to the fact the Rock Pi X is finally available to order — but the $39 entry point has, sadly, been missed. Instead, the Rock Pi X Model B 1GB model, which includes 8GB of eMMC storage in addition to a micro-SD slot for expansion, is priced at $49 — a still surprisingly low price point for a 64-bit x86 system.
The next model up in the range offers 2GB of RAM and 16GB of eMMC storage for $59; switching to the 4GB model increases the price to $75 with 32GB eMMC storage, $85 with 64GB of eMMC storage, or $99 for the top-end variant with 128GB of eMMC storage. The company has indicated it still plans to release a cost-reduced Rock Pi Model A range, which will drop the on-board Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios, but this has not yet been given a launch date.
The delay to the board's launch has given Radxa time for a redesign: The new model includes HDMI 2.0 with 4k30 support and USB Power Deliver (PD) support with Qualcomm Quick Charge compatibility. The Model B's gigabit Ethernet port offers Power over Ethernet support with the addition of a HAT add-on, and the 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 radios include support for an external antenna.
More details on the released Rock Pi X Model B, and the as-yet unreleased Rock Pi X Model A, can be found on the Radxa wiki; units are available to pre-order now from AllNet.China.