A year ago we talked about the Gigabyte GA-SBCAP3350, a mini computer focused on x86 architecture with a dual-core Celeron processor and several ports to expand its capabilities. Availability was limited, and the price of 185 euros kept some users away, but Gigabyte concluded that interest is large enough to launch an update. The new GA-SBCAP3450 has just appeared on the official page, and the main novelty is that it has jumped on the four-core bandwagon, keeping its passive cooling and expansion ports.
The Raspberry Pi may have some weak points, but software is not one of them, thanks to the enormous effort of the community. Still, there are always occasions when we absolutely need a Windows platform, and Microsoft's relationship with ARM chips is... a work in progress, so to speak. Qualcomm is expected to speed things up by launching new silicon, but we are still far from the famous "Windows 10 on ARM". Until that happens, the most effective thing for anyone interested in a mini computer is to look for something based on Atom chips, or explore the offerings of companies like Gigabyte, which has just introduced the GA-SBCAP3450.
At first glance, the new mini computer is a replica of the previous GA-SBCAP3350, and I imagine more than one user will confuse them. In fact, the only major change is in the processor. While the P3350 uses a dual-core Celeron N3350 with 2.4 GHz Turbo, the new P3450 adopts a Celeron N3450. That means the maximum Turbo drops 200 MHz (2.2 GHz), but it compensates for that loss with two additional cores. Everything else is identical: a DDR3L memory slot with a cap of 8 GB, two M.2 connectors (WiFi and mSATA), two Gigabit Ethernet ports, two SATA ports, six USB ports (two physical, four on PCB), HDMI and VGA outputs, a SIM connector, Realtek sound, a large number of headers, and a variable power input (9-36V).
Now, the big question: When and how much? Gigabyte decided not to reveal those details for now, but the previous model had a very limited distribution, with a cost of 185 euros. Development platforms were never that cheap, and on top of that sum we must add RAM and storage. Gigabyte's new hardware remains interesting, but if it seems too expensive and you need something accessible right away, don't forget to explore our Mini PC guide.
