The first time we talked about the UDOO platform was in May 2013. The project raised more than $600,000 to create a hybrid between a mini-computer and an Arduino, but now it’s time for UDOO X86, an initiative that seeks to repeat the success of the previous model, albeit with a big difference. Its new generation will adopt the x86 architecture, through a quad-core Intel processor from the Airmont-Braswell family, which on average delivers ten times the performance of a Raspberry Pi 3.
The usefulness of a mini-computer depends exclusively on the user. Controlling a robot, building an arcade cabinet, setting up a desktop terminal, or assembling a BitTorrent box are just four examples, and to be honest, not all of them need extreme processing power. Of course, that doesn't stop each new generation of hardware from increasing its performance and reducing overall size. The most striking example of this is the Raspberry Pi 3, which according to its developers is ten times faster than the original model. But what happens when even that increase isn't enough? For many manufacturers, the ideal shortcut is to set aside ARM architecture and return to x86 territory, and that's exactly what the folks at UDOO did with their new UDOO X86 computer.
Just like the original product, the UDOO X86 is a computer fully compatible with Arduino, the 101 board to be precise. The UDOO X86 will be available in two versions: one with an Intel Atom X5-E8000 SoC, and the other with a Celeron Mobile N3160. Both chips are quad-core, have the same amount of L1 and L2 cache, and their TDP is almost identical (between 5 and 6 watts), but the real difference lies in clock speeds. The X5-E8000 has a base frequency of 1 GHz with a 2 GHz Turbo mode, while the N3160 starts at 1.6 GHz and reaches 2.24 GHz in Turbo. It comes with 2 or 4 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage, support for SATA, M.2, and microSD connections, Gigabit Ethernet (there's also an M.2 port for WiFi modules), three USB 3.0 ports, two serial ports, audio output, and three video outputs compatible with 4K resolution (one HDMI and two mini DisplayPort).
Once again, the folks at UDOO decided to seek funding via Kickstarter, and with almost two months to go, they've already covered their $100,000 goal, which makes us think this will be an even bigger success than their previous campaign. Getting the basic edition of the UDOO X86 costs $89 right now, and the model with the Celeron chip goes up to $109, much more reasonable if we consider that the SoC is faster and comes with double the memory. First deliveries are due in November.
