The Gizmo 2 is a small, single-board computer with a 1 GHz AMD embedded processor and Radeon HD graphics. It’s aimed at programmers and hobbyists, but it’s basically got the guts of a tiny, low-power desktop computer.

GizmoSphere introduced the Gizmo 2 a few months ago, and now it’s available for $199 from Element14 and Symmetry Electronics.

gizmo 2

The Gizmo 2 costs nearly six times as much as a Raspberry Pi 2, but it also has an x86 processor with more powerful graphics as well as an mSATA/mini PCIe connector.

The 4 inch by 4 inch board features 1GB of RAM, a microSD card slot, Gigabit Ethernet,two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI output, and support for Windows Embedded 8 or Linux software.

It has AMD Embedded GX-210HA processor with Radeon HD 8210E graphics and supports DirectX 11.1, OpenGL 4.2 and OpenCL 1.2.

via MarketWired

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84 replies on “Gizmo 2 single-board PC with AMD CPU now available for $199”

  1. I hear ya on the price, i can get MSI mini ITX for $25, processor for $50 and 4GB ram for $40 and a 128GB SSD for $50, or better yet a ASUS net top for $150, complete (power supply,2GB ram, 320GB HD, dual core Celeron, windows 8.1)

  2. I don’t like this board for 4 reasons. The processor is only 1ghz, it’s not FANLESS, it only has 1gb RAM that I can’t upgrade, and it’s too expensive.

    1. Yes, 1GHz is really slow. That AMD GX-210HA is 9W! No wonder it needs a fan. In comparison most ARM SoCs and Bay Trail based Intel Atoms are typically around 2W and have higher clock speeds with more cores also, plus much cheaper.

    1. This Gizmo board is meant for embedded usage(typcially as an industrial controller or experimenter’s control unit), and not a mini PC. Look at other competitors like Rasberry Pi, Adruino and even Intel’s Edison.

  4. I can’t see how this is an option next to the more powerful and in most cases cheaper BayTrail systems. Want something a little more than an Arduino for a hobby project? RasPi2 is $35! Want a better x86 CPU and double the RAM for half the price? Go for a 3735F for $99-120. Need more power but want to be fanless? J1900 barebones get you covered for $160-$200. Want something, that is not a full fledged desktop only in name? Go for a HP Stream/Pavilion Mini or a NUC for ~$250-$400. Oh, you want to run games? Still have you covered with a Brix at $450. Now who wants to buy a Gizmo2?

  5. I think people are being kind of harsh towards this thing, but ultimately I’m not 100% sold on it either.

    There is still space for decent x86 dev boards. Yes, there are people who want to use small devices for something other than an HTPC. Yes, there are some people who will value the features and performance of x86 over ARM. Yes, they (and me!) will pay a premium for those features.
    There are people who would fit in the category above, and also like the appeal of an x86 system that didn’t have UEFI bios and has PCI Express. Those aren’t must have or killer features for me. The dual core minnowboard max seems like a better deal at $140, but that is just for my needs. The Liva PC, and some of the up and coming Intel HDMI sticks also have their pros and cons.

    But at the end of the day, yes, of course this is more for development than it is a ‘bang for your buck’ XBMC solution. That seems obvious to me. Judging it in the HTPC category doesn’t really make sense.

  6. I’d like to see AMD build a micro-media server that could be a huge step up from Asus O!Play Media player. I have one and it is very good. I want more compute power and a small media server. Couple it with a 4tb portable drive and that would be very cool.

    1. Why does it need to be AMD powered? There are plenty of Intel-powered devices that will do exactly what you are describing.

      I just built a Mini-ITX PC that I use as a HTPC. It uses a Pentium G3258 cpu (very powerful CPU for only $65). With 4gb ram, case, PSU, and a 120gb SSD, it cost around $250 to build.

      Same price as my old Celeron NUC, but 4x more powerful CPU.

      1. AMD APU has far superior graphics at the pricepoint. And it would be Dx12 and Mantle capable which is far superior to Dx11. In fact it would likely run most games at 30fps+ at high res!

        A good choice would be A10-6700T. Board combos now run about $160.00. And at 4.5 watts would not really need a fan. But the Gizmo board wouldn’t run it.

        Try Googleing “AMD Nano”. That would be another reference product that AMD developed but failed to run with, go figure. It runs Mullins but a slower version of A10-6700.

        I’m looking for a pocket portable gaming and media rig. Something to plug into the Hotel flat screen HDMI.

        1. Ah, based on your post, it was sounding like you just wanted an HTPC.

          Yeh, for sure AMD APU is the better route if you want a small PC for gaming.

          Check out the Gigabyte Brix GB-BXA8-5545. It has an A8-5545. Its a laptop chipset, but not bad GPU performance.

          2. You mean it WOULD run Mullins, if it existed. Par for the course, with AMD I’m afraid.

            There are some AMD APU mini-PC solutions out there, but when it costs more than $400 to configure one, I would sooner build a Mini ITX pc with an Intel CPU, and a video card.

            Give me something the size of NUC, but the power of a real desktop Socket FM2 APU like the A10-7700k, and I will buy one.

        2. In embedded space, GPU performance takes a back seat. Low power consumption, CPU performance, hardware I/O features and pricing is much more significant. Also these Gizmo boards are meant for embedded applications, not for those desktop or mini PC usage. Typically embedded controllers can be either very cheap (for example: Rasberry Pi) or very expensive…

          As for “something to plug into the Hotel flat screen HDMI” you should look at ARM and Intel powered HDMI sticks (running either Android, Linux or Windows). They are super small (can fit inside a shirt pocket), passively cooled and uses very low power. These are already widely available in the market place…

          2. Either directly into the HDMI port of the TV/monitor, or via a HDMI cable to the TV/monitor. Plenty of them around (just search for them). For Intel example, there’s MeegoPad: https://liliputing.com/2015/01/meegopad-t01-pc-stick-ships-unlicensed-windows-8-1.html (which was the basis for Intel’s Compute Stick). There are others like Hannspree ( https://liliputing.com/2015/01/hannspree-micro-pc-another-tiny-windows-pc-stick.html ) , Beelink ( https://liliputing.com/2015/02/beelink-preps-three-intel-mini-pcs-including-one-based-compute-stick.html ), etc. For ARM, there’s too many to mention, for example: https://www.laptopmag.com/android-sticks

      2. Mullins would be a far superior choice as the TDP is only 4.5 watts and the graphics are far superior to Intel HD IGP. Especially running Dx12.

        A10-6700 board combos are pricing at $130 or so but they are too big. The A10-6700 would play most games at high res 30fps+ running Dx12.

        It would make a great pocket portable gaming and media rig for a Hotel flat screen HDMI.
        Idealy the AMD Nano would fit the bill. Google it and see.

        That is another reference design that AMD failed to execute. Go figure.

        Actually the Zotac Z box CA320 looks good but it only runs an A6 Temash which doesn’t begin to touch Mullins. Maybe in a few months.
        https://www.anandtech.com/show/8744/zotac-zbox-ca320-nano-plus-review-a-fanless-amd-minipc

        1. AMD’s A10-6700 is not 4.5W rather its 65W: https://products.amd.com/en-gb/DesktopAPUDetail.aspx?id=80 and this is a desktop chip. Only the A10 Micro-6700T has lower wattage but they are 5W: https://products.amd.com/en-us/NotebookAPUDetail.aspx?id=109 and typically has very weak graphics compared to its desktop cousin. As for games, for example try Crysis 3 at 1080p on that APU and it will be reduced to a crawl (very low fps): https://us.hardware.info/reviews/5156/11/amd-a10-7850k-kaveri-review-amds-new-apu-benchmarks-igpu-crysis-3-1920×1080-medium None of these integrated GPUs are really suited for gaming especially graphically intensive newer games…

          2. In the earlier comment you’ve quoted “A10-6700…” without the “Micro-..” or the “..T” designation. That is a very different SKU from A10 Micro-6700T. This low wattage APU is meant to compete with Intel Bay Trail chips…

            And its not 4.5W because officially AMD states 5W as shown in the links I’ve posted. Not sure why the other sites stated that 4.5W figure instead…

            Furthermore in the same TDP range, Intel’s Broadwell-Y chips such as Core M is much faster than that A10 Micro-6700T. And that includes graphics performance as well: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-HD-Graphics-5300.125576.0.html (can also compare with A10 Micro-6700T here: https://www.anandtech.com/show/7974/amd-beema-mullins-architecture-a10-micro-6700t-performance-preview/3 ) thus your notion that it outclasses anything in the same power envelope is incorrect.

            Also DirectX 12 is for GPU, not CPU. Additionally don’t expect that new API to automagically give 4x boost in performance. These low wattage Beema/Mullins typically use single memory channel only, thus will be highly bandwidth limited. And memory bandwidth plays a big role in integrated GPU performance.

          3. You are quibbling over 0.5 watt??? Surely you jest!!! And don’t go off on how it matters; it doesn’t, I have a PowerBank for my tablets and mobile phone so I really don’t care, the battery never goes dead.

            And actually it is 4.5 watts. It’s been measured. Almost all reputable review sites from Anand to Tom’s Hardware all cite 4.5 watts TDP.

            And Intel MAY be faster but it is NOT Mantle or Dx12 compatible. Again this is what I pointed out in my comment. I don’t want something that is obsolete with a new operating system. A new set of Intel driver’s isn’t going to fix it either.

            I also don’t plan on using the device to calculate Pi to a Bazillion decimal places so I really don’t care how fast the CPU runs.

            I also pointed out that I wanted it for gaming and media and that’s it. I want something to replace my Asus O!Play. And maybe run Civilisation Beyond Earth or another turn based game or two. NOT a Space Sim or 1st person shooter or MMRP game. Of course email etc but my phone can do that just as well. I just don;t want to break out the laptop if I don’t have too.

            Dx12 and Mantle have marginalised the CPU by removing CPU bottlenecks. Or you can use an OLDER and cheaper CPU with a faster dGPU and still get great results.

            But since we are talking about APU and IGP a slower core speed will still get respectable game play.

            So it is not necessary to have a blistering fast CPU to keep the GPU cores fed.

            So Dx12 DOES impact the CPU by essentially marginalizing it, or at least reducing it’s importance..

            And actually Dx12 and Mantle is for APU and GPU. I was talking about the A10-6700T leap in performance which is an APU.

            And again I was pointing out what I wanted for MY reasons.

            I don’t want to pay extra for Intel margins. I would much rather support Intel’s competition. Because without AMD, Intel would be screwing the entire industry.

          4. Then ask AMD to explain about their official specifications of 5W on their own product website: https://products.amd.com/en-us/NotebookAPUDetail.aspx?id=109 Also note, again, in your reply you did not use the “Micro-…” designation to point out the chip properly.

            Pretty much only very few games are using Mantle. And with DirectX 12 coming, Mantle will likely be abandoned. Just like what happened to 3dfx’s custom Glide API for their own GPUs years ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glide_API Glide was faster but in the end the problem is that it was supported on 3dfx’s own GPUs only. That is the same situation as AMD’s Mantle today.

            Furthermore DirectX 12 will work on most current generation GPUs, not necessarily newer GPUs. For example: https://www.anandtech.com/show/8388/intel-demonstrates-direct3d-12-performance-and-power-improvements shows DirectX 12 running on Intel’s integrated GPUs. Thus the notion its not DirextX 12 compatible is incorrect.

            Additionally DirectX 12 and Mantle will not perform miracles on that low wattage APU. As mentioned earlier, this APU is bandwidth starved (due to that single memory channel). And due to design for low wattage, performance have to be reduced in order to keep the power consumption down. Even in its present form, this APU is simply too slow for gaming (expect very low fps).

            Games like Civilization Beyond Earth taxes the CPU also, for example: https://gamegpu.ru/rts-/-strategii/sid-meier-s-civilization-beyond-earth-test-gpu.html You will notice that besides the CPU fps chart, the CPU load chart shows how this game taxes the CPU cores. Things will be worse on slower low wattage APUs…

            And going by your own opinion,my guess is that you are willing to pay something like $550 for an AMD Beema/Mullins powered tablet like that BungBugame Photon2: https://liliputing.com/2014/10/bungbungame-photon2-tablet-is-one-of-the-first-with-amd-a10-mullins-processor.html that uses the slower A6 Micro-6500T: https://www.bungbungame.com/JP/products/products.aspx?name=Photon2&Tab=1 instead of $399 for a faster Intel Core M powered tablet like the Pipo K2: https://liliputing.com/2015/02/pipo-core-m-tablet-dual-boots-windows-and-android.html By your own logic, you are willing to buy the more expensive and much lower performing device for the sake of supporting AMD. Starting from Hector’s reign AMD had already screwed themselves badly with underperforming products…

  7. I’m sorry, but AMD just isn’t a viable Option anymore for anything that involves CPU performance, or performance per Watt Ratio. You need to either be a Fanboy or fall into that very narrow niche that does graphics limited tasks that need more performance than intel IGPs, but doesn’t require dedicated GPU levels of performance.

    I’m not an intel Fanboy, i am a Performance (per Watt) Fanboy. I owned many AMD Systems in my day. The first one was an AMD 486 DX 50 Mhz (when intels offering was 33 Mhz) and their heyday Period of AMD Athlon and Athlon64 in intels Pentium 3/4 days. But ever since the Core2Duo Era they were behind in performance, and nowadays they’re behind in performance, performance per watt and in many use cases even their last strength – price, they coasted on for so long.

    Especially with mobile / low power offerings intel just has enough in their warchests to highly subsedize SoCs and Platforms so that stuff like this just comes off way overpriced because the entire chain from AMD to the manufacturer actually have to turn a profit, while intel is willing to not even break even just to crush the competition.

    Like others have said – why buy an AMD single board computers for 200 if you can get better performing, better specced intel offerings that also draw less power for less money?

    2. You could be very wrong.
      Anand will be running another piece in a few days that will test AMD APU’s against Intel HD IGP running Dx12. Their previous test was lacking the data set running Intel i3-4330 with HD IGP alone as Intel had no Directx12 drivers. Soo they ran A10-7800 vs Intel i3-4330 with nVidia Geforce 770 and the i3 barely squeaked out an edge against the barebacked AMD APU.

      So far the disparity in Dx12 graphic performance between Intel and AMD is staggeringly in favor of AMD. But I know you are one of those folks who needs to calculate Pi to bazillion decimal places a nano second faster than the next guy.

      But the experience that you see on the screen is as good as it gets regardless. And when gaming, the faster GPU gives you the edge, not the faster CPU. It is all about the frame rate.

      1. But AMD is irrelevant and soon they will be GONE. AMD hasn’t made a single good product since the Athlon 64.

        1. You sound a lot like an AMD troll I used to argue with, he/she predicted that AMD would fail “soon”, but that was about 2 and a half years ago!

          1. Consoles Saved AMD’s Bacon but now NOT even consoles can save AMD. Actually AMD won’t go down because of Intel or anything people think Intel did to AMD. AMD will go down because of themselves and their crappy management.

          2. Hi JML, or Jesse Lee, I see that you’ve finally gotten around to getting yourself a new login after all those bans, good to hear that you’re still alive and kicking 🙂

          3. I see that you’re back after all this time. Yeah just not as often.

          4. I’ve been around, but more busy these last 2 years, not much time for posting. You were talking about building a small/low-power/high-performance gaming machine back then, I was wondering how did you get on with that?

          5. Yes I was not how I wanted it go but I did get something that is somewhere close to where I want to be as far previous goal. I got a Intel Haswell i5-4690K with an old AMD Radeon 5750 and they PC uses 110 watts when gaming and 56 when on youtube and idling.

          6. Sounds like you need a better graphics card. Is the 5750 significantly faster than using the on-board graphics of the 4690K?

          7. I am too lazy and I didn’t have the funds to replace my GPU. That is a good question actually. I haven’t tried the onboard video on this CPU yet.

          8. I’m guessing the 5750 will be better at high resolutions, but the 4690K will be better at low resolutions. Intel’s onboard graphics tend to be best at low resolutions.

          10. PowerVR GT7900 GPU is not a MIPS solution, it’s a GPU that can be used with ARM or anything else.

            I’m sure GT4 will be more powerful than the previous generation, but in order to get close to mid-range discreet GPUs GT4e will be required, and even then it will probably be cheaper to get a non GT4e device and add in a mid-range GPU, just as it is today.

          11. No it isn’t but the Mips I6400 paired with a PowerVR GT7900 is. You are correct on that one. Cheaper but not as efficient and that is what I am looking for.

          12. I can’t see skylake giving much of a CPU boost, probably best to stick with your current quad core.

          13. Thats not what I heard. I Heard that Skylake was going to be big improvement over Haswell. Cpuwise I heard its going to be 20% faster.

          14. 20% Faster! When is the last time Intel delivered a 20% performance improvement? I thought you were all about basing companies and products on their recent past.

          15. I am all about that. The last time Intel did that was in 2011 with Sandy Bridge. But your missing something and that is the fact that AMD isn’t even close to Intel’s IPC and power draw.

    2. Why are so eager for AMD to go away? Do you realy want to buy $1000 chips from Intel?
      Intel with a real monopoly is a nightmare. They are bad enough with a virtual monopoly.

      1. Because AMD hasn’t made a single good product since the Athlon 64. Another Naive Person you are for thinking that. Can’t see the bigger picture can you? AMD is irrelevant and them going away will not raise prices because that has already happen when AMD stop competing with Intel in 2012.

      2. Intel already has a monopoly on x86-stuff
        no, what AMD currently produces just doesn’t count. I’d even buy something by Via before i’d consider AMD.

        Yes that’s a problem. But it’s not as big a problem as it once was, since arm became a viable alternative in most cases. (unless you want high-performance desktop-CPUs, but i think the need for that is declining)

        No, that doesn’t mean i would be eager for AMD to go away. Quite the opposite. It would be great if AMD would again produce something worthwile. But currently they don’t and i don’t think there’s a that big difference between that and going away. (besides until they go away, there might still be the hope that they _might_ produce something i’d buy again)

        1. ARM is not a viable alternative to any laptop or pc. Probably the biggest reason why is they have NO graphics presence beyond mobile applications. And there is NO sofware designed to run on ARM besides mobile Apps.

          This might change but do you really expect to see AutoDesk write AutoCAD Civil3d for Android? Or Desseault industries write CATIA for Android?

          And Qualcomm only has a mobile license for the technology they bought from AMD.

          1. yes, ARM-CPUs currently are far from the performance of x86-desktop-cpus (as stated before)

            other than that: WHAT THE FUCK?

            no Software for ARM? Are you fucking stupid? AutoCAD? Civil3D? CATIA? Android?

            I have no idea how you were able to miss _any_ point so completely.

            No, there is no CATIA for Android and there probably never will be.

            But thas has _nothing_ to do with ARM at all.

            ARM is not Android! Heck, there even is some kind of official Windows for ARM nowadays. (not for the first time, but far more complete and nearer to desktop Wintel than ever before)

            There currently is no CATIA for Windows on ARM too, but _that_ might change if Dassault Systems should at some time start to make CATIA a “Windows modern App” (currently i don’t see that either).

            Other than that your problem isn’t “ARM is not supported” but “Anything but Wintel isn’t supported”. If that were a problem everybody had, then nobody could use Linux or OSX as his Desktop OS.

            To talk Linux: pretty much any Distribution has been completely ported over to armhf. You can fully (well, there are some exceptions, things with asm-code are obviously hard to port) use Debian, Ubuntu, RedHat, whatever on Arm-Devices.

            As to that Qualcomm/AMD-Line: what should that even have to do with anything?

            You sir, are terribly bad at this trolling-stuff. You should stop it. It just won’t work this way.

          2. Incorrect. ARM platforms have operating systems like Android and Linux. And graphics isn’t its main focus. On these systems, the main graphics API is OpenGL and not DirectX nor Mantle. There are already multitude of available software applications and games on Android. For example: Microsoft recently released Office 365 for Android: https://products.office.com/en-us/mobile/office-android-tablet which will make ARM platforms a good alternative for productivity and business usage…

            Incorrect again. Those engineering applications of course do not run on ARM platforms because they are mainly written for x86 Windows platform. Also ARM chips do not have the CPU horsepower, so why would we want to port them to much slower systems. These type of applications usually runs and performs best on Intel Xeon powered workstations (typically with single or dual CPUs).

            Incorrect, again and again. Qualcomm fully bought ATI’s mobile graphics IP which eventually became Adreno inside the Snapdragon: https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2009/01/20/qualcomm-acquires-handheld-graphics-and-multimedia-assets-amd There is no mobile licensing at all because the mobile graphic IP no longer belongs to AMD. That is why AMD isn’t using power sipping Adreno-like GPUs inside their own APUs. That is also why AMD does not have any chips for the smartphone segment…

    1. Gizmo is meant for embedded usage(typcially as an industrial controller or experimenter’s control unit), and not a mini PC.

      1. Well the thing i linked to isn’t a mini pc either but it is smaller and cheaper too.

        1. That is a mini-PC. Here is another example: https://liliputing.com/2015/01/hands-mele-pcg03-bay-trail-mini-pc.html that is even cheaper starting from $59 only. Some comes with battery as well: https://liliputing.com/2015/02/ainol-windows-mini-pc-power-bank-pre-order-128.html for $128 with everything! And these are fanless too. There are so many of these. Get out of your shell and look around…

          GIzmo is meant for embedded market. You can find lots more of those type of embedded boards here: https://linuxgizmos.com/category/boards/ mostly dominated by ARM chips and some Intel chips. Prices can vary from very cheap to expensive depending on features…

          1. Hrm i still like the one i posted more, it is way smaller then those things… guess my next pc will be my phone by the looks of it.

            Embeded market… ok but why not fanless??

          2. The HDMI stick like the MeegoPad is even smaller: https://liliputing.com/2015/01/meegopad-t01-pc-stick-ships-unlicensed-windows-8-1.html Then there’s also the ARM powered CuBox-i: https://www.androidauthority.com/cubox-review-587011/ which is truly small (not kidding!). Incidentally both are also cheaper as well.

            If those didn’t get your attention then I guess you are looking only at one brand and stuck to it (your “shell”), not because it is smaller. Additionally that Fitlet mini PCs are barebones, thus you’ll have to add your own memory and storage. That means it will cost a lot more than $129 actually.

            Most embedded boards are typically fanless (passive cooling), because they use very low power SoCs. That is why ARM dominates this sector. There are also some Intel powered devices as well. They have to operate in dusty grimy environment often at high ambient temperatures (as in a factory for example). That’s why some posters here mentioned or complained about the fan. With that fan, the chances of clogging and dust accumulation are much higher since these devices often will be running 24/7 non-stop.

          3. The intel stick is neat but it has way less conectivity and the cpu is at the unmentionables. This fitlet is an actual pc you could use for productivity tasks or watch movies and stuff. I’m not stuck with one brand but i’m stuck to x86 as i want it ti run full windows and be able to cope with productivity software and media maybe some light gaming. As i said the intel stick looks cool but the conectivity part is quite weak as all the rest. Also the fitlef can be used as a router because of its 2x gbit nics(which are also intel btw so very high quality)

          4. As was the other mini PCs I’ve mentioned, for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i0GxWhu5KA clearly can see it can be used as an actual PC plus even playback 4K video. Meanwhile the ARM based mini PC, even though does not have Windows 8.1 but can run Android (like smartphones and tablets).

            The Fitlet mini PCs are using the “micro” versions of the APUs (those 5W chips like A4 Micro-6400T), thus do not expect the integrated GPU performance to be anywhere near desktop AMD APUs. Also current AMD APUs do not support 4K video decoding. Additionally this Fitlet mini PC has no immediate availability, for example: https://semiaccurate.com/forums/showpost.php?p=230216&postcount=292 and just look at that lead time (of 7 weeks)…

          5. Well mullins has been shown to be able to play fifa, so while they are way weaker then the desktop variants they should be quite capable. Anyway, i’m not in the market for such devices so my knowledge about them is limited. My only problem with the gizmo2 is that it is rather big compared to some other amd platforms out there that are also much more powerfull and passivelly cooled and gave that example. I did not discount intel’s offerings at any time. I just didn’t see the point in building such a big activelly cooled underpowered platform.

          6. AMD needs a chip that is more like Intel’s Bay Trail which goes down to 2W with good CPU performance at the same time. Perhaps Nolan could close the gap but yet to see any actual or substantial news on that chip…

          7. Without 14nm, slim chance. They will probably keep the 5w tdp and improve on performance since nolan will be reportedly on 28nm still. Maybe with all the power saving features in carrizo maybe we will see this chip used in some of the bulkyer tablets out there. I’d like a 512sp 4 core cat core at 5w tdp in a surface type of device

          8. AMD needs to cut down that integrated GPU because at such low power levels the graphic performance is not going to make much difference. Either that or license a different GPU technology (like Intel did). Heck, most mobile GPUs found in tablets and smartphones are so much slower than AMD’s APUs. Some compromises have to be made. Perhaps some CPU changes may be required as well. Reduce the die size and make them as cheap as chips.

            For example: the old CloverTrail was on 32nm without FinFET, and that was around 2W also. For the integrated GPU, Intel licensed and used power sipping PowerVR GPU instead of Intel’s own GPU technology. Also for the CPU, Intel used an in-order engine instead of an out-of-order engine to further reduce power consumption and die size. Then it was simply a matter of using clock speeds to regain the lost performance. Only when Intel had 22nm FinFET production ready, then they put back that out-of-order engine into Bay Trail and Moorefield. Intel also re-used their own GPUs inside Bay Trails. However Intel still uses PowerVR for Moorefield as they were targeted for smartphones as well (ultra low power usage required).

    1. That is UTTERLY PATHETIC!!!! 1GB is barely enough to run Windows XP and a few games.

  11. Yikes, $199.
    For $139 I can get a fanless Zotac CI320, or an Intel NUC. Far more powerful CPU too.

    I see that this comes with 1gb of RAM. Not really a plus, kindof a hinderance. Because for $180, I can have 4gb of RAM in that Zotac or NUC.

    Heck, for $240 you can get an A8-5545 powered Gigabyte Brix.

    I guess this might appeal to some developers, or people who need JTAG support.

    1. The prices of some of these mini PC’s really puzzles me. It’s like they don’t want people buying them at all.

      1. Yeh, I’m pretty sure JTAG and GPIO don’t warrant an extra $60-100. Are there many people building embedded devices that utilize GPIO, and they need more CPU power than a Rasp-Pi?

        1. ” Are there many people building embedded devices that utilize GPIO, and they need more CPU power than a Rasp-Pi?”
          In short, yes. The horsepower in the new Pi 2 is a big improvement, sure. But the power, and specifically OS support, for x86 is important to some people.
          So then look at the features. x86 dev-centric board that runs at very low power. Explicit access to GPIO, JTAG, I2C, SPI, blah blah blah. If you need this stuff, your potential list of available products got a lot shorter. Though, most likely, a Minnowboard Max would beat this thing out.

          And yes, in most cases an RPi, or something even slightly beefier (cubie, pcduino, etc) below $100 would do the trick. But there are areas where they can come up short. Its just that those things usually don’t matter for most use cases.

      2. The price reflects the size of the market for devices like these, that’s why they always seem expensive compared to tablets.

      1. Allwinner chips have a ton of GPL violations. No thanks.

        This AMD board is competing with the Intel Minnowboard Max, and it does an OK job at that, assuming this has GPIO.

        1. so you see GPIO-Pins in that image? because i don’t.

          yes, GPL-Violations by allwinner are a problem. A big one even.
          Problem is, i don’t think AMD is that better. Most things they do are completely closed source, so they don’t violate GPL because they don’t use free software.
          Since AMD is one of the good-old-players in the classic x86-field, most of it’s hardware is kinda supported by some 3rd-party free project, but that doesn’t mean that AMD did something good.

          So: yes, i see that there’s a legal difference (making Allwinner far more “evil”) between violated gpl and proprietary closed-source. But speaking practical usage both is closed shit i can’t compile myself and with violated GPL there’s even the chance you can force them to release sources by using legal tools.

  12. Gizmo 1 looked to me like a bait-and-switch to get people to buy Sage JTAG tools ($299/year). Now Gizmo 2 is way too expensive, runs short on RAM, and needs binary-only blobs to work. I want a board like this, but I’ll go with Intel for the better open source support. I think Minnowboard.org looks a bit amateurish, any other suggestions for good embedded boards?

    1. AMD? Fanless? They had better not get into the low-TDP game. How am I supposed to heat my house without my AMD PCs?

      2. LOL. I used to look forward to running my Athlon XP in the winter to lower my heating bills.

        1. I used to have an Athlon XP 2400+, then a Athlon 64 X2 5200+. Both of them kept me warm in the winter. Now I have an FX-8320. Even though it has double the TDP, it isn’t as hot at idle. Under stress it gets mighty hot.

          I have a Pentium G3258 in my HTPC. The air it blows out is cold, even under stress.

          1. And that’s why Intel is better than AMD because every AMD chip is a mini Space Heater While Intel chips are faster, use far less power, and aren’t DAMN Space Heaters.

          2. You’re right, but AMD chips still have a place. I have an FX 8320 because I use photo editing software that is very CPU-intensive. It cost $179. There aren’t any Intel chips that outperform it at this task until almost the $300 pricepoint.

          3. I don’t like Noisy PC’s so AMD has no place for me and most people. I’ll pay the extra $50 for a CPU that isn’t a space heater and isn’t noisy as hell.

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