Alpha-One: Silent mini PC can run AI locally and is now available

We've previously reported on numerous SBCs and mini PCs, and now a new device is finally available for purchase. The EU version of the Pine64 Alpha-One is sold directly by the manufacturer for $330, but prospective buyers should definitely look into the shipping details beforehand. The manufacturer also asserts that this is a product for early adopters.

This mini PC is based on the StarPro64-SBC and features a SiFive P550 SoC. This RISC-V chipset has four cores that run at up to 1.8GHz. It also sports an NPU with a performance of 20 TOPS. While NPUs integrated into current Intel or AMD processors are often more powerful, the Alpha-One’s AI performance is still notably higher than what you'd find in other single-board computers. This compact computer further has 32GB of RAM and is designed to run various LLMs locally. The preinstalled 64GB eMMC module already contains the necessary software.

The passively cooled SBC comes in an aluminum case, and heat from the processor is dissipated via a heatpipe. For networking, users can utilize WiFi on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, or wired connectivity via two Gigabit Ethernet ports. The WiFi antenna is external. Moreover, there are multiple USB ports for connecting peripherals, and mini PC users can hook up monitors via HDMI with support for 4K at 60Hz. Lastly, the Pine64 Alpha-One has an audio jack that supports microphones.