Alpha-One: Silent mini PC sports NPU with 20 TOPS

The vast majority of AI models currently run in the cloud, and therefore on external computers. While convenient, this can potentially turn into a (legal) issue when confidential data has to be analyzed, for instance. Although mainstream users don’t run AI models locally, companies like AMD and Intel are already integrating NPUs into their current chipsets, while certain network storage devices and security cameras are focusing on local AI features as well.

Now, another mini PC based on the RISC-V architecture and featuring a fairly powerful NPU has been unveiled. Specifically, the Pine64 Alpha-One sports an NPU with an INT8 performance of 20 TOPS. It should be noted that other modern APUs are sometimes significantly more powerful in this regard.

The latest Pine64 device isn't entirely new either, since it's based on the StarPro64 SBC. This board comes with an ESWIN EIC7700X SoC with four SiFive 550 processing cores running at up to 1.4GHz. Furthermore, the Alpha-One has 64GB eMMC storage, and 7b Deepseek/Oen LLM are preinstalled in the form of Docker containers. The manufacturer also claims a throughput of around 3.5 tokens per second (for a 7b LLM), which should be enough for many beginners who are starting to run their AI models locally.

Power is supplied via a DC barrel plug at 12 volts, USB Type-C PD is not supported. The mini PC is also passively cooled, which means there’s absolutely no fan noise as the SoC’s temperatures are kept in check by a heat pipe. The computer consumes less than 30 watts and comes with several connectivity options including Ethernet, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0. Moreover, the Pine64 Alpha-One supports 4K monitors at up to 60Hz, while PCIe Gen 3 with four lanes can be used for certain expansion modules. The new mini PC has been listed for $330, but there’s no exact release date thus far.