Tiny SBC revealed with 16-core AMD Ryzen APU, up to 128 GB DDR5 RAM, and dual 2.5 G Ethernet

Most SBCs feature relatively low-end hardware, but IEI's latest NANO-X100 is definitely not among them. Powered by the Zen 5-based AMD Ryzen AI Embedded X100 chips, the new SBC aims to take on the high-end embedded industry.

The Nano-X100 SBC was first shown off last month at an AMD event in San Francisco, and it appears that the product's official page has now gone live. However, the specifications shared are rather limited.

For instance, we do know that the Ryzen AI X100 family of chips can sport up to 16 Zen 5 cores, matching the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 "Strix Halo" chip in terms of core count. IEI, however, has not shared the exact core counts that will be on offer with the Nano-X100 SBC.

What we do know is that the SBC will be available with up to 128 GB of LPDDR5-8533 RAM, and will feature an impressive array of ports which have been described below:

• Four USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-A (external)
• I2C (1 x 4 pin)
• Four RS-232 COM ports (2 x 5 pin, internal)
• Dual RS-232/422/485 COM ports (2 x 5 pin, internal)
• Triple M.2, single M.2 2230 for wireless, M.2 2242/2280 for storage, M.2 3052 for cellular
• Dual 2.5G LAN
• HDMI, DisplayPort

Measuring in at just 11.5 x 16.5 cm or roughly 4.5 x 6.5 inches, the Nano-X100 SBC definitely lives up to its Nano moniker. 

Products such as these are incredibly useful across a whole range of demanding environments such as AMRs, mobile robots navigating warehouses, machine vision, video analytics for security, medical imaging and diagnosis, and many more. 

The compact nature of the Nano-X100 SBC, along with competing products based on the AMD X100 platform from OEMs such as iBase, Sapphire, Seavo, and many others are crucial for usage inside power and space-constrained environments. Full x86 support and powerful RDNA 3.5-based iGPUs play a crucial role in assuring reliable performance and compatibility. 

As can be expected for a product aimed at mostly enterprise and industrial usage, pricing details have not been shared publicly. Given the specs on offer, and just how expensive similarly equipped Ryzen AI Max+ "Strix Halo" systems are, the Nano-X100 SBC is more than likely to be incredibly pricey.

For entry-level edge-fanatics and hobbyists, something like the Radxa Rock 5B+ (currently $251 on Amazon) might be a much better choice for starting out with SBCs.