youyeetoo X1 Review: Intel N5105 X86 Development Board for Windows & Linux Projects
For a long time, development boards have been primarily based on ARM architecture processors.
However, these processors are typically designed for mobile scenarios, which can result in performance bottlenecks when running desktop operating systems or large-scale applications. Furthermore, certain software can only run in a Windows environment, such as specific CNC machine software or automotive diagnostic software, among others. Although there are some development boards on the market that utilize X86 architecture processors, such as Lattepanda and UDOO, these boards either have outdated processors or come at a high cost, making them unsuitable for large-scale project development.
However, if you require a more powerful and cost-effective development board, you might consider the youyeetoo X1 development board offered by youyeetoo Technology. This board features an Intel N5105 quad-core processor and offers native support for multiple USB ports, serial ports, I2C, SPI, and triple-display capability (two HDMI ports and one MIPI DSI). It is compatible with Windows 10/11 and various Linux distributions, and comes with a starting price as low as $109.9, making it indeed an appealing option.
- Platform: Intel Celeron N5105 (11th Gen Jasper Lake, 4-core, 2.0-2.9GHz, 10nm, 10W TDP), Intel UHD Graphics (450-800MHz)
- Memory & Storage: 4GB/8GB/16GB LPDDR4; 0/64GB/128GB/256GB eMMC 5.1; M.2 NVMe/SATA SSD support; MicroSD slot
- Interfaces: 3x UART, 2x HDMI 2.0 (4K@60Hz), 6x USB (2x USB 3.0 + 4x USB 2.0), 1x I2C, 1x SPI, 5x GPIO — direct Windows/Linux API access
- Performance: Geekbench 6 scores 443 single-core / 1386 multi-core — comparable to Apple A10, Snapdragon 835; PassMark ~260,000
- OS support: Windows 10/11, Ubuntu 22.04, Debian — native x86 software compatibility, no ARM emulation needed
- Pricing: $109.9 (4GB+0GB) to $219 (16GB+256GB eMMC) — competitive for x86 SBC market
- Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 5/6 + BT 5.0/5.2 (M.2 E-Key, detachable), optional 4G LTE (via M.2 adapter)
Photos of the youyeetoo X1 development board are shown below:
Hardware Specifications
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel® Celeron 11th Gen Jasper Lake N5105 (CPU Frequency: 2.0~2.9GHz, Quad-core 10nm TDP 10W) |
| GPU | Intel® UHD Core Graphics (Frequency: 450 - 800MHz) |
| Memory | Onboard 4GB / 8GB / 16GB LPDDR4 (optional, recommend 8GB) |
| Storage | eMMC (V5.1): 0/64GB/128GB/256GB optional |
| M.2 Slots: NVMe 2280 SSD (PCIe 3.0) or M.2 SATA 2280 SSD (Support PCIe Gen 3.0 x4 lanes NVMe 1.4, compatible with PCIe Gen 3.0 x2 NVME) | |
| SATA FPC Slots: SATA3 hard disk can be expanded through SATA adapter board (need SATA adapter board) | |
| Micro SD (TF): Supports common SD cards to Extended storage | |
| Network | Ethernet: RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet x1 |
| Wireless: WiFi 5+BT 5.0 / WiFi 6+BT 5.2 Expansion via M.2 slot, optional | |
| 4G LTE: M.2 E-key slot expansion, 4G data module such as the EC20 / EC25 (need 4G adapter board) | |
| Display (Multi-screen) | HDMI: HDMI 2.0 4K/60Hz |
| Micro HDMI: HDMI 2.0 4K/60Hz | |
| MIPI FPC: Support Youyeetoo MIPI7LCD (1024x600) LCD module Multi TOUCH | |
| USB | USB-A: USB 2.0 x2 |
| USB-A: USB 3.0 x2 | |
| USB Pin: USB 2.0 x2 | |
| Audio Output | 3.5 Headphone jack (4-line), headset with MIC |
| SPK XH2.0 PIN: Onboard 3W power amplifier, matching 8 ohm speakers | |
| HDMI Audio Output (Audio can be output to TV via HDMI) | |
| Audio Input | Onboard digital microphone MIC: with noise reduction function (default) |
| Analog MIC: SH0.8mm 2PIN, 3.3V connected to analog microphone head (Switch MIC Input, needs to replace BIOS) | |
| M.2 Socket | M.2 M Key: NVMe SSD / M.2 SATA SSD (M-key) 2280 |
| M.2 E Key: WiFi 5+BT 5.0 / WiFi 6+BT 5.2 Module 2230 or 4G adapter board to support 4G LTE module (E-key) | |
| UART | UART TTL x3 serial port, Connect RS232 or RS485 / CAN modules can also be used |
| I2C | I2C x1 XH2.0 4PIN, Provide Windows/Linux operation example tutorial Default 3.3V |
| SPI | SPI x1 XH2.0 5PIN, Provide Windows/Linux operation example tutorial Default 3.3V |
| GPIO | GPIO x5 XH2.0 6PIN, Provide Windows/Linux operation example tutorial Default 3.3V |
| LED light | Onboard LED x2, Parallel 4PIN pin lead, Default 3.3V (default: red flashes and green off) (Provide a tutorial API interface to control the on-off or heartbeat flickering) |
| Key | Power key x1, Reset key x1 (restore BIOS setting) |
| RTC | RTC battery Seat: SH1.25 2PIN, CR2032 button battery or other 3.3V battery, RTC consumes about 35mAh per year |
| Auto Power-on | Turn on X1 without pressing the power button (can be set in BIOS) |
| Power | 12V DC socket: Recommended power adapter 12V 3A, or XH2.54 2PIN Power socket |
| Dimension | 115 x 75mm |
| Heat sink | FAN seat specification: SH1.0 4PIN Default heatsink fan 5V/0.2A power Consumption |
| Multi OS | Windows 10/11, Linux Ubuntu / Linux Debian |
| NFC | NFC device, data transmission with mobile phones / Card Reader, Compatible with Android/iOS phones, youyeetoo.com provides examples |
| Intel watchdog | Standard Windows API support |
| CPU temperature | Standard Windows API support |
| Fan speed | Standard Windows API support Fan speed regulation |
| POE | Support AC/BT protocol 30W POE module, 60W support can be customized (Need POE module) |
Pricing & Availability
Currently, the prices are as follows: The base configuration with 4GB RAM and no EMMC storage is priced at $109.9. The 4GB RAM with 64GB EMMC storage variant is priced at $119.99. The 8GB RAM with 128GB EMMC storage version is priced at $139.99. The highest configuration with 16GB RAM and 256GB EMMC storage is priced at $219.
These products are available for sale on youyeetoo mall, Amazon, Aliexpress, Alibaba.
Purchase link: https://forum.youyeetoo.com/t/youyeetooo-x1-how-to-purchase/339
Hardware Advantages vs Mainstream Development Boards
- Featuring an 11th-generation Intel CPU, it achieves a robust performance of around 260,000 on the PassMark benchmark, offering excellent stability
- It can run both Windows and Linux operating systems, which is a capability not supported by ARM-based development boards
- With a variety of interfaces including 3 UART ports, 2 HDMI ports, 6 USB ports, 1 I2C interface, 1 SPI interface, and 5 GPIO pins, these interfaces can be directly accessed using Windows/Linux APIs without the need for an intermediary MCU
- The WiFi/BT module supports external antennas and is detachable, allowing for potential upgrades to higher-performance modules, provided that the drivers are compatible. Currently, most module manufacturers offer stable Windows drivers
- It features a customized heat dissipation module, delivering efficient cooling
- It is competitively priced
Operating System Support
youyeetoo Technology provides continuous maintenance for two operating systems on the youyeetoo X1:
Windows System: Currently supported up to Windows 11.
You can find the download link and installation instructions at https://wiki.youyeetoo.com/x1/windows/install-system
Linux Distributions: Currently supported up to Ubuntu 22.04.
You can find the download link and installation instructions at https://wiki.youyeetoo.com/x1/linux/install-system
Power-on Experience
The board that was received is equipped with 8GB DDR RAM and 128GB EMMC storage, with Windows 10 pre-installed on the EMMC. When powered on, it automatically boots up. During the initial boot, there is a setup guide, and afterward, it proceeds directly to the Windows 10 desktop.
After entering the system, you can open the Settings menu and access the System Information section. Here, you can observe that the processor model and memory capacity are both correctly recognized.
Performance Testing
For this cross-platform performance comparison, we use Geekbench 6 as our performance testing tool to conduct a horizontal comparison of the performance of the N5105 processor with some mainstream hardware controllers available in the market.
The method for downloading and installing Geekbench 6 is relatively straightforward. Simply download the .exe file from the official website and proceed with the installation. After installation, you can select the CPU performance test.
The test results as follows:
Geekbench 6 Benchmark Comparison
| SOC | Single-core Score | Multi-core Score |
|---|---|---|
| Intel N5105 | 443 | 1386 |
| Intel J4105 | 360 | 1100 |
| Rockchip RK3399 | 287 | 688 |
| Rockchip RK3568 | 220 | 600 |
| Rockchip RK3588 | 738 | 2274 |
| Apple A10 | 830 | 1300 |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | 800 | 2500 |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 | 400 | 1340 |
In terms of benchmark scores, the performance of the N5105 can be compared to Apple's A10 processor, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835, the previous flagship RK3399, and the current flagship RK3588 in the Rockchip platform. It also shows improvement over Intel's previous-generation J4105, which targets a similar market segment.
However, it's worth noting that the N5105 is a processor from the first quarter of 2021, and Intel's 10nm manufacturing process lags behind the 7nm and 5nm processes available in the current market. To manage heat generation, it cannot run at higher frequencies, which is considered normal given these constraints.
Conclusion
In summary, the most significant highlight of the youyeetoo X1 is its exceptional cost-effectiveness in the current market for an X86 development board. If your project specifically requires the use of the Windows operating system or an X86 processor, demands a certain level of performance, and aims to control costs effectively, then using the youyeetoo X1 is undeniably an excellent choice. Additionally, compared to traditional industrial control boards, the youyeetoo X1 has a relatively compact form factor and a more straightforward structural design.
If your project requires in-depth customization of the operating system, then a combination of ARM architecture with the Android system would be a suitable choice, such as the YY3568 development board or the forthcoming RK3588 development board. These two development boards also offer high cost-effectiveness. In contrast, the youyeetoo X1 uses X86 architecture and comes with standard Windows and Linux systems pre-installed, which makes it less convenient for extensive customization. However, if you indeed have driver development requirements for Windows or Linux, youyeetoo Technology provides abundant tutorials for operating the hardware interfaces on the board, even though developing Windows drivers may be somewhat more challenging compared to Android driver development.
Nevertheless, if you are already familiar with the X86 development environment and are part of the Wintel ecosystem, then the youyeetoo X1 will be an excellent choice for you. It offers seamless switching, cost-effectiveness, a compact form factor, and rapid product deployment.