Intel Compute Card standard to turbocharge CE devices
Jan 5, 2017 — by Eric Brown 1,500 views[Updated: June 1] — Intel’s Linux-friendly “Intel Compute Card” COM standard aims to easily integrate upgradable Intel CPU, memory, and wireless into CE devices via USB-C.
Intel’s CES announcements included an embedded 95 x 55 x 5mm computer-on-module form factor for upgradable consumer electronics. The Intel Compute Card will ship with Intel processors including 7th Generation “Kaby Lake” Intel Core CPUs, and will target products such as digital signage, kiosks, All-in-Ones, smart TVs, smart appliances, security cameras, and IoT gateways. The device falls somewhere in between external COM standards like COM Express and external computing devices like the Intel Compute Stick.

Intel Compute Card
(click image to enlarge)
Starting in mid-2017, vendors including Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Sharp will ship different Intel Compute Card models. The devices will run in consumer electronics products from vendors such as Seneca Data, InFocus, DTx, TabletKiosk, and Pasuntech.
The form factor is intended to simplify the design, ease of serviceability and user upgradeability of CE devices with installation, maintenance, and upgrades that are independent of the partner certified device, says Intel. The solution is particularly suited for companies that want to streamline inventory management of a large number of similar devices, says Intel.
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Each Intel Compute Card will include an Intel processor, RAM, storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, and a “standardized I/O interface.” Whereas standard x86 COM standards such as the 95 x 95mm and up COM Express formats can only be mounted internally, the Intel Compute Card can also be mounted externally for easy swap-out. It offers a secure docking capability with built in cooling functionality.
Intel’s skimpy announcement left plenty of questions, only a few of which were answered by third-party press accounts. Ars Technica said the cards will support Intel processors with TDPs up to 6W, including Intel Atoms and low-end Y-series Intel Core CPUs.
Pricing for the Intel Compute Card was not revealed, but the Intel Compute Stick starts at $89.
![]() Intel Compute Stick |
Intel sees the Linux- and Windows-ready form factor as a follow-on to the Intel Compute Stick, which will probably be discontinued in 2018, said the story. Like other stick computers, the Intel Compute Stick connects via HDMI to commandeer a TV or monitor.
According to an Intel fact sheet [PDF] the form factor connects to devices with a variant of the USB-C port called “USB-C plus extension.” This USB-C variant’s interface connector carries “USB, PCIe, HDMI, DP, and additional signals between the card and the device.”
June 1 update
Intel has now released summary specs for four Intel Compute Card models, as tabulated below.
Model | Processor | Memory | Storage | Wireless |
CD1IV128MK | 7th Gen Core i5-7Y57 | 4GB DDR3 | 128GB SSD | Intel Wireless-AC 8265 (2×2 802.11ac & BT4.2) |
CD1M3128MK | 7th Gen Core m3-7Y30 | 4GB DDR3 | 128GB SSD | Intel Wireless-AC 8265 (2×2 802.11ac & BT4.2) |
CD1P64GK | Pentium N4200 | 4GB DDR3 | 64GB eMMC | Intel Wireless-AC 7265 (2×2 802.11ac & BT4.2) |
CD1C64GK | Celeron N3450 | 4GB DDR3 | 64GB eMMC | Intel Wireless-AC 7265 (2×2 802.11ac & BT4.2) |
Further information
More details may be found at the Intel Compute Card product page, which apparently went live around June 1.
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