CWWK CW-MBX-AS12N-35 Hardware Overview Continued
If you remember the heatsink with rubber feet description, here are the rubber feet. There is no bottom to the chassis, just rubber feet. For those accustomed to PCs, this is going to seem weak. For many running systems like Raspberry Pi’s, this chassis still feels more robust than many of the plastic RPi cases we have seen.
Our system has a CWWK P30 128GB drive and a Samsung 8GB SODIMM. Performance of the SSD was fine (more in the performance section) but it is limited to x1 speeds. We had a 16GB DDR5-4800 SODIMM and it worked no problem as well.
Removing those components, we can see the M.2 SSD slot as well as the DDR5 SODIMM slot.
Folks may be disappointed in PCIe Gen3 x1 for the M.2 NVMe SSD, but here is the challenge: the Intel N100 has only a maximum of 9 PCIe Gen3 lanes, up from 8 in the N5105/N6005 generation. Four for the slot, one for each of the i226-V NICs, and one for the M.2 slot is even just in this picture leaving only two for the rest of the system’s high-speed I/O neeeds.
On the subject of I/O, just below the SODIMM slot on the CW-MBX-AD12N-1 motherboard, we have two SATA ports.
Our system came with two SATA data and power cables that we used to attach SSDs to. This is probably not as nice as slickly presented as on the ZimaBoard, but it has the same function and works fine.
At the end of the day, there is quite a bit of room here for customization, and that is a big point of the system, along with it being fanless. Let us get to that fanless cooling for a second.
CWWK CW-MBX-AS12N-35 Cooling Overview
Cooling is fanless, and the chasiss has a heatsink on the top.
That heatsink is fed by a heatpipe design that goes between the CPU and the chassis.
There was a lot of thermal paste, but at least this was touching. We can see the fan headers above. On the right is the microSD card slot.
Here is a quick look flipped over with the yellow RTC battery on top where one can see the CPU to cooling block contact.
Here it is from the other side.
Next, let us get to the performance of the system.
I feel comparisons to Raspberry Pi and other single-board Linux computers often miss out on all the connectivity of the GPIO as well as the CSI/DSI ports and UARTS. Even so, it’s interesting to see how ARM Linux systems designed for IoT and advanced control compare in processor speed to small Intel computers.
Definitely a pity about not having higher-gen USBs. I’d love to use one for acquiring gige/USB3 video feeds
I have to push back on this.
Anything you attach to it is going to be dangling at the end of some cables. A PCIe card with or without the right angle adapter is physically unsupported. It seems like a cute workbench toy – for any application of permanence the case is utterly stupid. Even on a workbench how long before it suffers damage to the SMT components, the mobo being exposed like that?
Lately you guys do this, you get all excited about a pretty, but ultimately pretty useless, toy. Is this part of your new “influencer” thing?
STH made it’s bones on enterprise gear and a lack of bullshit. Stick to the recipe.
My $0.02, FWIW.
Seriously, everything you did with it can be done with any other PC. There is nothing unique about this machine. I’m baffled at the enthusiasm.
Ultra low power is the killer feature here. IT would be the basis of a very nice NAS and router at a competitive price to an off the shelf router.
For the doubters – if you can’t knock up a decent case then you have no business in the tinkers market.
@Stephen, I should buy a bog standard bare bones in a stupid case just so I can go to the trouble of making or finding a proper case?
I know! I’ll buy a bog standard bare bones that comes with a proper case! And you can take pride in your metalworking skills or cardboard folding skills or whatever.
@hoohoo agree 100 %
Lately its become a Boys with shiny toys getting giddy, instead of serious men with usefully tools.
@hoohoo agree 100 %. It’s all about the like and subscribe now… Linus tech anyone
I find these small power efficient pc’s very interesting for a possible rack mod. Thx again for the review! I still have to make a choice yet ^^’
I don’t understand why people are confused on this one. It’s more Raspberry Pi 5 beater than a mini PC. You can make a m ITX PC but that’s going to be bigger and unless you’re getting a N100 in it it’ll use more power than this
I’ve just finished the video, then this review. We’re going to buy a bunch of these for an application where we need fanless and faster than a Pi but smaller than a normal pc. I’m so upped on this right now.
Imagine being so self-centered that because you’re reading a review of something that doesn’t pertain to you that you start trolling in comments.
@Kastle J : You can stop simping and brown nosing now….
It seems the servethehome team is att this point just buying any toy from Aliexpress and are becoming like ETA Prime on YouTube, just soulessly spraying out one review similar to the next one.
@Rodi If you dislike how STH produces their content, then why are you whining in the comments? Move along.
This CWWK product is not some random toy from AliExpress—it’s not even a toy. Perhaps you’re confused on the definition of “toy”?
I own server’s ranging from $80 to $7,000 retail, and I appreciate STH’s content as it covers appliances for enterprise to home…as in Serve The HOME (aka. STH)
SMH.
Hey STH- Have you tried sticking a USB 3-2 card into the PCIe slot? Does that get full throughput from a DAS like your QNAP? How about the QNAP + a usb-c m.2 ssd enclosure… etc. Just how useful are those PCIe lanes routed to the slot?
I could see a https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/06/28/sipeed-tang-mega-138k-dock-is-a-lower-cost-gowin-gw5ast-fpga-risc-v-development-board/ dangling from the PCIe slot… with a short cable I would assume
Has anyone found a bios update for this?