COM Express goes ultra-low power thanks to 4th Generation Intel Core single chip

The 4th Generation Intel Core processors are an optimization of the existing microarchitecture. Improvements include new microcode and extended registers, an expansion of the vector processing unit, larger and much more powerful graphics units, as well as standard hardware support for AES encryption in all models. Unique features of the Intel Core i7-4650U and i5-4300U are revised power management; expanded, individually configurable turbo-boost modes; extensive TDP configuration management for adapting to the chosen cooling solution. Models of the Haswell U-Series integrate the processor controller hub as multi-die in the same package. Compared to previous Core i processor models, such as the i7-3517UE, it is possible to save not only 2 watts of TDP, but also  approximately 4 watts previously required for the separate PCH solution. Further savings come from the new voltage regulator units which are also integrated in the housing. In total, power consumption is about a third lower compared to the previous generation.

The conga-TC87 can currently be equipped with the embedded dual-core single-chip processors Intel Core i7-4650U, i3-i5-4300U or i3-4010U. For each of these processors, the appropriate chipset is integrated in the housing. The module supports fast and energy-efficient dual-channel DDR3L memory up to 16GB.

The integrated graphics is considerably more powerful than preceding versions and supports Intel flexible display interface, DirectX 11.1, OpenGL 4, OpenCL 1.2 and high-performance, flexible hardware decoding to decode multiple high-resolution full HD videos in parallel. 4K resolution with up to 3840 x 2160 pixels for DisplayPort is natively supported. It is also possible to connect up to three independent display interfaces via HDMI, LVDS and embedded DisplayPort. When using DisplayPort, the individual displays can be daisy chained to take advantage of simple wiring. Native USB 3.0 support provides fast data transmission with low power consumption. A total of eight USB ports are provided, two of them support USB 3.0 Superspeed. Four PCI Express 2.0 lanes, four SATA ports with up to 6 Gb/s, RAID support and a Gigabit Ethernet interface enable fast and flexible system extensions. Active fan control, LPC bus for easy integration of legacy I/O interfaces, I²C bus and Intel High Definition audio complete the feature set.

The strength of this new COM Express compact module lies in the flexibility and scalability of the graphics and processing power; and superior performance within a maximum TDP power envelope of 15 watts. All of this makes the conga-TC87 an ideal solution for high-performance mobile systems.