Maix4-HAT: Expansion board can be used with or without Raspberry Pi. (Image source: Sipeed)
A new developer board aims to impress with its high AI performance and versatility as an independent development board and as an expansion board for the Raspberry Pi. The local acceleration of AI models can reduce dependence on cloud systems.
This is an unusual system that, as its name suggests, can either be used as an expansion board for the Raspberry Pi or a standalone system. The AX650 chip, which is capable of delivering up to 18 TOPS in INT8, is installed. It provides INT4 performance at 72 TOPS. The 56 x65 millimeter board can reportedly accelerate a variety of AI-related applications including (special) DeepSeek and Qwen3. According to the manufacturer the system is not able to accelerate LLMs. It can be used instead for image content analysis such as automated object detection in a security camera.
This board is equipped eight A55 processors, each of which can run at up to 1.7GHz, as well as 8GB of RAM. There is a USB 3.0 port on the board for connecting other devices. I2C ports are located on the underside, as well as a SPI port to connect a monitor. On the back, you will find the PCIe connector, which connects to a Raspberry pi. There are also connectors to connect a speaker, a fan, and an HDMI port in mini-format.
Price given by Sipeed costs HK$ 1,174.21 or approximately $149. AliExpressis currently unavailable.
The connection to a Raspberry Pi takes place via PCIe (image source: SIPEED)
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Editor of the Original article: Silvio Werne – Senior Tech Writer – 14615 published articles on Notebookcheck since 2017
As a journalist, I have worked for more than 10 years. The majority of my work has been in the technology field. I have worked for Tom’s Hardware, ComputerBase and others. I’ve been with Notebookcheck since 2017. My current focus is on mini PCs, single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi and other compact systems that have a lot to offer. I also have a soft corner for wearables of all kinds, but especially smartwatches. I am a laboratory engineer by profession, so scientific contexts and the interpretation of complex measurement are not foreign to me.
Translator: Jacob Fisher – Translator – Since 2022, Notebookcheck has published 38 articles
I was a teenager growing up in regional Australia when I first encountered computers. A broken leg sustained in a soccer match had temporarily forced me to live a largely indoor lifestyle. Soon after, I began building my own systems. After moving to Germany in 2014, I now study philosophy and anthropology. I am fascinated by the way computer technology has fundamentally reshaped culture and continues to do so.
