DFI’s Upgraded Industrial Pi Lands With Big CPU and Graphics Boost, But Costs A Mint
Today, at Embedded World 2023, DFI has taken the wraps off a new Single Board Computer (SBC) which it refers to as its second-generation Industrial Pi. The new PCSF51 1.8-inch SBC is based around the AMD Ryzen Embedded R2000 Processor and DFI boasts that it offers “a 50% increase in CPU power… [and] graphics performance is boosted by 15% with up to eight graphic compute units” compared with the first gen unit. On paper, it sounds like a beast compared to the popular Raspberry Pi 4, however there is quite a hefty cost to this Zen+ CPU plus Vega GPU architecture powered board. DFI informs us that the entry level PCSF51 will start at $480 for the base configuration.
- Processor: Ryzen Embedded R2000 Series APU
- RAM: Single Channel DDR4 Memory config of 4GB/8GB
- Storage: up to 128GB: SanDisk eMMC 32GB/ 64GB/ 128GB
- Video: HDMI 1.4 supports up to 4096 x 2160 @ 24Hz
- Networking: Gigabit Ethernet port
- USB: dual USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type A ports
- Internal connections: SATA 3.0, M.2 connectors
- Support: 10-Year CPU Life Cycle Support Until Q2' 32
- Form factor: 1.8-inch SBC (credit card sized 84 x 55mm)
- OS compatibility: not specified
There are four AMD R2000 APU models starting at 2C/4T and rising up to 4C/8T and 3.35GHz base frequency. The entry level option also has the weediest GPU with just 3 CUs, less than half the top model with 8 CUs. However, the top performing model has a TDP range of 35-54W, which is much higher than the entry level 12-25W. If you don’t need the extra power for your proposed usage, then it makes sense to go for the lower spec. AMD’s Ryzen Embedded 2000 chips only started to become available last October. The previous gen DFI GHF51 used a Ryzen Embedded 1000 Series processor.
Touted uses for the new DFI PCSF51 include; “industrial applications, robotics, edge computing, AI vision systems, and more.” DFI also highlights the rich multimedia possibilities of this Ryzen APU system, saying that it possibly opens up new application possibilities. At the advised $480 price for a base configuration PCSF51 (2GB RAM, 64GB eMMC, no OS, available from early H2) you should really make sure you need the performance and industrial 10 years product support. Quickly looking up some online benchmark results for an AMD R2000 (R2314) APU device vs a Raspberry Pi 4, we observe that the PassMark scores are 6584 vs 1893, respectively.
There are a few gaps in the DFI PCSF51 SBC specs, which we have asked the industrial PCs and components maker to help fill in. For example, the max refresh rate at 4K of just 24Hz seems a little low for living room PC style usage. We might also look at a test sample in the coming weeks, for a much deeper dive into the specs and capabilities.
