Since the release of Intel's Compute Stick, we have seen several similar products come to market. These thumb drive-like mini PCs from Asus, Archos, Lenovo, and Intel all use very similar hardware from Intel's Atom series of processors, but that changes with Intel's next generation of Compute Sticks.
Instead of relying on the Intel Atom processors, Intel's next Compute Stick will instead use ultra-low power Skylake CPUs from Intel's Core m series -- specifically, the Core m3-6Y30 and Core m5-6Y57.
| Processor | Core m7-6Y75 | Core m5-6Y57 | Core m5-6Y54 | Core m3-6Y30 | Pentium 4405Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cores/Threads | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/4 |
| Base Freq (GHz) | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Turbo Boost 2.0 (GHz) | -3.1 Single-2.9 Dual | -2.8 Single-2.4 Dual | -2.7 Single-2.4 Dual | -2.2 Single-2.0 Dual | N/A |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 515 | Intel HD Graphics 515 | Intel HD Graphics 515 | Intel HD Graphics 515 | Intel HD Graphics515 |
| Base/Max MHz | 350/1000 | 350/900 | 350/900 | 350/850 | 350/800 |
| LPDDR3 / DDR3L Support | 1866 / 1600 | 1866 / 1600 | 1866 / 1600 | 1866 / 1600 | 1866 / 1600 |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB | 4 MB | 4 MB | 4 MB | 2 MB |
| TDP | 4.5 W | 4.5 W | 4.5 W | 4.5 W | 6 W |
| cTDP Up/Down | 7 W / 3.5 W | 7 W / 3.5 W | 7 W / 3.5 W | 7 W / 3.8 W | N/A / 4.5 W |
| SDP | 3 W | 3 W | 3 W | 3 W | N/A |
| Intel SIPP / SBA | 2016 / Yes | 2016 / Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Intel Tech | -Intel vPro-Intel TXT-Intel VT-d-Intel VT-x-AES-NI | -Intel vPro-Intel TXT-Intel VT-d-Intel VT-x-AES-NI | -Intel VT-d-Intel VT-x-AES-NI | -Intel VT-d-Intel VT-x-AES-NI | -Intel VT-x-AES-NI |
| Pricing | $393 | $281 | $281 | $281 | TBD |
All of the Skylake Core M processors use two hyper-threaded CPU cores. They are conservatively clocked in order to stay within the strict thermal and electrical limitations of devices such as the Compute Stick. With the exception of the Pentium, all of these CPUs are capable of boosting their clock speed for short periods. The CPUs also brandish Intel's HD Graphics 515.
Compared to the Bay Trail and Cherry Trail SKUs used inside the other compute sticks, these new Core M parts feature fewer cores, but a much more advanced architecture. While the Bay Trail and Cherry Trail architectures were focused on energy efficiency, Skylake is more oriented to higher performance. Typically, we would expect to see Skylake consume more power and generate more heat than Bay Trail or Cherry Trail, but Intel has managed to achieve a comparable TDP while also maintaining higher performance.
Intel has not released any additional specs on the upcoming Compute Stick at this time, but it did state that more information will be available some time in 2016.
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