The DIY project-building ecosystem is largely dominated by SBCs and microcontrollers. However, there’s a third category of tinkering devices you can integrate into your computing projects. By that, I’m referring to compute modules. For the uninitiated, these are tiny boards housing the processor, memory, and other bare minimum components while leaving the IO ports and power connections to an add-on development board.

While the Raspberry Pi has released quite a few compute modules over the years, the x86 landscape isn’t blessed with these ultra-small devices. Or that’s what I would say if the LattePanda Mu didn’t exist. Based on the x86 architecture, it boasts top-notch compatibility with most operating systems. Plus, it packs a fair bit of horsepower for a miniature device.

About this review: LattePanda sent me the 8GB variant of the original Intel N100 Mu module alongside the Lite Carrier board. However, the company had no input into the contents of this review.

Pricing, availability, and specs

LattePanda debuted the Mu series back in 2024, with the base model packing an Intel N100 and 8GB of LPDDR5 memory. If you want more computing prowess, LattePanda released an Intel i3 N305 variant of the compute module a few weeks ago, and you’ve got the choice to add optional eMMC support to both models. As for the development boards, LattePanda offers the Lite Carrier and Full-Function Evaluation Carrier, with the latter possessing more IO provisions. While the cheapest LattePande Mu compute module costs around $179, you'll have to spend extra on a carrier board and a cooling solution. As of writing, the LattePanda Mu compute modules, boards, and other optional accessories are available on Amazon and DFRobot’s platform.

Design and port collection

Small in size, massive in connectivity options

Unlike your average SBC, which includes everything besides a storage device built into the board, the LattePanda Mu module can’t be used unless you interface it with a development PCB. While the Mu is smaller than the mainline Raspberry Pi boards, the additional I/O board makes it quite bigger than its rival. Speaking of, the Lite Carrier board is decently equipped in the ports department. Besides two USB 3.2 Type-A and two USB 2.0 Type-A connections, you’ve got an M.2 M-key slot to integrate high-speed NVMe SSDs into your projects.

For the display, the Lite Carrier board possesses a normal-sized HDMI 2.0 port, which is a breath of fresh air from the finicky micro-HDMI connections on other SBCs. Unfortunately, the Ethernet port is capped at 1 Gigabit speed. On its own, the Lite Carrier PCB lacks wireless connectivity, though you’re free to attach a WLAN card small enough to fit inside the M.2 E-key slot. While it lacks the typical GPIO headers on the Raspberry Pi units, the Lite Carrier board houses a couple of serial UART and gravity i2c connections to help you pair your sensors with the x86 system.

Software support and ease of setup

The x86 roots increase its OS compatibility by a multifold

Despite looking a tad too complex, the LattePanda Mu is extremely easy to configure. The compute module easily locks into place with the Lite Carrier board, though you’ll need to pair it with a cooling module beforehand slotting it onto the development PCB. My review unit has an eMMC slot, which comes with Windows 11 pre-installed, though that's far from the only option. Thanks to the x86 architecture, you're free to experiment with different operating systems without worrying about compatibility issues rearing their ugly heads.

Thanks to the x86 architecture, you're free to experiment with different operating systems.

That said, the 4-core, 4-thread Intel N100 can hold it back in certain setups, such as a home lab workstation or a hardcore NAS setup. But when it comes to self-hosting different services on Linux distros, the LattePanda Mu can double as a superb Docker/Podman container hosting workstation. Likewise, the base model is great for most tasks on Windows 11 and even outpaces the similarly specc’d Radxa X4 in certain workloads. While we’re on the subject, the LattePanda Mu is free from driver compatibility issues you'd face with its rival. That's because Radxa X4 needs a fresh set of drivers to be manually installed before you can use the Ethernet port on Windows 11, while the LattePanda Mu works well right out of the box.

Performance

For a compute module, it packs quite a punch

Since the LattePanda Mu comes with Windows 11 pre-installed, I decided to base most of my tests on Microsoft’s flagship OS. Despite featuring an embedded processor like the Intel N100, the Mu performs well in everyday workloads, though the eMMC module’s low transfer speeds acted as a bottleneck in certain apps. As such, I flashed Windows 11 on a fresh M.2 2230 SSD to level the playing field. To my surprise, I could open more than fifteen Brave tabs without experiencing any lags or freezes, something that the Raspberry Pi 5 struggles with on most Linux distros.

Likewise, the compute module is more than capable of playing YouTube videos at 4K with barely any dropped frames – all while running a handful of other tabs. The LattePanda Mu also delivers decent results when running Slack, LibreOffice, Obsidian, and the other apps from my productivity suite, though a few like Darktable and Blender are obviously too much for the compute module to handle.

The Mu performs well in everyday workloads.

Finally, I decided to run a couple of benchmark utilities to get some performance numbers. In every instance, the LattePanda Mu left even the fastest Raspberry Pi in the dust. Heck, it even managed to outperform the Radxa X4 in the tests.

That said, you’ll want to pair the compute module with a dedicated cooler. The N100 can get rather hot at times, and you shouldn’t be surprised if you hear the fan wheezing every once in a while.

PCIe support

Really impressive – assuming you don’t have a full-sized GPU

By now, you may have noticed the presence of a tiny PCIe slot on the Lite Carrier board. Despite being capped at Gen 3.0 x4 speeds, the PCIe slot considerably expands the LattePanda Mu’s connectivity options. Considering the LattePanda Mu’s x86 architecture, you’d probably expect it to work with most PCIe cards – and well, you’re right about that. However, the USB Type-C port on the Mu can’t supply enough juice to support both the compute module and power-hungry PCIe devices. As such, I switched to a 12V 10A barrel jack power brick for the last series of tests.

Like the Radxa Orion O6 mini-ITX motherboard, the LattePanda Mu worked spectacularly with my USB expansion and SATA adapter cards. In fact, I even managed to get my TP-Link NIC running once I’d installed its drivers. However, graphics cards were a different beast altogether.

Since my Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 and Intel Arc A750 consume over 75W, I tried using them with an external 600W PSU. To my dismay, the graphics cards didn’t so much as start-up – and the same goes for my power supply. Repeating the process with a different barrel jack connector (for the LattePanda Mu) and PSU (for the GPU) produced the same result: a non-functional GPU and my shattered dreams of running Cyberpunk 2077 in a heavily bottlenecked setup.

Should you buy the LattePanda Mu?

The LattePanda Mu is a solid addition to your tinkering space if:

• You want a powerful x86 compute module.
• You’ve got a low-profile GPU you wish to use with a tiny device.
• You’re new to the compute module ecosystem and want something easy to work with.

You should avoid the LattePanda Mu if:

• You want a device that can double as a NAS or router.
• You prefer the low power consumption of ARM devices.
• You’re looking for an inexpensive device to satisfy your tinkering needs.

For a mere compute module, the LattePanda Mu is a terrific device. It’s armed with an x86 processor, can work with myriads of operating systems, and even has a (mostly) functional PCIe slot. Plus, the fact that you can go as high as an Intel i3-N305 processor is bonkers, considering this miniature computing module can fit in your palm.

The fact that you can go as high as an Intel i3-N305 processor is bonkers, considering this miniature computing module can fit in your palm.

However, my biggest complaints are the high price of the device as well as the outdated specs of the carrier board. Compared to the $60 Radxa X4, the base version of LattePanda Mu can set you back by $200 once you include the cooler and development board. Plus, the Lite Carrier’s 1 Gigabit Ethernet and single HDMI socket are a bummer, considering the Radxa X4 includes dual (micro) HDMI outputs alongside a 2.5GbE port. Nevertheless, I adore the fact that LattePanda decided to step into the unventured x86 computing module landscape, and I can’t wait to see future modules capitalize on the 32/64-bit architecture.