Compute module shows off octa-core Tiger Lake-H

Compute module shows off octa-core Tiger Lake-H

May 11, 2021 — by Eric Brown

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TQ unveiled a “TQMx110EB” COM Express Basic Type 6 module that runs Linux or Win 10 on Intel’s new 11th Gen, octa-core, up to 4.6GHz Core i7-11800H and hexa-core i5-11400H with a 500-series PCH, 2.5GbE, and PCIe Gen4.

After Intel revealed in January that it would introduce some octa-core H-series variants of its dual- and quad-core 11th Gen Tiger Lake processors, leaks began to appear in March for notebook-focused Tiger Lake-H processors. These include 6- and 8-core H45 models with 45W TDPs and quad-core H35 SKUs with 35W TDPs. Intel has yet to post Ark pages, but NotebookCheck has profile pages for the two Tiger Lake H45 models supported on TQ Embedded’s new TQMx110EB module: the octa-core, 2.4GHz/4.6GHz Core i7-11800H and hexa-core, 2.6GHz/4.5GHz Core i5-11400H.

TQMx110EB (render)
(click image to enlarge)

Like the existing, 12-28W TDP Tiger Lake UP3 and upcoming, 7-15W Tiger Lake UP4 chips, as well as the slightly slower, more industrial focused ”E” and “GRE” UP3 variants, the Tiger Lake-H models are fabricated with a 10nm process. They are similarly dual-threaded so that the octa-core models, for example, support 16 threads. Tiger Lake-H similarly offer the much-improved Intel Iris Xe graphics with Intel Gen12 technology, as well as PCIe Gen4 and USB 4.0.

Tiger Lake-H offers at least twice the Level 3 cache as Tiger Lake-U at 24MB. The 45W TDP models listed here can be configured to as low as 35W at lower clock rates. According to NotebookCheck, the 10nm fab and Willow Cove architecture improvements to Tiger Lake should translate into performance that is slightly to significantly faster than earlier, 10th Gen, 14nm Comet Lake processors, depending on the model and benchmark. Tiger Lake-H is also said to be comparable with AMD’s Ryzen 9 platform.

Like the Adlink module listed below, the TQMx110EB is touted for its support of Tiger Lake’s AVX-512 VNNI (Vector Neural Network Instructions), which work on both the Tiger Lake cores and Iris Xe EUs. TQ also notes the inclusion of Intel’s new 500 series PCH chipsets, which were announced in January and will be available on the new 11th Gen, desktop class Rocket Lake processors. TQ did not say which of the I/O chipsets is used — the six models include the top-tier Intel Z590, the mid-range B560, and the entry-level H510.

Inside the TQMx110EB

TQ’s TQMx110EB, which follows its earlier 8th Gen, Whiskey Lake-U based TQMx80UC COM Express Compact module, is the first COM Express Basic (125 x 95mm) entry we have seen with Tiger Lake. Earlier Tiger Lake-U Type 6 modules with the 95 x 95mm Compact form factor include Adlink’s cExpress-TL, Portwell’s PCOM-B656VGL, Congatec’s Conga-TC570, and Kontron’s COMe-cTL6. Advantech has announced an even smaller, 84 x 55mm COM Express Mini Type 10 SOM-7583, which like most of the others adopts the “E” variants.

Like the Tiger Lake-U modules, the TQMx110EB supports Linux or Win 10 and can load up to 64GB DDR4-3200 via dual channels. A TQ board controller with watchdog is standard and options include TPM 2.0, an EEPROM, and a soldered, up to 1TB NVMe.

TQMx110EB detail view
(click image to enlarge)

Like most of the modules listed above, the TQMx110EB provides a 2.5GbE Ethernet controller (Intel i225). It also similarly supports 4x independent displays, in this case via 3x DDI/DP++ 1.4a for up to 2x 8K/60p plus either eDP 1.4b or dual-channel LVDS.

The TQMx110EB supplies a PEG port for up to 16Gbps per lane PCIe Gen 4 x16 or other configurations such as 2x x8. It also provides 8x PCIe Gen3 (8Gbps) lanes in various configurations.

Other features include 4x SATA III, 4x USB 3.2 Gen2 at up to 10Gbps, and 8x USB 2.0. Like the other modules, there is no support for USB 4.0 (Thunderbolt 4), which has been announced on Tiger Lake-U products such as Congatec’s COM-HPC form-factor Conga-HPC/cTLU module and IEI’s tKINO-UL6 thin Mini-ITX board.

The TQMx110EB is further equipped with I/O including 8x GPIO, 2x UART, and single SPI, LPC/eSPI, I2C, and SMBus. The module has a 4.5-20V input with optional 5V standby and 3V battery support for an RTC. Power consumption runs at a typical 25-30W, with up to 60W max. The operating range is 0 to 60°C.

Further information

No pricing or availability information was provided for the “coming soon” TQMx110EB. More information may be found in TQ Embedded’s announcement and product page.