The LattePanda Mu is an ultra-compact x86 compute module designed to offer powerful performance in a tiny form factor. Based on Intel’s N100 processor, this board brings full Windows 11 compatibility and a wide range of connectivity options through its edge connector.
In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the LattePanda Mu Starter Kit, including the compute module, Lite Carrier Board, and bundled accessories. We’ll dive into its specifications, test performance under Windows, run benchmarks like Geekbench and 3DMark, and explore its power consumption and thermal performance to see how well it stacks up against other small form factor PCs and SBCs.
Here’s my video review of the LattePanda Mu;
Where To Buy The LattePanda Mu?
Equipment Used
- FNIRSI Power Supply with Display – Buy Here
- Infiray P2 Pro Thermal Camera – Buy Here
- Sound Level Meter – Buy Here
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Unboxing the LattePanda Mu Basic Kit – What’s Included?
The LattePanda Mu Basic Kit includes everything you need to get started using the LattePanda Mu module:
- LattePanda Mu compute module
- Active Cooler
- Lite Carrier Board
- Battery
- Mounting screws for cover plates
- Two acrylic base plates
The LattePanda Mu module itself is impressively small, measuring just 60mm by 70mm. While it can’t operate on its own and requires a carrier board, its compact size still makes it ideal for embedded or portable applications.
In terms of cost, the LattePanda Mu module costs $139 for the base N100 8GB model and goes up to $259 for the N305 16GB flagship. This makes it quite a lot more than something like the Radxa X4 that I showed recently, and especially considering that the X4 has all it’s ports ready to go while you’ll need to add a $39 carrier board to the cost of the Mu to use it. So you’ll likely need to be making use of the Mu’s available additional IO and interfacing features to justify the cost.
LattePanda Mu Module Tech Specs
The LattePanda Mu is available in three different CPU and RAM configurations. The unit tested here is the most basic of the three and is equipped with:
- Processor: Intel N100 (4 cores, up to 3.4GHz, 6W TDP)
- Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics at 750MHz
- Memory: 8GB LPDDR5 RAM (4800 MT/s, soldered)
- Storage: 64GB onboard eMMC (soldered)
- Display Support: Up to three simultaneous outputs (3x HDMI 2.0, or 2x HDMI 2.0 + 1x DisplayPort 1.4)
- Expandable IO: 9x PCIe 3.0 lanes available via the 260-pin SO-DIMM edge connector
Higher-end models include up to 16GB of RAM and/or an upgrade to the more powerful Intel i3-N305 processor.
The Mu is designed to be flexible for custom integration. LattePanda offers design documentation and services for developers and OEMs looking to build bespoke carrier boards for specific use cases.
Lite Carrier Board Features
The Lite Carrier Board included in the starter kit exposes the essential features of the LattePanda Mu. While it doesn’t expose all of the IO capabilities of the module, it provides the essentials to get up and running.
Key features include:
- Connectivity:
- 2x USB 3.2 ports
- 2x USB 2.0 ports
- 1x HDMI 2.0
- Gigabit Ethernet port
- DC barrel jack (12–20V input)
- USB-C power input (45W PD, 15V/3A – power only)
- Expansion Options:
- PCIe 3.0 x4 slot
- 2x M.2 M-Key slots (for 2230 NVMe SSDs or WiFi modules)
- Gravity I2C and UART 4-pin interfaces
Although it does also support power input through the USB Type-C port, it is a little disappointing that this doesn’t support the PCIe port; you can only use that with the DC input. Also, although the DC port is stated as being able to accept 12-20V, it looks like you have to use a 12V adaptor if you plan on using the PCIe port – so power is likely routed straight to the PCIe port. This is not all that clear in the product pages or on the carrier board, it just says that the PCIe port is only available if you use a 12V DC power supply, not that you can’t use a higher voltage.
The DC barrel jack input is a nice addition as it’s range allows for the direct connection of a 4-cell lithium battery pack without requiring additional voltage regulation, which is really useful for mobile devices and projects.
Cooling is handled by the included active cooler rated at 35W of heat dissipation. For quieter or passive setups, LattePanda offers optional 10W and 15W passive heatsinks.
First Boot and Testing
The Mu comes preloaded with Windows 11, and it boots straight to a clean desktop environment. From the system monitor, we can see our N100 CPU with 4 cores, then we’ve got 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM running at 4800MHz, 64GB of eMMC storage and integrated Intel UHD graphics.
Video Playback on YouTube
1080p and 4K YouTube video playback performed flawlessly, with no stutters in windowed or fullscreen modes. This makes the Mu well-suited for home media applications.
3DMark Night Raid Benchmark
Next I ran a 3DMark Night Raid benchmark, which is a good benchmark to run on integrated GPUs.
The LattePanda Mu scored quite well;
- Total Score: 4,663 (average over 3 tests of: 4,656)
- Graphics Score: 4,905
- CPU Score: 3,646
Geekbench 6 Benchmark
I then ran a Geekbench 6 benchmark on the CPU, which also scored fairly well;
- Single-Core: 1,116 (average over 3 tests of: 1,121)
- Multi-Core: 2,976 (average over 3 tests of: 2,980)
Storage Speed Test
Lastly, I tested the onboard eMMC storage speed using AJA System Test. The eMMC storage is quite slow, writes start off around 240MB/s but consistently drop to around 140MB/s when writing a 1GB file. Reads are consistently around 260-280MB/s for a 1GB file. This is ok for the operating system but you’d benefit from rather booting from an attached NVMe drive.
- Write: Starts at ~240MB/s, drops to ~140MB/s on sustained 1GB file writes
- Read: ~260–280MB/s consistently
Fan Noise and Thermal Performance
Fan noise depends a lot on what you’ve got running and what your power settings are. With a low load on the CPU, the fan is barely audible. It runs at under 34 decibels. Under full load, the fan spins up and is then quite noisy, getting up to about 46 decibels. If you aren’t putting a heavy load on it for long periods then one of the passive coolers is probably a better desktop option.
Thermally, the active cooler does well, keeping the CPU under 55°C at full load, and the surface of the cooler is about 8°C warmer than ambient.
Power Consumption
Power consumption is really good for an SBC running an Intel CPU.
- Idle (Desktop): <6W
- Full Load (CPU + GPU): <22W
- Power Off (Shutdown): ~0.25W
It uses a little under 6W when idle on the desktop and when maxed out on all CPU and GPU cores we get a little under 22W. Interestingly it still uses about a quarter of a watt when shut down completely.
PCIe Expansion
I then tried plugging an NVMe adaptor into the PCIe port to try it out. Through that, I was able to add a 2280 size 2TB Crucial P3 Plus drive to the Mu. This drive gets significantly faster read and write speeds than the onboard eMMC storage, getting around 780MB/s.
You can also use this port to add faster networking adapters or even a GPU.
Final Thoughts on the LattePanda Mu
The LattePanda Mu is a compact, flexible x86 compute module with solid performance and a wide range of IO options via its edge connector. It’s ideal for developers, embedded applications, and projects that benefit from PCIe or multiple display outputs.
It is power-efficient and really compact for its capabilities. The included cooler is great if you’re not using the board under full load somewhere where the fan noise would be an issue; if it is, then the large passive cooler would probably be a better option.
It’s priced higher than some SBCs that offer comparable performance. At $139 for the 8GB model (plus $39 for the carrier board), it competes with devices like the Radxa X4, which offers onboard ports at a lower price. If you’re just after a budget-friendly N100 system, an N100 mini PC may offer better value.
Where the Mu really shines is in custom or embedded applications, especially where you can take advantage of its edge connector, multiple PCIe lanes, and flexible power input options, like direct 4-cell battery support.
Overall, it’s a well-built, capable module with specific strengths for the right user.