Geekbuying’s $109, open-spec “GeekBox” mini-PC includes a removable SBC that runs Android and Ubuntu on an octa-core RK3368, and can plug into a carrier.



Here’s something new and different. Online tech retail site Geekbuying has launched a self-branded GeekBox media player mini-PC that features a removable, open source, open-spec single board computer. The GeekBox SBC, which includes a number of ports and dual WiFi-ac antennas, can then plug into an optional, $30 GeekBox Landingship carrier board with a MXM3 golden finger connector. The similarly open-spec Landingship contributes additional ports to turn the GeekBox board into a fully featured hacker SBC.







GeekBox (left) and opened to reveal removable SBC

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GeekBox board plugging into GeekBox Landingship carrier board







GeekBox (left) and package contents, except for optional Landingship or display

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Front and back detail views of GeekBox board

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GeekBox Landingship (left) and detail view

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GeekBox display connection (left) and appearance

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Processor — Rockchip RK3368 (8x Cortex-A53 cores @ up to 1.5GHz); PowerVR 6110 GPU

Memory/storage: 2GB LPDDR3-1600 RAM 16GB Samsung eMMC 5.0 flash SD (TF) slot SATA slot for 2.5-inch drive (only on Landingship)

Display/multimedia: HDMI 2.0 port eDP interface Optional 7.9-inch, 2048 x 1536 capacitive touchscreen (via eDP) with Retina display MIPI-DSI connector (Landingship) MIPI-CSI, 20-pin, 1.27mm camera interface (Landingship) Audio headphone jack (Landingship) Audio S/PDIF port (Landingship) 2x mic inputs (Landingship) Video support — [email protected] decoding, 10-bit HEVC and AVS+ codec support; H.264 up to 4K 30Hz; HD MPEG1/2/4, H.265, 4K-HD, HD AVC/VC-1, RM/RMVB, Xvid/DivX3/4/5/6, RealVideo8/9/10 Audio support — MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, OGG, AC3, DDP, TrueHD, DTS, DTS, HD, FLAC, APE

Wireless: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2×2 MIMO @ 867Mbps (Broadcom AP6354 module) Bluetooth 4.1 (AP6354) 2x antennas IR with remote (IR receiver also on Landingship) Optional 5dB WiFi booster antenna ($9.69)

Networking — gigabit Ethernet port

Other I/O: 2x USB 2.0 host ports Micro-USB OTG port Third USB host port (Landingship) UART (3x pins) for debug Fan and RTC headers 60-pin GPIO (Landingship)

Expansion: 314-finger MXM3 card edge connector on GeekBox board MXM3 socket on Landingship board

Other features – Reboot, update, power keys; LEDs on SBC and Landingship; RTC battery (Landingship); “2 x 2” user buttons and buzzer (Landingship); optional cooling fan

Power — 5V @ 2A DC with AC or DC adapter, charging cable; 5V DC in with over-voltage protection (Landingship)

Operating temperature — maximum of 56.3℃ without heat sink

Dimensions: GeekBox: Board — 82 x 56mm Enclosure — 90 x 69 x 21mm Landingship — 116 x 86 x 13mm

Operating system — Android 5.1 and Ubuntu Linux dual-boot with pre-installed Kodi; can also run Rockchip’s Android-based Light Biz OS

Making the GeekBox doubly cool is that it dual boots Android and Ubuntu on the octa-core, 64-bit Rockchip RK3368 SoC. When we first encountered the RK3368 in a shipping product — the Tronsmart Orion R68 media player mini-PC — back in June, there were relatively few details on the SoC, but Rockchip has now posted an RK3368 product page The 28nm fabricated RK3368 combines eight ARMv8 Cortex-A53 cores clocked at up to 1.5GHz. The SoC includes a top-of-the-line PowerVR 6110 GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.1, OpenCL 1.2, and DirectX 9.3. The RK3368 also supports the HDMI 2.0 standard, as well as 4Kx2K H2.64 and H.265 video @ 60fps.The 90 x 69 x 21mm GeekBox, which is pretty much the GeekBox board with a case, is equipped with 2GB LPDDR3 RAM, 16GB Samsung eMMC 5.0 flash, and an SD slot. There’s also a gigabit Ethernet port, and 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1, with dual antennas. Interfaces include an HDMI 2.0 port, dual USB host ports (presumably 2.0), a micro-USB OTG port, and a serial debug interface. There’s also an eDP connector that hooks up to an optional, 7.9-inch, 2048 x 1536 capacitive touchscreen that sells for $68.When you remove the GeekBox board and plug it into the GeekBox Landingship carrier, you add a SATA slot, a third USB host port, and a 60-pin GPIO expansion connector. The Landingship also greatly expands the multimedia potential with S/PDIF and analog audio ports, dual mic inputs, a MIPI-CSI camera interface, and a MIPI-DSI display connector.The pre-installed, dual-boot Android 5.1 and Ubuntu Linux distributions can be hot-switched, and they come with a pre-installed version of the Kodi media player application. The GeekBox also supports Rockchip’s Android-based Light Biz OS , which is said to make Android work more like a desktop operating system, complete with multitasking windows.Specifications listed for the GeekBox, both in the media player chassis version, and with the SBC combined with the GeekBox Landingship, include:



Further information

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The GeekBox is available for $110, discounted from a $214.80 retail price, or $140 when you include the optional $30 GeekBox Landingship carrier board. The optional 7.9-inch display costs $68. More information may be found at Geekbuying’s dedicated GeekBox site as well as the GeekBox product page and GeekBox promotional page.

