A South Korea based company, named Hardkernel, has launched the world's first open-spec Gemini Lake board. Called Odroid-H2, the Intel-powered single-board computer (SBC) goes on sale at just $111. The SBC is based on Intel’s quad-core Celeron J4105 SoC, which offers 4MB cache, 700MHz Intel UHD Graphics 600, and a 10W TDP. The 4.3 inch × 4.3 inch platform doesn't ship with a RAM, but comes with two slots for DDR4 memory. Hardkernel had announced the Intel Gemini Lake-based Odroid-H2 last month.

Odroid-H2 specifications

The Odroid-H2 can be equipped with up to 32 GB of DDR4-2400 memory and an M.2 2280 SSD (supports PCIe x4 and NVMe storage). The wired I/O interface set includes a DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, two USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, a 3.5-mm audio jack, and an S/PDIF. There are also two SATA III connectors, and a 20-pin GPIO connector with 2x UART, 2x I2C, and power signals.

The Odroid-H2 is equipped with a 14-20V DC input with PMIC. Power consumption ranges from 4W (idle) to 14W (CPU stress) to 22W (CPU/CPU stress). There's also an RTC with optional backup battery. The board is said to run smoothly at 2.3GHz at up to 70°C. Added features in the board include LEDs, power and reset buttons, and a heatsink.

Hardkernel says the SBC is compatible with Ubuntu 18.04 or Ubuntu 18.10 Linux out of the box. And unlike its previous SBCs with ARM processors, you do not need to download a special build of a GNU/Linux distribution. You can just grab the latest official download from Ubuntu.com.

Out of stock within 24 hours

Apparently, Hardkernel wasn't expecting a high demand for the Odroid-H2 and had prepared only 2,000 units, which were sold out within 24 hours of launch. Adding to the misery Intel cannot supply the Gemini Lake SoC before February next year.

"We have very SMALL problem now," a company statement in the official forum says. "We have sold out all our first production lot in 24 hours.... In fact, we conservatively prepared only 2,000pcs of H2 boards because we could not predict this situation. We are contacting Intel for the lead time of the Gemini Lake processor. Due to Intel's serious supplying issue these days, they can supply the Gemini Lake SoC in February or March 2019.... They also mentioned that they can give us a firm delivery schedule in January. It means Hardkernel can't tell you when we can resume selling the ODROID-H2 again. We will keep calling and pushing Intel people to secure the SoC in near future."

As for Intel, the company has publicly admitted that demand for its processors exceeds supply, and it currently prioritizes shipments of its higher-end Core and Xeon products over cheaper chips. So one shouldn't be expecting to get hold of an Odroid-H2 before March 2019.

For those 2,000 customers who could order the board on time, Hardkernel will begin shipping it on 27 November. The rest of interested buyers can wishlist it here, and hopefully get a notification when it becomes available next year.