Major Nvidia Partner Unveils a Tiny Mini PC for AI with a Unique Feature: 3D Printed Designs
- Pandora is a ‘mini AI hardware’ stuck in a mini PC form factor
- It uses Nvidia’s Jetson Orin NX Super platform
- Comes with a 128 GB SSD and an Ubuntu operating system, in a chassis weighing less than 500 grams
Nvidia’s largest add-in board partner, Palit, has been a key supplier to the global graphics card market for more than 30 years. Best known for its range of Nvidia GeForce graphics cards, the company is now branching out into AI with Pandora, a compact mini PC device built for edge AI computing.
Pandora (announced in a YouTube video spotted by Video cardz) measures just 121mm x 145mm x 66mm and weighs 470g. Although it looks like a mini PC, the new device is described as “mini AI hardware” and is specifically designed for tasks such as AI inference, machine learning acceleration and robotics.
Pandora is powered by the Nvidia Jetson Orin NX Super platform and is available in two versions with 8 GB or 16 GB RAM, delivering 117 and 157 AI TOPS respectively. The device comes pre-installed with a 128GB SSD, Ubuntu Linux and JetPack SDK 6.1.1, and features an active cooling system to maintain performance under load.
Good selection of ports
Pandora features two USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C/OTC port, and two USB 2.0 Type-A ports for peripherals and legacy devices. It also includes dual Ethernet ports (2 x RJ45, 1G) and an HDMI 2.0 port. For audio, there are both Line Out/Line In options via a 3.5mm jack or pin header.
The M.2 slots allow users to add SSDs, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 5G/LTE modules. One of Pandora’s standout features is its support for 3D printed extensions via customizable case shells, allowing users to expand the device’s capabilities – a useful option for developers who need customizable hardware.
Palit suggests several use cases for Pandora. In smart retail, the device can analyze customer demographics to deliver real-time personalized ads through digital signage.
In education, it supports interactive learning tools that use object recognition and text-to-speech technology, and for robotics and automation, it offers extensive I/O options and compatibility with Nvidia Isaac and ROS2. It can also handle demanding generative AI tasks such as natural language processing and content creation.
Pricing and release details for Pandora have yet to be announced, but we should know more soon.
