AAEON has unveiled a new, ultra-compact motherboard—the PICO-ARU4. Adhering to the Pico-ITX form factor, it measures a mere 100x72 millimeters. Notably, it stands as the first of its kind to be powered by Intel's cutting-edge Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200 series processors. This motherboard is specifically tailored for embedded and industrial applications, rather than catering to the general consumer market.

When it comes to processor choices, users can opt for either the Core Ultra 7 255U or the Ultra 5 225U. Both of these processors are crafted using Intel's advanced 3nm process technology, boasting a base power consumption of just 15W. This low power requirement negates the need for fan cooling, making the system more efficient and quieter.

The motherboard comes pre-loaded with onboard memory options of either 16GB or 32GB LPDDR5-6400, ensuring swift and responsive performance. For storage needs, it offers a SATA interface along with an M.2 2280 M-Key interface, which supports both PCIe 4.0 and SATA protocols, providing flexibility and high-speed data transfer capabilities.

In terms of networking, the motherboard is well-equipped with dual network cards—an Intel I226 2.5G and an I219 1G—ensuring reliable and fast network connectivity. Additionally, it features an M.2 2230 E-Key slot, allowing for the easy installation of Wi-Fi wireless network cards to keep you connected on the go.

The input/output interfaces on this motherboard are comprehensive, including two USB 3.1 ports, two RS-232/422/485 COM serial ports, 4-bit GPIO, SMBus/I2C, and two USB 2.0 headers. This array of interfaces ensures compatibility with a wide range of peripherals and devices.

The motherboard supports various operating systems, including Windows 10/11 64-bit and Ubuntu 22.04.2, catering to diverse user preferences and requirements.

As for pricing, the 225U+16GB version is competitively priced at $887, the 225U+32GB version at $988, and the top-tier 255U+32GB version at $1,155, offering value for money across different configurations.