Key information
Sipeed has unveiled the MaixStation, a new AI-focused system powered by Axera’s AX8860P processor. Positioned as a competitor to the Nvidia DGX Spark and AMD Ryzen AI Halo, the device features 128GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus. Sipeed expects the 128GB model to retail for approximately $3,999, significantly undercutting the DGX Spark’s $6,950 MSRP.
The AX8860P chip utilizes 16 Arm Cortex-A55 cores and an integrated NPU rated at 256 TOPS for FP4 operations. Sipeed claims the system achieves 25% faster prefill and 30% faster decode speeds than the DGX Spark when running Qwen 27B models. However, these performance figures remain subject to verification once the NPU toolchain and hardware units become available.
The MaixStation runs on Debian 13 and supports frameworks including vLLM, SGLang, and PyTorch. Hardware connectivity includes a 10G SFP+ port and an MCIO 8i connector, allowing for multi-node scaling of up to eight units without an external switch. Unlike the DGX Spark, the MaixStation utilizes a standard M.2 2280 slot for storage.
A Kickstarter campaign is scheduled for the end of 2026, with units expected to ship within three months of the campaign's conclusion. While Sipeed has teased the product's capabilities, the official NPU toolchain is currently slated for release by the end of October.
