23.4 Radxa X4 x86 Development Board
In addition to ARM architecture single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi, x86 architecture development board products also exist on the market.
Overview
The Radxa X4 is a single-board computer based on the x86 architecture, with an Intel N100 as its core processor. This section is based on the hardware configuration with 16 GB of memory and 128 GB eMMC storage.
BIOS Configuration Notes
For unlocking BIOS settings related to power limits such as PL1 and PL2, please refer to the boot manager and UEFI firmware sections of this book.
FreeBSD Version Compatibility
It is recommended to install FreeBSD 15.1-RELEASE (released in June 2026) or later.
FreeBSD 14.3-RELEASE has a potential issue: if using the eMMC storage version and installing the system on eMMC, the number of partitions on the solid-state drive must not exceed 5, otherwise the ZFS file system will fail to boot properly.
Hardware Configuration Information
The wireless network adapter equipped on the Radxa X4 is the RTL8852BE (i.e., Radxa A8 wireless module V2.0), where the Wi-Fi function is implemented via the PCIe channel, while the Bluetooth function is provided via the USB channel.
The wired Ethernet controller on the Radxa X4 is the Intel i226-V.
Graphics Driver Installation and Configuration
Driver Installation
Install using the pkg binary package manager:
Or build and install from the Port:
Driver Loading Configuration
After installing the driver, you need to configure the driver module to load automatically at boot. Add i915kms to /etc/rc.conf:
Wireless Network Adapter Driver Installation and Configuration
Driver Installation
Install using the pkg binary package manager:
Or build and install from the Ports:
Wireless Network Performance Configuration
After completing the wireless network adapter driver installation, further configuration is needed to optimize wireless connection stability and performance. The current driver does not yet support Wi-Fi 5/6 standards.
On the 2.4 GHz band, the transfer rate only reaches the 802.11g standard; on the 5 GHz band, the transfer rate only reaches the 802.11a standard. Although the rtw89 driver hardware supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax modes, the current compatibility layer code only supports 802.11a/b/g modes; 802.11n/ac/ax support is yet to be implemented.
When using the rtw89 module, edit the /boot/loader.conf configuration file and add the following parameter:
This parameter sets the Linux KPI network buffer memory limit to 1, which resolves the issue of Wi-Fi failing to automatically reconnect after the system has been running for an extended period.
System Real-Time Status Monitoring
Resource Usage Monitoring
The following command refreshes virtual memory and system status summary information every second:
CPU Temperature Monitoring
Excessively high operating temperatures can cause system instability, frequency throttling, or even permanent hardware damage.
CPU Temperature Reading Method
First, dynamically load the coretemp kernel module, which is used for Intel processor temperature monitoring:
If you need to view the temperature information of individual CPU cores, execute the following command:
Persisting Temperature Monitoring Configuration
To ensure CPU temperature monitoring works properly after each system boot, the temperature monitoring module loading configuration needs to be persisted. To facilitate system monitoring software such as htop in reading CPU temperature information, edit the /boot/loader.conf configuration file and add the following content:
This configuration enables the system to automatically load the coretemp kernel module at boot.
References
Intel Corporation. Intel® Processor N100[EB/OL]. [2026-04-17]. https://ark.intel.com/content/www/cn/zh/ark/products/231803/intel-processor-n100-6m-cache-up-to-3-40-ghz.html. N100 rated specifications.
FreeBSD Project. coretemp(4)[EB/OL]. [2026-03-25]. https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=coretemp&sektion=4. FreeBSD official coretemp module man page for Intel processor temperature monitoring.
FreeBSD Project. amdtemp(4)[EB/OL]. [2026-03-25]. https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=amdtemp&sektion=4. FreeBSD official amdtemp module man page for AMD processor temperature monitoring.
Vivek Gite. FreeBSD find CPU (processor) temperature command[EB/OL]. (2022-06-16)[2026-03-25]. https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/freebsd-determine-processor-cpu-temperature-command/. Introduces methods and commands for reading CPU temperature on FreeBSD.
Appendix: How to Install Intel i226-V Network Adapter Driver on Server 2025
In addition to FreeBSD, some users need to use the Radxa X4 development board on Windows Server systems.
This appendix describes the method for installing the Intel i226-V network adapter driver on Windows Server 2025. The i226-V can use the I226-LM driver on Windows Server without modifying any files or system configuration. The I226-LM is compatible with the I226-V in basic Ethernet functionality, but the I226-LM additionally supports enterprise management features such as Intel vPro/AMT.
The steps are as follows:
Download and extract the Intel® Network Adapter Driver for Windows Server 2025*
Locate the Ethernet Controller in Device Manager
On its properties page, select "Update Driver"
Click "Browse my computer for driver software"
Select "Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer"
In "Select the type of device from the list below", select "Network adapters"
In the "Select the device driver you want to install for this hardware" interface, click the "Have Disk" button at the bottom right
Click "Browse", locate the
e2f.inffile in the driver files, and click "OK"Select the entry "Intel(R) Ethernet Controller I226-LM"
References
Dang Wo Ning Wang Shen Yuan. Installation of ASUS motherboard onboard Intel i225-V and i226-V network adapter drivers on Windows Server 2019[EB/OL]. (2023-04-25)[2026-03-25]. https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/624820359.
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