Awesome MiniPCs
#Gadgets
For the last couple of years, the Intel N100 CPU has been leading the mini PC world. Compared to previous-gen mini PCs' CPUs there was a significant boost in efficiency which made it VERY close to Single Board Computers in terms of power consumption: State of Things in MiniPC world.
Here is my curated list of mini PCs that I personally find cool. (it's not an Ad at all)
Beelink MiniPCs: S12, EQ12, EQ13, EQ14
Beelinks are one of the most popular miniPCs nowadays. They perform well in benchmarks and according to reviews the quality is a top notch.
One of the notable pros is upgradability. They all have replaceable RAM and SSDs. What's more important, the EQ12 seems to be compatible with out of the specs 32GB RAM which is insane.
Here is an overview from the discussion on reddit:
- EQ13 - Intel N100, DDR4 16GB, 500GB, Wifi6, BT5, integrated power supply. The updated fan design is a huge improvement and the system runs silent and cool. Even during boot, the fan ramps up but is not annoying loud. One item to note, the power light on the EQ13 is bright but small. The power button light on the EQ12 is much larger and brighter. I prefer the EQ13.
- EQ12 - Intel N100, DDR5 16GB, 500GB, Wifi6, BT5. I stand by my initial evaluation. The EQ12 runs warm and I noticed the fan running from across the room this morning. The fan noise is not awful but it's there. Up close the fan motor is not smooth and actually sounds rather crunchy; this noise profile is difficult to describe.
- S12 (non-pro) - N95, DDR4 8GB, 256GB, Wifi5, BT4 Now with a apples to apples comparison, I noticed the S12 is between the EQ12 and EQ13 in terms of noise and heat. The S12 is not a bad system however I prefer the Wifi6 and BT5 upgrades of the EQ13. 8GB is not enough memory for Windows 11. I experienced several browser crashes due to out of memory conditions.
- S12 Pro - Intel N100 CPU, 16GB, WIFI6, BT 5.2 Folks claim that it can handle 32GB of RAM
- EQ13 is the largest but it is still a VERY tiny PC and while I didn't think the integrated power supply was that big of a deal, it's nice to have. For someone space constrained, it's very hard not to recommend the S12 or S12 Pro. The noise from the EQ12 is a deal breaker for me.
- EQ14 Intel N150 16GB, 500GB, Wifi6, BT5 - The brand new on the latest N150 CPU
Minisforum
There are several variatons of un100 with very minor differences. In general, I love Minisforum for their branding and ability to produce miniPCs that doesn't look like a noname OEM garbage.
Reason not to buy:
- Minisforum N100 MiniPCs are very limited in their upgradability: Minisforum Venus UN100 SSD / Hard Drive Upgrades - Low Cost Delivery | Mr Memory®
- They perform a bit worse than the closes competitors probably because of the CPU power mode BIOS settings: The Best Budget Mini Yet? Minisforum UN100D Review - YouTube
CWWK
CWWK is making insane stuff that stands out. First of all, they somehow managed to make N100 work with more than 16GB of RAM. Secondly, just look at these insane mini PCs.
CWWK Magic Computer
It's literally an x86 Raspberry Pi on steroids with an insane passive cooling case and the power of an N100/N200/N305 CPU with up to 32GB of RAM. It's very similar to ZimaBoard but with much more powerful hardware that blows ZimaBoard out of water
Reasons not to buy: It's an incredibly interesting thing, but unfortunately it doesn't fit my needs. I would like the case to be just a bit more protected. For some reason it supports only USB2.0 which is kinda weird. I really need these USB guys to be 3.0 or 3.1.
Review: FANLESS 7W Homelab Fantasy Mini PC - YouTube
CWWK Pocket NAS 4 Bay NVM
Probably one of the most interesting N100 mini PC I've managed to find recently.
- N100/N200/N305 CPU
- up to 32GB or RAM
- NVM hat allowing to put 4 SSD right inside the box
- Insane case with passive cooling on top and active cooling at the bottom
Reasons not to buy: weird pricing. Average CWWK Pocket NAS config costs more than other N100 alternatives. The maxed out one competes with lower-end powerful mini PCs from higher league that are incomparably more capable.
It's built on top of CWWK x86 P5 board: CWWK X86 P5 M.2 NVMe NAS Board Review - YouTube
MiniPC review: CWWK Pocket NAS Review: Speed Tests, Windows 11, TrueNAS, & More! - YouTube
MeLE Fanless - Mini PCs
MeLe is insane at making pocket-size mini PCs. The hardware is just like all the other Intel N100 MiniPCs have, but the price is a bit higher.
MeLE Fanless - Mini PC Quieter4C N100
The most unbelievable thing about this mini PC is that it is the size of an iPhone. If I were building a portable homelab today it would be hard to find anything more attractive.
However, I have doubts about its fanless design cooling capabilities. According to benchmarks, it throttles due to an obvious lack of cooling. On the other hand, it's quiet as death. However, there are many other options for the same price that are slightly more powerful... Yeah, that's a hard choice, I know.
MeLE Overclock4C Slim Mini PC
The killing feature of Overclock4C is that it's not fanless. There is a fan that cools it down and unlocks a bit more of a performance.
MeLE PCG02 Pro Fanless Mini PC Stick
I don't honestly believe that it's capable of running anything harder than a movie player for a long time without causing a fire, but it's still a nice gadget.
Reasons not to buy: they all are a bit of an overprice with a lower performance. Fanless designs comes at cost.
MINIX Fanless
Minix are popular thanks to their solid fanless mini PC builds. The hardware is just like other mini PCs have, but it comes with zero dB.
Minix Z100-0dB
Reasons not to buy: The heat-dissipating metal case adds a bit of an extra weight and also brings some troubles for the Wi-Fi signal to pass through. That's why requires an external antenna (it's included). It just slightly loses in performance compared to actively cooled peers of the same price.
WayPonDEV
It looks like naming is not the main priority of WayPonDEV since they are busy doing cool stuff that I couldn't help sharing here.
WayPonDEV BY51 Mini
An insane device that is not only tiny (7.2 x 7.2 x 4.5 cm) but also has active cooling, which is unusual for that size. The same N100 hardware as other min pc mentioned here, but RAM is limited to 12GB
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