mini pc

Posted on by Ian W MORRISON (Linuxium) - 4 Comments on Vorke V1 Plus Celeron J3455 Mini PC Review with Windows and Ubuntu

Vorke V1 Plus Celeron J3455 Mini PC Review with Windows and Ubuntu

Most Intel based mini PCs use processors classified as ‘Mobile’ as these have lower thermal design power (TDP) ratings which is the maximum amount of heat generated by the processor: However, the new Vorke V1 Plus has incorporated a ‘Desktop’ processor namely the Intel Celeron J3455. On paper this processor looks like it should perform similar to the Intel Pentium N4200 processor but with a tradeoff between being a cheaper processor to purchase but more expensive to run due to the increased power requirements. Geekbuying provided a Vorke V1 Plus for review so let’s start by taking a look at the physical characteristics. The device comes in a plain box and was supplied with the ‘right AC Adapter’ for my country. The first observation is that it is quite a large device. At just over 6” square (153mm) and nearly 1.5” tall (38mm) it is the biggest mini PC I’ve […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments on Intel Gemini Lake NUC7CJY/NUC7PJY Kits and Mini PC Specifications Released

Intel Gemini Lake NUC7CJY/NUC7PJY Kits and Mini PC Specifications Released

Based on Intel NUC 2018/2019 roadmap published, we expected the first Intel Gemini Lake NUC mini PC to launch right at the end of 2017, but there’s been some delays. Since then we’ve learned Gemini Lake mini PC from third parties should launch around the end of March / beginning of April, and the official Intel GLK NUCs might launch around that time frame, or maybe a little earlier, because today, I’ve been informed the specifications for NUC7CJY/NUC7PJY kits and mini PC had been released on Intel website. Both variants have basically the same specifications expect NUC7CJY comes with a Celeron processor, and NUC7PJY with a Pentium Silver processor: SoC Intel NUC Kit NUC7CJYH / Intel NUC Mini PC NUC7CJYS –  Dual core Intel Celeron J4005 processor @ 2.0 GHz / 2.70 GHz (Turbo) with 4MB cache, Intel HD Graphics 600; up to 10 TDP Intel NUC NUC7PJYH –  Quad […]

Posted on by Ian W MORRISON (Linuxium) - 4 Comments on Intel Compute Cards Review – Windows 10 and Ubuntu 17.04 on CD1C64GK, CD1P64GK and CD1M3128MK

Intel Compute Cards Review – Windows 10 and Ubuntu 17.04 on CD1C64GK, CD1P64GK and CD1M3128MK

The Intel Compute Stick revolutionized the mini PC market through the introduction of x86 based processors making Windows available as an OS option. However, for Intel the biggest target market turned out to be business rather than consumer with digital signage being a key user. As a result Intel have responded with the introduction of the Intel Compute Card. So far they have released four versions of card: and they they differ from compute sticks by no longer being standalone mini PCs but dependent on a dock or host device. The card itself is relatively small with a footprint slightly larger than a standard credit card: and is distinguished by the back being printed with details about the card including the model: The lack of emphasis on the consumer market is also evident in the rather unobtrusive plain packaging: On the end that inserts into the dock or host device […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Logic Supply Introduces ML350 Customizable Fanless Industrial Computer Based on Intel Apollo Lake Processor

Logic Supply Introduces ML350 Customizable Fanless Industrial Computer Based on Intel Apollo Lake Processor

Fanless-Apollo-Lake-Industrial-Computer

Logic Supply has just unveiled their latest industrial grade computer with ML350 model that features an Intel Celeron or Pentium Apollo Lake processor, with up to 8GB RAM, two DisplayPorts, up to two Gigabit Ethernet ports, mPCIe and mSATA expansion slots and more. The mini PC is customizable, so when you order you can configure it match your exact requirements, for example you can select the amount of RAM (4GB or 8GB), storage up to 2TB mSATA SSDs, wireless connectivity (WiFI, Bluetooth, 4G), mounting options, and other hardware options. The company can also change the color of the front and back panels and add your own logo though their Rapid Branding program.Logic Supply ML350 (ML350G-10) specifications: SoC (one of the other) Intel Celeron N3350 dual core processor @ 1.10 / 2.40 GHz with Intel HD graphics 500 Intel Pentium N4200 quad core processor @ 1.10 / 2.50 GHz with Intel […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments on CCC Air Stick 4K TV Stick Runs Android TV, Supports HDR10, aptX HD Bluetooth Audio (Japan)

CCC Air Stick 4K TV Stick Runs Android TV, Supports HDR10, aptX HD Bluetooth Audio (Japan)

It’s been a while since I have seen an Amlogic S912 TV stick, and so far none of them would run Android TV operating system. But CCC Air Stick 4K does, meaning it supports Google Cast like a ChromeCast, as well as Voice Commands through a remote control. The company also claims support for aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth audio, as well as online services such as Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, and some Japanese specific services, since the TV stick only targets the Japanese market. Air Stick 4K specifications: SoC – Amlogic S912J 64-bit octa core Arm Cortex A53 @ up to 1.5GHz with Arm Mali GPU System Memory – 2 GB Storage – 16 GB flash Video Output – HDMI 2.0a up to 4K @ 60 Hz with HDR10, CEC support Audio – HDMI audio output, aptX / aptX audio over Bluetooth Connectivity Dual band (2.4 GHz/5 GHz) 802.11b/g/n/ac WiFi […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments on Review of GOLE 10 Mini PC with 10.1″ Touchscreen Display – Part 2: Windows 10 Pro

Review of GOLE 10 Mini PC with 10.1″ Touchscreen Display – Part 2: Windows 10 Pro

Depending on your point of view, GOLE 10 is a mini PC with a touchscreen display, or a really thick tablet with an inclined display.  I’ve already received a sample, and had a look at the hardware in the first part of the review, so in the second I tested the performance and stability, and thought about and test some use cases for this type of products. GOLE 10 (aka F6) Setup and System Info There are various way to use the mini PC, either as a standalone screen without any peripheral connected using the touchscreen, or as a mini PC with USB keyboard and mouse and potential other accessories, or in a dual display setup with the device connected to an HDMI TV or monitor. I decided to connect it to my “test” TV, add a USB 3.0 drive, USB keyboard and mouse, Ethernet cable, and of course the […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments on ECS LIVA Z2, LIVA Q2 & LIVA One SoC Gemini Lake Mini PCs Introduced at CES 2018

ECS LIVA Z2, LIVA Q2 & LIVA One SoC Gemini Lake Mini PCs Introduced at CES 2018

ECS (Elitegroup Computer Systems) was another company introducing their Gemini Lake mini PC at CES 2018, or as they call them “ultra-compact form-factor” (UCFF)  PCs. They had three models with two upgrade from Apollo Lake systems: LIVA Z2 & LIVA Q2, and another system called “LIVA One SoC” which instead offers an entry-level version of their barebone LIVA One mini PC based on Core i3/i5/i7 processors. ECS LIVA Z2 LIVA Z2 specifications: SoC – Intel Gemini Lake processor System Memory – 2x DDR4 SO-DIMM slots Storage – 32 or 64GB eMMC flash, 1x 2.5″ SSD/HDD bay Video Output – HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 1.4 ports (dual HDMI) Audio Output – Via HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack, digital microphone Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2 USB – 3x USB 3.0 ports, 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x USB 3.0 type C port Misc – Power button, Kensington lock Power Supply – 19V/3.42A […]

Posted on by Ian W MORRISON (Linuxium) - 1 Comment on MINIX NEO N42C-4 Pro Review – Part 3: Ubuntu / Linux

MINIX NEO N42C-4 Pro Review – Part 3: Ubuntu / Linux

In the second part of MINIX NEO N42C-4 review (and on linuxium website), we looked at the device and the performance using Windows.  In this third part, we will look at how to install and the performance of using Linux (Ubuntu). The BIOS does not include an option to select Linux as a boot OS and a standard Ubuntu ISO written to a USB will not boot. So to install Ubuntu to the eMMC as dual-boot first it was necessary to respin a standard Ubuntu ISO using my ‘isorespin.sh’ script with the ‘–apollo’ option, and which after creating a LiveUSB using the ‘dd’ command was used to boot and install Ubuntu. First let’s remind ourselves of the hardware configuration by running some standard Linux commands:

This shows the memory will be dual-channel once the second slot (bank:1) is populated and also confirms that the eMMC 5.1 (mmc0) is running […]