Hardware Category - Page 726 of 1114 - CNX Software

January 26, 2017February 7, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Voyo VMac Mini mini PC (Intel Pentium N4200) Benchmarks

Since I’ve now received Intel Apollo Lake hardware with Voyo VMac Mini mini PCs, I’ve going to run some benchmarks with Pentium N4200 and Celeron N3450 processor to compare the performance against older generation low power mini PC based on Braswell and Cherry Trail processors. I’ll get started with the Pentium N4200 version that’s both more expensive and powerful. But before starting with the benchmarks, I’ve run HWiNFO64 to get a bit more info about the system, and the processor in particular. The processor is the quad core Pentium N4200 stepping B0/B1 with sSPEC SR2Y9/SR2Z5 clocked between 400 and 1,100 MHz, and up to 2,5 GHz in burst mode. It also comes with a 18 EU HD graphics Gen9-LP. IMHO, PCMark 8 Home Accelerated 3.0 is one of the best benchmark as it replicates typical use cases such as web browsing, video conference, light gaming, photo editing, and so on. […]

January 26, 2017February 7, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Checking Fan Noise and Other Sound Levels with Benetech GM1352 Sound Level Meter

I wrote about UNI-T UT353 Sound Level Meter a few months ago as I thought it could be a neat way to measure fan noise on some TV boxes and mini PCs in an objective way. I finally ended up buying Benetech GM1352 model instead for $13.9 on DX (now available for $12.83 on Aliexpress or around $18 on Amazon), but I did not really use it so far, since I did not get a new device with a fan. I’ve now had the chance to try it since the Voyo VMac Mini mini PC comes with a fan. Let’s just go through some of GM1352’s key features first: Noise Levels & Accuracy – 30 to 130 dB with +/- 1.5 dB accuracy (94dB @ 1 KHz) Frequency Range – 31.5 to 8 KHz Measurement features – MAX/MIN & Data hold Display – 1.7″ LCD display with backlight Buttons – […]

January 25, 2017January 25, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Ebox T8 V Octa-Core Android TV Box Review – Part 2: Android Firmware, EBMC, and Benchmarks

EBox T8 V (version 5) is the new EntertainmentBox.com TV box specially geared towards the UK market with its choice of apps and online shop based in the United Kingdom. It’s an upgrade to EBox T8-4 I reviewed last year, replacing Amlogic S905 quad core processor by Amlogic S912 octa-core processor, but keeping most of the same features including the SATA bay and EBox user interface. Since we’ve already checked out the hardware, likely based on Zoomtak U Plus, I’ll focus on the firmware in the second part. It will be a shorter reviewed than usual since I have already tested many Amlogic S912 TV boxes, and I’ll refer to T8-4 review when the user interface is identical, and instead focus on what has changed, and the usual suspects like audio pass-through, 4K video playback, DRM support, WiFi performance, etc… EBox T8 V Setup Wizard, Setup, OTA Firmware Update, and […]

January 24, 2017April 17, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments

Review of Voyo VMac Mini PC with Celeron N3450 / Pentium N4200 SoC – Part 1: Unboxing and Teardown

I received my first Apollo Lake device yesterday with CHUWI LapBook 14.1 laptop, and today I got two more with Voyo VMac Mini powered by Intel Celeron N3450 processor sent by GeekBuying, and the version powered by the more powerful Pentium N4200 processor sent by GearBest. I’ll start by checking out the hardware today, before reviewing one of the models, and comparing performance through benchmarks for both mini PCs a little later. Voyo VMac Mini Unboxing Both packages look identical, but the N3450 model has a sticker with basic specs, while the N4200 model did not have anything to indicate which model I received. However, GearBest left a paper inside the package confirming they sent the N4200 version. When I first read the markings on the package, I read “Mac Mini” instead of “VMac Mini”, so if you happen to live in a country where customs care about those things, […]

January 24, 2017February 8, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Yundoo Y8 Rockchip RK3399 TV Box is Up for Pre-order for $111 and Up

We’ve been waiting for Rockchip RK3399 TV boxes for a long time since the processor was first unveiled in January of last year, and the good news is that the first RK3399 TV box has now been launched (sort of), as you can pre-order Yundoo Y8 for $110.73 shipped with shipping planed for early March Yundoo Y8 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3399 hexa core processor with 2x ARM Cortex A72 cores @ up to 2.0 GHz, 4x ARM Cortex A53 cores System Memory – 2 or 4GB DDR3 Storage – 16 or 32 GB eMMC flash + SD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0a up to 4K @ 60 Hz Video Codecs – 4K H.265 & VP9 decoding Audio Output – HDMI, optical S/PDIF Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, dual band 802.11 b/g/n/ac WiFi + Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x USB 3.0 port, 1x USB type […]

January 24, 2017July 18, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

Beelink SEA TV Box with Realtek RTD1295, HDMI Input and Internal SATA Bay Sells for $105 and Up

I’ve already reviewed two Android TV boxes powered by Realtek RTD1295 processor, namely Zidoo X9S and EWEAT R9 Plus. They are quite interesting devices as beside supporting video & audio playback nicely (minus 4K H.264 @ 30fps), they also serve as a personal NAS thanks to their SATA interface and OpenWrt operating system running alongside Android, as well as a HDMI recorder and streamer thanks to the HDMI input. Zidoo firmware is a little better, but it only comes with external SATA, while EWEAT R9 Plus comes with a neat internal 3.5″ SATA bay inside a metal case. The downside is that it’s quite expensive at $200 shipped. If you’d like a Realtek RTD1295 solution with a SATA bay, but would like something more cost effective, Beelink SEA TV box with might be for you. Beelink SEA specifications: SoC – Realtek RTD1295 quad core ARM Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.4 GHz […]

January 24, 2017January 27, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 44 Comments

ASUS Tinker Board’s Debian & Kodi Linux Images, Schematics and Documentation

We discovered ASUS Tinker Board powered by Rockchip RK3288 processor earlier this year via some slides hidden in a dark corner of the Internet… ASUS has been incredibly quiet about it, but as the board has finally started to sell in Europe on sites like CPC Farnell UK, Proshop (Denmark), or Jimm’s (Finland) for the equivalent of $57.5 without VAT or $69 including VAT, and more technology sites have started to write about it. So people have been buying the board, and one even uploaded an unboxing video. One interesting part is the the top comment from the uploader in that video: Currently, a £55 paperweight as I can’t seem to find a link to the OS image anywhere. And indeed, ASUS appears to have launched a board without any support website, firmware image and documentation. Maybe that’s why they are quiet about it. But after using some of my […]

January 23, 2017April 27, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments

CHUWI LapBook 14.1 Apollo Lake Laptop Review – Part 1: Unboxing & (Partial) Teardown

CHUWI LapBook 14.1 is one the first Intel Apollo Lake laptop launched in the market. It features an Intel Celeron N3450 quad core processor coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, and comes with a 14.1″ Full HD IPS Display. The company sent me a sample for review, and I’ll start by checking out the hardware today, before running some tests in Windows 10, and trying to install Ubuntu 16.04 later on. CHUWI LapBook 14.1 Unboxing I received the device in what looks like CHUWI standard package for 14″ laptops, but a sticker on the stop made it clear which model I got.The laptop comes with a 12V/2A power supply and power cord, a user manual in English and Chinese, a warranty card, and a product inspection report. The laptop battery is nearly fully charged, so I started it. I could not find any keys to adjust the display brightness, […]