cherry trail

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments on Intel Atom x7-Z8700 (Cherry Trail) vs Intel Celeron N3150 (Braswell) Benchmarks Comparison

Intel Atom x7-Z8700 (Cherry Trail) vs Intel Celeron N3150 (Braswell) Benchmarks Comparison

Intel tend to release lots of processors, and it’s not also clear how they perform against each others, but generally the rank from slowest to highest goes something like Atom < Celeron < Pentium < Core M < Core i3 < Core i5 < Core i7. Recently, I’ve seen and reviewed a few low power Intel Atom x7-Z8700 “Cherry Trail” and Intel Celeron N3150 “Braswell” mini PCs, both quad core processors @ 1.6 GHz (base), and I could not find much differences between the two during use. So to have a clear and objective view of the relative performance of the two processors, I’ve compared the results I got with Intel Atom x7-Z8700 based Beelink BT7 mini PC to the ones I got with MINIX NGC-1 mini PC powered by Celeron N3150 processor in the table below. Both machines have been designed quite well (good heat dissipation) and with storage […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 35 Comments on Beelink BT7 Review – Windows 10 mini PC Based on Intel Atom x7-Z8700 Processor

Beelink BT7 Review – Windows 10 mini PC Based on Intel Atom x7-Z8700 Processor

Beelink BT7 mini PC powered by Intel Atom x7-Z8700 processor offers an interesting alternative to the fanless Voyo V3 mini PC, as it is actively cooled by a small fan, supports (Gigabit) Ethernet, and comes with three full USB 3.0 ports. There are three versions with either 64, 128 (64+64) or 320 (64+256) GB stortage, and I got Beelink BT7 128GB to play with. Since I’ve already checkout the hardware, I’ll focus on the performance and stability of the device on Windows 10 in the second part of the review. Setup and System Information I placed the mini PC on my desk, made use of the three USB 3.0 ports with a USB keyboard, a USB mouse, and a Seagate USB 3.0 hard drive, and connected Ethernet, HDMI and the power cable. However, if you happen to own a TV or monitor that supports VESA mounts, you can use the […]

Posted on by TLS - 1 Comment on Biostar launches the Racing P1 mini PC Powered by Intel Atom x5-Z8350 Processor at Computex

Biostar launches the Racing P1 mini PC Powered by Intel Atom x5-Z8350 Processor at Computex

Biostar is a long time maker of mini-ITX boards for industrial and embedded applications, but at Computex this year they revealed a new mini PC for consumers, which they claim is the world’s smallest. At 129 x 82 x 29.6mm the Racing P1 is small, but we’re not sure it’s the world’s smallest. Spec wise you’re looking at: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8350 (up to 1.92GHz) System Memory –  4GB onboard DDR3 Storage –64GB eMMC flash, MicroSD card slot Video Output – HDMI Audio –HDMI and 3.5mm combo jack Connectivity – 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 1x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0 ports Power Supply – 5V/4A The Racing P1 also has an RGB LED hiding behind the logo on the top of the unit and apparently this has some kind of user control via software. It might not be the most exciting mini PC […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 23 Comments on Beelink BT7 mini PC Unboxing and Teardown

Beelink BT7 mini PC Unboxing and Teardown

Beelink BT7 is one of the few mini PCs based on Atom x7-Z8700, the fastest Intel “Cherry Trail” processor on the market, and should provide a decent alternative to Voyo V3 for people wanting an Ethernet port, and better cooling. The company sent me the version with 128 GB eMMC flash and 4GB RAM, and before reviewing the tiny computer, I’ll post some pictures and check out the hardware, especially the thermal design. Beelink BT7 Unboxing The package looks very similar to Intel NUC retail packages. It will show the complete specs, with highlights for Intel Atom x7-Z8700 processor, and 4K display support. The storage can be 64GB, 128GB or 320 GB, and a sticker on the side shows which model you’ve got. I’ve got the 128 version, but more on that later… The mini PC ships with a 12V/2A power supply (US, UK, EU or AU as requested, a […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on Zotac PI330 Cherry Trail mini PC Supports Dual Monitor Setups with HDMI and DisplayPort Outputs

Zotac PI330 Cherry Trail mini PC Supports Dual Monitor Setups with HDMI and DisplayPort Outputs

Several low power Intel mini PCs coming out of Chinese manufacturers support dual monitor setups, but usually they combine HDMI and VGA with models such as Vorke V1 or MeLE PCG03. Zotac PI330 mini PC powered by an Intel Atom x5-Z8500 processor offers instead dual independent display support via HDMI and DisplayPort connectors. Zotac PI330 hardware specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8500 quad core processor @ 1.44 GHz / 2.24 GHz) with 2M Cache and Intel Gen8 Graphics System Memory –  2GB LPDDR3 Storage – 32GB eMMC flash + micro SD/SDHC/SDXC card reader Video Output – DP1.1a, HDMI 1.4b Audio – DisplayPort, HDMI and 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 1x USB 3.0 Type-C, 2x USB 3.0 port Misc – Power LED, Power Supply – 5V/3A Dimensions – 115 x 76 x 20.7 mm The fanless mini PC is pre-loaded with […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 22 Comments on GOLE1 is a $79 Intel Atom x5 Windows 10 / Android 5.1 mini PC with a 5″ Touchscreen Display (Crowdfunding)

GOLE1 is a $79 Intel Atom x5 Windows 10 / Android 5.1 mini PC with a 5″ Touchscreen Display (Crowdfunding)

PiPo has been one of the first company to take advantage of Microsoft policy of providing a free license for Windows 10 for devices with smaller touchscreen displays with mini PCs such as PiPo X8 that includes a 7″ display, saving $25 to $35 on the Windows 10 license for such products without displays. Shenzhen Qianhai Gole Technology (Gole) has also been selling similar devices on their Aliexpress store, and the company is now taking to Indiegogo to launch their latest model, dubbed GOLE1, featuring a 5″ touchscreen display, and fitting in your pocket. Gole1 specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8300 “Cherry Trail” quad core processor @ 1.44 GHz / 1.84 GHz with Intel Gen8 HD graphics (2W SDP) System Memory –  2 or 4 GB DDR3L Storage – 32 or 64 GB NAND flash + micro SD slot up to 64GB Display – 5″ capacitive touchscreen display with 1280×720 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments on Beelink BT7 mini PC Powered by Atom x7-Z8700 Processor Features 4GB RAM, Up to 320 GB SSD

Beelink BT7 mini PC Powered by Atom x7-Z8700 Processor Features 4GB RAM, Up to 320 GB SSD

When I reviewed Voyo V3 mini PC based on Intel Atom x7-Z8700 processor, I was quite satisfied with the experience thanks to very fast storage with decent capacity (120 GB), the fastest Cherry Processor available combined with 4GB RAM which made for a pretty good experience under Windows 10 for just under $200. However, the mini PC networking capabilities suffer, with the lack of Ethernet, and WiFi limited to 802.11n @ 2.4 GHz. Beelink has been working on their own Atom x7 mini PC, namely Beelink BT7, with both Gigabit Ethernet & dual band WiFi, as well as various SSD options up to 320 GB. Beelink BT7 mini PC specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x7-Z8700 Cherry Trail quad core processor @ 1.60 GHz/2.40 GHz (turbo) with Intel Gen8 HD graphics @ 600MHz with 16EU (2W SDP) System Memory – 4 GB DDR3 Storage – 64, 128, or 320 GB SSD […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 35 Comments on HDMI Audio in Linux is Now Working on Cherry Trail mini PCs, OpenELEC 7.0 Image Released

HDMI Audio in Linux is Now Working on Cherry Trail mini PCs, OpenELEC 7.0 Image Released

Since Intel has decided not to officially support Bay Trail and Cherry Trail processors in Linux, and focus on other priorities, people who have tried to use HDMI audio in Linux with mini PCs or TV sticks based on the processors have always had issues. There’s a workaround for Bay Trail mini PCs with Linux 3.16 kernel, but so far I’ve never seen a Cherry Trail system working with HDMI audio in Linux. Luckily, Pierre-Louis Bossart has been working on support, and Piotr kasprzak has tried HDMI audio support with OpenELEC 7.0 and a patched Linux Kernel 4.5.1, and confirmed it to be working on Tronsmart Ara X5 Plus and Wintel 10 Pro mini PC powered by Intel Atom x5-Z8300 processor. This can also be verified in the kernel log with dmesg:

If you want to try it yourself, you can download the OpenELEC image with the modifications. If […]