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June 8, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

ZimaBoard 2 Review – Part 2: An Intel N150 micro server and mini PC tested with ZimaOS, Ubuntu 24.04

We’ve already checked out the hardware of the ZimaBoard 2 micro server in the first part of the review with an unboxing and a teardown of the Intel N150 mini PC, followed by a first boot to ZimaOS and a walk-through of the web dashboard to see what features it had to offer. I’ve now connected two SATA drives to the ZimaBoard 2 and done further testing with ZimaOS, notably checking system information and testing storage and networking performance. I also installed Ubuntu 24.04 on the ZimaBoard 2 for further testing for people preferring to use the system as a mini PC with SATA storage. ZimaOS v1.4.1 update When I connected to the web dashboard again, there was a new update for ZimaOS v1.4.1. Before and after the update is completed, I was shown the change log with new features like a scheduled shutdown function and a list of bug […]

June 6, 2025June 7, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 18 Comments

Intel Celeron N4020 dual-core mini PC sells for $45 with 4GB RAM, 128GB eMMC flash

We’ve seen x86 mini PCs for under $100 a few times, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one going for under $50, and that’s exactly what the Wo-we HU-MNPC05-L mini PC has to offer as the system is sold for $44.99 on Amazon with an old Intel Celeron N4020 dual-core Gemini Lake Refresh processor first introduced in 2019. What’s even more surprising is that it’s not a barebone model like cheaper mini PCs usually are, but it ships with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB eMMC flash. No sane person would likely attempt to use the thing as a Windows Desktop, but it may be an option for Linux distributions for workloads similar to what you would typically run on a Raspberry Pi 4/5, or for older Windows applications, or as a basic HTPC. Wo-we HU-MNPC05-L specifications: SoC – Intel Celeron N4020 dual-core Gemini Lake Refresh processor @ 1.1 […]

May 27, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Rockchip RK3588 embedded computer features 3x M.2 sockets, 4x RS232, 2x RS485, 2x DI, 2x DO, and more

Forlinx FCU3501 RK3588 fanless industrial PC

Forlinx FCU3501 is a fanless embedded computer powered by the Rockchip RK3588 SoC, or the RK3588J industrial-grade variant, and offered with up to 16GB LPDDR4x, 128GB eMMC flash, and plenty of features. Those include HDMI output and input ports, three M.2 sockets for NVMe SSD, Hailo-8 AI accelerator for a combined 26+6 TOPS of AI performance, and 4G/5G cellular module, two gigabit Ethernet ports, a built-in WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 4.2 module, four RS232 and two RS485 isolated serial interfaces, two digital inputs (DI), two digital outputs (DO), and more. Forlinx FCU3501 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3588(J) octa-core processor with CPU – 4x Cortex-A76 cores @ up to 2.4GHz (RK3588) / 1.6 GHz (RK3588J), 4x Cortex-A55 core @ 1.8GHz (RK3588) / 1.3 GHz (RK3588J) CPU Arm Mali-G610 MP4 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1, 2.0, 3.2, OpenCL 2.2, Vulkan 1.2 VPU Video decoder – 8Kp60 H.265, VP9, AVS2, 8Kp30 […]

May 24, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

Shuttle unveils Intel Twin Lake/Amston Lake IoT gateway and Mini PCs, Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus / Elite AI mini PC at Computex 2025

Shuttle showcased a wide range of devices at Computex 2025, including the FTL1 IoT Edge Twin Lake/Amston Lake mini PC/gateway, the XPC Nano NE20N/NE10N Twin Lake/Alder Lake-N mini PCs, the XPC Nano AI Mini PC G1 powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus / Elite Arm SoC, and the XPC Fanless DL40N/DL30N with Intel Twin Lake and Alder Lake-N processors, respectively. Shuttle FTL1 IoT Edge gateway FTL1 specifications: SoC (One or the other) Intel Processor N150 Twin Lake SoC with Intel UHD Graphics Intel Atom x7211RE Amston Lake SoC with Intel UHD Graphics System Memory – DDR5 4800 MT/s, up to 16 GB (note: It should be able to handle up to 64GB DDR5 memory) Storage – M.2 SATA or PCIe socket Video Output – HDMI up to 4096 x 2160 @ 60Hz) DisplayPort via USB Type-C Networking 2.5GbE RJ45 port (Intel controller), optional 2nd LAN port Optional WiFi and […]

May 22, 2025May 21, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Protectli Vault Pro VP2430 – An Intel N150 fanless network appliance with four 2.5GbE ports, four video outputs

Vault Pro VP2430 A compact, fanless network appliance

The Protectli Vault Pro VP2430 is a compact, Intel Processor N150-based fanless network appliance designed for firewall, router, and virtualization applications in home labs, small businesses, and edge deployments. The system supports up to 64GB DDR5-4800 memory via a single SO-DIMM slot and features various storage options, including a 32GB onboard eMMC flash, an M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slot, and a SATA 3.0 interface for 2.5″ SSDs. It comes with four 2.5GbE Intel I226-V Ethernet ports and includes video outputs via HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2, and two USB-C with DisplayPort functionality. It also features M.2 slots for WiFi and 4G/5G modem, to work with the module, there is also a Nano SIM slot. Additionally, it has multiple internal headers, including GPIO, COM, SATA, and eSPI for expansion. On top of that, the system supports both AMI and coreboot BIOS options, and TPM 2.0 for security, making it ideal for secure […]

May 16, 2025May 16, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 17 Comments

TexHoo QN15 – A sub $100 mini PC with Intel Processor N150 CPU

Once entry-level Intel processors have been on the market for long enough, we often start to see systems sell for under $100. The TexHoo QN15 mini PC is offered with a recent Intel Processor N150 Twin Lake CPU for just around $100 in its barebone configuration with WiFi 5, but no RAM, and no storage. The mini PC supports DDR4 memory and NVMe and SATA storage, and offers two 4K-capable HDMI ports, gigabit Ethernet, a M.2 socket for WiFi and Bluetooth, and five USB ports with two USB 3.2, two USB 2.0, and a USB Type-C port. TexHoo QN15 specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N150 quad-core Twin Lake processor @ up to 3.6 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD graphics @ 1.0 GHz; TDP: 6W System Memory – SO-DIMM socket for DDR4-2666/32000 up to 32GB Storage M.2 2280 socket for SATA or NVMe SSD 2.5-inch SATA bay (proprietary SATA […]

May 15, 2025June 8, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

ZimaBoard 2 micro server review – Part 1: Unboxing, teardown, and ZimaOS interface

We’ve just received a review sample of the ZimaBoard 2 micro server and mini PC powered by an Intel Processor N150 “Twin Lake” CPU. The system features two 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports, two SATA III ports, two USB 3.1 ports, and a miniDP video port supporting 4K resolution. IceWhale Technology provided us with the ZimaBoard 2 model 832 prototype with 8GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash preloaded with the ZimaOS operating system for review. In this article, we will unbox the device and its accessories, perform a teardown, and boot the micro server with the pre-installed ZimaOS and check the web dashboard. In the second part of the review, we will test ZimaOS in more detail, run some benchmarks since it’s our first Twin Lake mini PC, install an Ubuntu virtual machine, test the SATA ports and PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, and more. ZimaBoard 2 unboxing We received a package […]

May 10, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 19 Comments

Beelink ME Mini is a compact 6-slot SSD NAS and mini PC powered by an Intel N150 Twin Lake SoC

Beelink was one of the first companies to launch an Intel Processor N150 mini PC with the EQ14 model, and they’ve now launched the ME Mini 6-slot SSD NAS based on the Twin Lake processor, coupled with 12 GB RAM, 64GB eMMC flash, and a 2TB NVMe SSD. The compact NAS/computer also features two 2.5GbE ports, a WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless module, HDMI 2.0 video output, and a few USB ports. Like the Beelink EQ14, it comes with an integrated 100/240V power supply instead of an external power brick. Beelink ME Mini specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N150 quad-core Twin Lake processor @ up to 3.6 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD graphics @ 1.0 GHz; TDP: 6W System Memory – 12GB LPDDR5 4800 MHz; note: a 16GB LPDDR5 model will also be available Storage 5x M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x1 sockets 1x M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 […]