apollo lake

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments on Running Ubuntu 16.04 on MeLE PCG03 Apo Mini PC

Running Ubuntu 16.04 on MeLE PCG03 Apo Mini PC

I completed my review of MeLE PCG03 Apo mini PC with Windows 10 about two weeks ago, and at the time when I tried Ubuntu, all I got was a black screen. MeLE said they would release an Ubuntu image for the board soon, so I did not investigate further. The company has now released Ubuntu 16.04 Desktop ISO via a link on Twitter together with (partial) instructions, and the company told me another company had worked on the image. I sent the link to Linuxium, as in the past MeLE or that other company used his work without asking. I turns out the ISO was identical to Ubuntu 16.04 Desktop ISO released in April last year.

Anyway, I still got the black screen issue using that image, and that’s because I first failed to find the option in the BIOS to change boot to Linux. When the mini […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments on Beelink S1 Mini PC Comes with Up to 8GB RAM, Supports M.2 SSD & SATA Storage, and Cortana via a Built-in Microphone

Beelink S1 Mini PC Comes with Up to 8GB RAM, Supports M.2 SSD & SATA Storage, and Cortana via a Built-in Microphone

While many Apollo Lake mini PCs are sold by Chinese manufacturers, few of come with up to 8GB RAM, and include an internal 2.5″ SATA bay. But Beelink S1 mini PC does, and it also include an M.2 SSD slot, so you can have fast storage for the operating system using an SSD, and cheap and larger storage for your data with the SATA bay. If you are a fan of voice commands, a built-in microphone working with Cortana is also included. Beelink S1 mini PC specifications: SoC – Intel Celeron N3450 quad core Apollo Lake processor @ 1.10 GHz / 2.20 GHz (Burst frequency) with 12 EU Intel HD graphics 500 @ 200/700 MHz  (6W TDP) System Memory – 4 or 8 GB DDR3 Storage – 64 GB eMMC flash, internal SATA bay, M.2 SSD slot up to 512 GB, micro SD card slot up to 128GB Video Output […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments on GIGABYTE GA-SBCAP3350 Celeron N3350 Single Computer Computer Offers Upgradeable Memory and Storage

GIGABYTE GA-SBCAP3350 Celeron N3350 Single Computer Computer Offers Upgradeable Memory and Storage

The other day I wrote about MeLE PCG35 Apo mini PC which comes with soldered RAM and eMMC flash, and one person commented about having a model with more than 4GB RAM, but I explained it would  not be cost-effective to add more RAM for low cost Windows 10 mini PCs since they would not qualify for Microsoft discount, and it would significantly add to the price. So Microsoft has a big impact on this market segment, and even if you’re going to run Ubuntu or other Linux distributions, those requirements indirectly affect your choice of hardware.  One solution is to buy barebone mini PC, or at least with upgradeable RAM and storage, but there aren’t that many with an Apollo Lake processor. Intel NUC6CAYS NUC or GIGABYTE GB-BPCE-3350 are options, and on the Chinese side, you could consider Voyo V1 VMac Mini. AFAIK, none of those options are fanless, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 25 Comments on MeLE PCG35 Apo mini PC is Powered by Intel Celeron J3455 “Desktop” Processor, Supports 2.5″ SATA Drives

MeLE PCG35 Apo mini PC is Powered by Intel Celeron J3455 “Desktop” Processor, Supports 2.5″ SATA Drives

Many Apollo Lake mini PCs have come to market recently, but most of those are based on N-series such as Celeron N3450 or Pentium N4200, which are normally designed for what the company’s refer to as “Mobile” devices referring to regular or 2-in-1 hybrid laptops, while the company also offer J-Series specifically designed for Desktop application with a higher TDP and CPU and GPU clocks. I’ve just completed my review of MeLE PCG03 Apo mini PC based on Celeron N3450 processor, but MeLE is about to launch a similarly spec’d PCG35 Apo model with a faster Celeron J3455 desktop processor instead, and support for 2.5″ SATA drives. MeLE PCG03 Apo specifications (bold highlights show differences with PCG03 Apo): SoC – Intel Celeron J3455 quad core “Apollo Lake” processor @ 1.50 / 2.30 GHz with a 12 EU Intel HD Graphics 500 @ 250/750 MHz (10W TDP) System Memory – 4GB […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 20 Comments on Beelink AP34 Ultimate Apollo Lake mini PC Comes with 8GB RAM

Beelink AP34 Ultimate Apollo Lake mini PC Comes with 8GB RAM

Most Apollo Lake mini PCs on the market ship with 4GB RAM, but if you find this limiting, Beelink AP34 Ultimate, powered by an Intel Celeron N3450 quad core processor, comes with 8GB DDR3 memory and 64GB eMMC flash. Beelink AP34 Ultimate fanless mini PC specifications: SoC – Intel Celeron N3450 quad core Apollo Lake processor @ 1.10 GHz / 2.20 GHz (Burst frequency) with 12 EU Intel HD graphics 500 @ 200/700 MHz  (6W TDP) System Memory – 8 GB DDR3 Storage – 64 GB eMMC flash, SD card slot, M.2 SSD slot up to 320 GB Video Output – HDMI 1.4 up to 4K @ 30 Hz Audio – 3.5mm headphone jack and HDMI Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, dual band 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 3x USB 3.0 host ports Misc – Power button and LED, reset pinhole Power Supply – 12V/2A Dimensions –  11.90 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 20 Comments on Review of MeLE PCG03 Apo Fanless 4K Mini PC – Part 2: Windows 10, Benchmarks, and Kodi

Review of MeLE PCG03 Apo Fanless 4K Mini PC – Part 2: Windows 10, Benchmarks, and Kodi

MeLE PCG03 Apo is an update to MeLE PCG03 mini PC, and one of the rare Apollo Lake mini PCs to be both fanless, and support HDMI 2.0 output. I’ve already checked out the hardware design in “MeLE PCG03 Apo Fanless Apollo Lake mini PC Review – Part 1: Unboxing and Teardown“, so in the second part of the review I tested Windows 10, focusing on HDMI 2.0 features, audio pass-through in Kodi, and performance and stability tests to see how well it compared to similar actively cooled mini PCs such as Voyo V1 VMac mini. MeLE PCG03 Apo Setup and System Information I connected a USB 3.0 drive to one of the USB 3.0 ports, USB keyboard and mouse, and RF dongle for a wireless gamepad to the other USB 2.0/3.0 ports, as well as USB type C to micro USB adapter itself connected to a micro USB OTG […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Lightank W100 is a Windows 10 Apollo Lake mini PC with Projector Sold in China

Lightank W100 is a Windows 10 Apollo Lake mini PC with Projector Sold in China

We’ve previously seen Windows 10 mini PCs with a projector based on Intel Cherry Trail processor such as Sunty SP-001 and Partaker M3, but there’s now an Apollo Lake model coming soon, at least in China, in an interesting form factor.LighTank W100 specifications: SoC – Intel Celeron N3350 dual core Apollo Lake processor @ 1.10 / 2.40 GHz with 12EU Intel HD graphics 500 @ 200 / 650 MHz; (6W TDP) System Memory – 4GB RAM Storage – 32GB eMMC flash Video Output – HDMI output Audio – HDMI, stereo audio jack, microphone array Projector – 1280×800 native resolution; 1000 ANSI lumens; 30,000 hours LED lifetime Connectivity – Ethernet, WiFi and Bluetooth USB – 1x USB 3.0 port, 2x USB 2.0 ports Dimensions – 345 x 338 x 57 mm Weight – 1.5 kg The projector comes pre-isntalled with Windows 10 and Office365, and boots in 30 seconds. It ships […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on CHUWI LapBook 12.3 Apollo Lake Laptop with 2736 x 1824 Display Sells for $300 (Promo)

CHUWI LapBook 12.3 Apollo Lake Laptop with 2736 x 1824 Display Sells for $300 (Promo)

CHUWI LapBook 12.3 is a laptop powered by an Intel Celeron N3450 “Apollo Lake” processor, with 6GB RAM, 64GB storage, and a high-resolution display that ships with Windows 10 Home, and is supposed to support Ubuntu too. While the laptop was announced last April for $349, it has now started to sell for $299.99 on GearBest with coupon CHUWI123 valid for the first 100 orders only, after which you should be able to get it for $309.99 during flash sales. CHUWI LapBook 12.3 specifications: SoC – Intel Celeron N3450 quad core “Apollo Lake” processor @ 1.1 GHz / 2.2 GHz (Burst frequency) and 12 EU Intel HD graphics 500 @ 200 MHz / 700 MHz (Burst freq.); 6W TDP System Memory – 6GB DDR3 Storage – 64 GB eMMC flash + micro SD slot up to 128 GB + M.2 SSD up to 256 GB Display – 12.3″ IPS display […]