mini pc News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

May 16, 2025May 16, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 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, 2025May 15, 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 […]

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

MINIX NEO Z150-0dB and Z150-Aero – Fanless and actively-cooled Intel Processor N150 mini PCs with WiFi 6 and 2.5GbE

MINIX NEO Z150-0dB and NEO Z150-Aero mini PCs are both based on an Intel Processor N150 Twin Lake processor, but the first one is fanless, and the second is actively cooled. Both mini PCs ship with up to 16GB DDR4 memory and 512GB NVMe SSD storage, and the most obvious difference is that the fanless model comes with two external antennas, while the actively-cooled mini PC features internal antennas. But there are more. Let’s find out by checking out the specifications. MINIX NEO Z150-0dB MINIX Z150-0db specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N150 quad-core “Twin Lake” processor @ up to 3.6 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD graphics @ 1000 MHz; TDP: 6W Memory – 8GB or 16GB DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM memory; upgradeable up to 32GB Storage 256GB or 512GB M.2 SSD in M.2 PCIe Gen3 x4 socket MicroSD card slot Video Output – 2x HDMI 2.1 ports up to […]

April 28, 2025April 28, 2025 by Debashis Das - 4 Comments

Jetway B420PADN1 – A compact, fanless embedded box PC with Intel N97/N200 SoC, M.2 sockets, COM ports

B420PADN1 Fanless Compact Box PC with Intel N series SoC Processors

The Jetway B420PADN1 is a compact, fanless box PC built around an Intel N97 or N200 Alder Lake-N SoCs. The computer system features a Pico-ITX motherboard and operates in a wide -20°C to 50°C temperature range for industrial, commercial, and embedded applications where reliable and silent operation are important. The PC comes pre-installed with 8GB DDR5 4800MHz SO-DIMM memory (expandable up to 32GB) and supports 4K display output via an HDMI 2.0b port. For storage and expansion, it offers M.2 B+M Key and E-Key slots, along with a Nano SIM slot for cellular connectivity. Other features include two serial ports, USB 3.2 Gen1 and USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and VESA/wall mounting options. These features make this embedded box PC suitable for applications such as digital signage, industrial automation, edge computing, IoT gateways, kiosks, and smart retail. Jetway B420PADN1 box PC specifications: Alder Lake-N SoC (one or the other) Intel […]

April 23, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Zimaboard 2 – An Intel N150 micro server and mini PC with dual SATA, dual 2.5GbE, PCIe slot, miniDP (Crowdfunding)

ZimaBoard 2 is a compact Intel Processor N150 “Twin Lake” mini PC and micro server with two 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports, two SATA ports, two USB 3.1 ports, and a 4K-capable miniDP video output. It built upon the company’s ZimaBoard introduced in 2021 with an Apollo Lake processor, but offers a much faster Intel N150 CPU, LPDDR5x memory, 2.5GbE networking instead of gigabit Ethernet, and a PCIe Gen 3.0 x4 slot as opposed to a PCIe Gen 2.0 x4 slot. Two variants are offered: one with 8GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash and the other in a 16GB/64GB configuration. Zimaboard 2 specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N150 quad-core “Twin Lake” processor @ up to 3.6 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD graphics @ 1000 MHz; PBP: 6W (but set to 10W here) System Memory and Storage ZimaBoard 2 832 – 8GB LPDDR5X 4800MHz; 32GB eMMC flash ZimaBoard 2 1664 […]

April 18, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

ALPON X4 – A Raspberry Pi CM4 fanless Edge Computer with 4G LTE cellular connectivity

SixFab ALPON X4 is yet another fanless Raspberry Pi CM4-powered edge computer whose main selling point is built-in 4G LTE cellular connectivity with an eSIM, besides two Ethernet ports, and dual-band WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 on the system-on-module. The edge computer ships with 8GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash by default, but another Raspberry Pi CM4 can be used upon request. Other ports include HDMI video output, two USB 2.0 ports, and an RJ11 jack for GPIO expansion. The system supports three power options: USB PD, a 9V to 30V DC input terminal block, or PoE. ALPON X4 specifications: SoM – Raspberry Pi CM4 SoC – Broadcom BCM2711 CPU – Quad-core Cortex-A72 SoC @ 1.5GHz GPU – VideoCore VI with support for OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan 1.0 VPU Decode – H.265/HEVC up to 4Kp60, H.264 up to 1080p60 Encode – H.264 up to 1080p30 Memory – 8GB LPDDR4-3200 […]

April 7, 2025April 7, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

AAEON UP 710S Edge Intel Processor N50/N97/N100/N200 mini PC is offered with Windows 11 IoT Enterprise or Ubuntu Pro 24.04 LTS

AAEON UP 710S Edge is a small fanless Mini PC powered by Intel Processor N50, N97, N100, or N200 Alder Lake-N SoC designed for companies wanting to upgrade industrial automation setups, and running Windows 11 IoT Enterprise 24H2 LTSC or Ubuntu Pro 24.04 LTS. Based on the UP 710S SBC introduced last November, the mini PC features a 10-pin terminal block with up to eight GPIOs, SPI, I2C, and PWM, an RS-232/422/485 COM, and support for WiFi and Bluetooth via an M.2 2230 E-Key slot. The computer also offers HDMI video output, three USB 3.2 ports, and gigabit Ethernet networking. UP 710S Edge specifications: Alder Lake-N SoC Intel Processor N50 dual-core processor up to 3.4 GHz with 6MB cache, 16EU Intel UHD Graphics @ up to 750 MHz; TDP: 6W Intel Processor N97 quad-core processor up to 3.6 GHz with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD Graphics @ up to 1.2 GHz; […]