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Final summer season a few Chinese language corporations started promoting M8S mini PC that packs three HDMI 2.0 ports, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, and three USB 3.0 Kind-A ports into a pc that measures simply 88 x 88 x 39mm (3.5″ x 3.5″ x 1.5″) and weighs simply 248 grams (9 ounces).
On the time the system shipped with an Celeron N5105 processor, however now you may decide one up with a more moderen, higher-performance Intel Processor N100 chip. Morefine is promoting the M8S for $197 and up via its AliExpress retailer, whereas Topton is promoting the system for $186 and up.
The Intel Celeron N5105 processor is a 10-watt, 4-core, 4-thread chip launched in 2021, whereas the Intel Processor N100 is a 6-watt, 4-core, 4-thread chip launched this 12 months. Regardless of its decrease base energy consumption degree, the brand new chip provides a major enhance in CPU efficiency and may supply comparable good points in graphics.
That’s as a result of the Celeron N5105 processor is predicated on Intel’s Jasper Lake structure, whereas the N100 is an Alder Lake-N chip that’s utilizing the identical CPU cores because the Effectivity cores present in different Twelfth-gen Intel processors.
It’s nonetheless not a high-performance processor by any means, but it surely ought to make the brand new variations of this tiny PC at the least somewhat zippier.
Beginning costs are for configurations with 8GB of RAM however no storage or working system. However it solely prices a couple of {dollars} to improve to a mannequin with a 128GB SSD and Home windows 11 software program. (which leads me to marvel if these little computer systems are transport with an activated Home windows license or in the event you’ll nonetheless want to purchase one in the event you plan to truly use Home windows on the methods).
You may also configure the methods with as much as 12GB of RAM and as much as 2TB of storage. The storage is user-upgradeable, however the reminiscence isn’t, because it’s soldered to the mainboard. However the product listings counsel that fashions with 16GB of RAM could also be obtainable sooner or later.
Every mannequin options LPDDR5-4800 reminiscence, an M.2 2242 slot for PCIe 3.0 stable state storage, and a wi-fi card with assist for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
Different options embrace a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C port (for energy enter solely), and an LED gentle strip alongside the underside of the pc. The system will be powered by a 30W USB-PD energy adapter. And the pc has a fan for lively cooling in addition to a copper warmth sink.
I’ll observe that it’s attainable that the processor may not be the one factor that’s totally different within the new fashions with Alder Lake-N chips. Not less than one of many product listings says the brand new mannequin has two HDMI 2.0 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 port… but it surely additionally reveals an image of a mini PC that clearly has three HDMI ports.
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