Mini-PC
The introduction of the Intel NUC in the early 2010s kickstarted the ultra-compact form-factor (UCFF) trend for desktop systems. Processors with TDPs ranging from 6 - 15W formed the backbone of this segment in the initial years. The emergence of configurable TDPs for notebook processors has prompted some vendors to introduce UCFF systems with regular 45W TDP processors (albeit, in cTDP-down mode). GEEKOM, the private label brand of Shenzhen Jiteng Network Technology Co., has emerged as a popular UCFF system vendor in the last couple of years. After starting off with systems based on older processors, the company has moved on to introducing units carrying the latest and greatest from both AMD and Intel. The company has also been innovating on the form-factor side with...
ASRock Brings Zen 2 NUC : 4X4 BOX-4800U Renoir Mini-PC Reviewed
AMD-based ultra-compact form-factor (UCFF) systems are slowly gaining market acceptance, with the Zen architecture slowly catching up with Intel on both the performance as well as power consumption front...
53 by Ganesh T S on 11/25/2020ASRock Industrial's NUC 1100 BOX Series Brings Tiger Lake to UCFF Systems
Intel's introduction of the Tiger Lake U-series processors with support for a range of TDPs up to 28W has resulted in vendors launching a number of interesting systems with...
13 by Ganesh T S on 10/13/2020MinisForum Unveils EliteMini H31G: 65W CPU & 75W GPU in a Compact Mini-PC
MinisForum has been making some interesting moves in the last few months with their computing platforms, ranging from the DMAF5 based on the Ryzen 3000H-series SoCs to the Ice...
3 by Ganesh T S on 9/29/2020ASRock Industrial's 4x4-BOX UCFF PC Series Goes Premium with Ryzen 4000U Renoir APUs
ASRock Industrial has been at the forefront of AMD-based UCFF PCs, being one of the first to bring out systems based on the Ryzen Embedded APUs in mid-2019. In...
36 by Ganesh T S on 9/8/2020ASUS PN50 Mini-PC, with Ryzen Mobile 4000 APUs, Coming September
AMD launched its Ryzen Mobile 4000 ‘Renoir’ processors in January, and one of our questions was around the appetite for AMD to push mini-PC designs. Processors that have both...
66 by Dr. Ian Cutress on 8/3/2020Intel NUC10i7FNH Frost Canyon Review: Hexa-Core NUC Delivers a Mixed Bag
Small form-factor (SFF) PCs and gaming systems have represented the bulk of the growing segment in the PC market over the last few years. Intel's NUC line-up has enjoyed...
85 by Ganesh T S on 3/2/2020CES 2020: ZOTAC Announces ZBOX Edge MI643 Powered By Intel Comet Lake
All told, ZOTAC has launched several ZBOX SFF PCs at this year's CES. Typical for the company's wide reach, they're gearing up to release a range of boxes at...
6 by Gavin Bonshor on 1/9/2020CES 2020: ZOTAC Edge CI341, A SFF PC With 6 W Passively Cooled Intel Gemini Lake CPU
With CES 2020 expected to be dominated with announcements of new mobile processors from both Intel and AMD, ZOTAC has taken things in a slightly different direction, preparing a...
9 by Gavin Bonshor on 1/8/2020Shuttle XPC slim DH370 mini-PC Review: A Compact Digital Signage Powerhouse
Small form-factor (SFF) machines have predominantly used 5W - 45W TDP processors. The introduction of the mini-STX form-factor standardized a compact form factor for systems with processors having a...
37 by Ganesh T S on 5/6/2019The ASRock DeskMini A300 Review: An Affordable DIY AMD Ryzen mini-PC
Small form-factor (SFF) machines have emerged as a major growth segment in the desktop PC market. Performance per watt is an important metric for such systems, and Intel has...
89 by Ganesh T S on 4/26/2019The ASRock DeskMini 310 Mini-PC Review: A Cost-Effective Mini-STX Platform
Small form-factor PCs and gaming systems have emerged as bright spots in the mature PC market over the last decade or so. Intel's NUC form-factor introduction was the turning...
49 by Ganesh T S on 3/15/2019ZOTAC’s Streaming Mini-PC, the MI553B, with Integrated AVerMedia Capture Card
With the advent of streaming video games online being a core market for computer hardware manufacturers, a new initiative was announced at TwitchCon 2018 to develop smaller form factor...
7 by Ian Cutress on 1/22/2019Shuttle XPC Slim DH370 Barebones PC: Coffee Lake with Three 4K Display Outputs
Shuttle has introduced its new ultra-compact personal computer, the XPC Slim DH370. The new desktop PC barebones is aimed primarily at multi-display special-purpose applications and can drive up to...
15 by Anton Shilov on 11/27/2018Shuttle Announces 1.3-Liter XPC Slim DH310: A Barebones PC for Coffee Lake CPUs
Shuttle has formally introduced its new entry-level ultra-compact form-factor PC, the XPC Slim DH310, a barebones PC for Intel’s Coffee Lake processors with up to six cores. The systems...
11 by Anton Shilov on 8/8/2018ASRock DeskMini Z370 GTX1060 Review: A Compact Coffee Lake Gaming PC
Small form-factor machines have emerged as a very significant chunk of the PC market. Building on the success of the UCFF NUCs, Intel introduced the mini-STX platform in 2015...
24 by Ganesh T S on 6/12/2018Chuwi Announces The HiGame Mini-PC With Kaby Lake G
Although we’ve mostly covered Chuwi’s laptop and tablet ventures to date, the company has just announced the HiGame mini-PC, and it’s worth a look. Chuwi is stepping out of...
25 by Brett Howse on 4/9/2018The Intel NUC8i7HVK (Hades Canyon) Review: Kaby Lake-G Benchmarked
Intel has enjoyed great success with its NUC line of ultra-compact and small form-factor (UCFF & SFF) PCs. While the UCFF form-factor managed to provide enough horsepower for office...
126 by Ganesh T S on 3/29/2018Zotac ZBOX MAGNUS EK71080 Compact Gaming PC Review
Gaming systems and small form-factor (SFF) PCs have turned out to be growth segments in a desktop PC market that has been subject to severe challenges recently. Many vendors...
18 by Ganesh T S on 3/28/2018Chuwi at CES 2018: KBL-G Mini PC, Gemini Lake 2-in-1, And More
LAS VEGAS, NV – This year at CES, Chuwi is showing off a couple of new devices that they have in the pipeline. These are not yet ready for...
12 by Brett Howse on 1/11/2018ASUS at CES 2018: New Mini PCs, PB40 and PN40, Chromebox 3 and Tinker Board S
LAS VEGAS, NV — ASUS today has announced its latest small form factor products with its PB40 and PN40 adding to its existing VivoMini and ROG GR8 II selections...
11 by Joe Shields on 1/8/2018