I was skeptical about ordering any type of Mini pc. My main goal was to be able to watch Xfinity on my TV without having to pay monthly for an additional cable box. I needed the graphics card and processor speed to be fast enough to stream without getting jumpy and this mini pc does the trick. I've been able to continuously watch regular TV programming, sports, DVR, etc without any buffering or noticeable dropped frames. The boot time is extremely fast. I also like the fact it comes with Windows Pro installed, so I can remote into the PC if needed.
Side note: I had ordered a different brand of mini pc prior to this one. I had to send back because it was a 32gb and was unable to download the latest Windows Creators update. Regardless of which mini pc you decide to purchase, BE SURE to buy nothing less than 64gb. PCs can run on 32gb, but you will have a tough time trying to download larger updates from Windows (and these updates are NOT optional. Your system will continue to try and download). My mini pc is using approximately 36gb of space and I've only installed Netflix, Hulu and a few other streaming apps.
I bought this because my part time job requires me to submit paper work online through questionnaires and typically I get home around 8 or 9 at night and after working since 7am-4pm due to my full time job then 4-8 or9pm with my part time job where's the place I want to be on a week day around that time? You guessed it, Bed! Of course! So I hooked up keyboard with track pad mouse combo to this little guy and boom I can submit paperwork from the large tv in my bedroom while being a lazy sod and laying in bed. Wow!! My dream come true!! I've also been using this for tv streaming and Spotify this thing can multitask exceptionally well with its 4gb of RAM (no lags or streaming issues). I also use this to print my paperwork for the next day (wirelessly of course) Highly recommend if you're as lazy as I am at the end of the day. Probably not so great for gaming (but that's not why I bought it), If that's what your looking for I'd look elsewhere but as for a cheap powerful ease of use PC I whole heartedly recommend.
This is the model with 4 Gb of RAM and a 64 Gb SSD, with Windows 10 Professional. For its size and cost, it is a good value for me. I bought this 11 days ago. It connected easily to my old VGA monitor, and wired USB keyboard and mouse. I bought this as a cheap way to play some games and learn Windows 10.
This pc starts up quickly. It gets very warm just sitting idle. I loaded Plants vs Zombies 2009 edition. It works fine, but the pc gets hot and this concerns me.
I tried searching the Internet for ways that users coped with this. I found one photo with a crescent-shaped ice "cube" melting. Instead of offering solutions, readers commented that since the ice wasn't shaped like a cube, it shouldn't have been called an ice cube. Pfft.
Anyway, I bought a cheap 80mm USB fan and sat this pc on top. Now the pc barely gets warm at all.
The instructions for the pc warn against removing power without a proper shutdown. So I have been careful. Yesterday, the Plants vs Zombies game would not load, saying a file was missing. I uninstalled, then re-installed the game and it again works fine. I'm not sure why this happened, so now after Shut Down, I am waiting a few minutes before unplugging the power and putting the pc away.
To summarize, I like this pc. I know that it doesn't have the capabilities of a Gaming pc. But it works fine for me ... with the fan.
I turned my closet into a recording studio for my SO. Needed a silent PC for a simple task: record audio from a USB microphone to Audacity, then move it to a cloud drive. At first I thought this task should be simple enough for a Raspberry Pi to handle, but in practice, it couldn't keep up. The recording would have clicks and pops, some google fu lead me to believe it can't handle the stream. The other downside is me having to setup and support that linux environment for her. For example, the RPI would blank the screen but the monitor would not go into standby mode. Maybe I could figure that out but I'd rather not have to.
I was in the process of putting together a N4100 mini-itx system, but I couldn't find a power supply that suited my needs. I don't need 100w psu, or 50w for that matter.
This little box has everything I need. Probably more processing power than necessary for this usage. USB A and C on the front panel is nice, as USB C devices start gaining traction. Sequential reads from the SSD move at 250mbps, and the WIFI maxes out my WAN bandwidth of 150mbps.
The only thing that drew my attention was somewhere in settings there was a message that I couldn't change some settings due to policy settings, and it made me a little uncomfortable that this windows setup has been "configured" by some company out of HK. Installed Win10 LTSB, but had to manually find and install drivers for the intel graphics adapter, intel Gemini Lake drivers, and some other stuff, even though they were all on MS update catalog website.
-I have an i8 based desktop & had very low expectations for this intended single purpose PC purchase.
-I consider myself a MSOffice power user, large Access dbs & bigger Excel files
-I can do everything on this tiny inexpensive PC that I can on my “Real” big, expensive PC. Including complex presentation graphics.
-Because of small form factor, This powerful number cruncher enabled me to move my workspace into a nicer part of my office, with view.
+I got the 64gig, the extra space enabled me to add all my required programs, but it is a solid single purpose device with extra room with the 32
I’m sure I’m missing something, but nothing important who makes their living on this device.
Feature Product
- [Win 10 Support with X5-Z8350 Processor]: Support Windows 10 Pro system, equipped with Intel Atom processor X5-Z8350, higher efficiency, faster decoding data research and development then Z8300.
- [Dual Screen Display]: connect two monitors via VGA port, simplify your work, reduce your waiting time, double efficiency.
- [Large Capacity]: 4GB DDR3 + (C:) 64GB + 128GB Max Extended Capacity(SD card is not included), download your favorite movies and TV shows in advance without worrying about the storage.
- [Strong Wireless Supports]: 2.4G+5.8G Dual Band WiFi, 1000MB/s Lan, Bluetooth 4.0 make everything smoother whenever transmission and download.
- [Package Contents]: 1x Z83-F Mini PC; 1x Power Adaptor; 1x HDMI Cable; 1x User Manual. It supports Auto Power On after Power Failure. It doesn't support touch screen monitor.
Description
Description:
Product model: Z83-F
Dimension: 120*120*27mm
Processor Number:x5-Z8350
Cache: 2 MB
Instruction Set : 64-bit
System Config:
OS: Support Windows 10 Pro system
Language : Multi -language
Intel CPU: Intel Atom x5-Z8350 Processor (2M Cache, up to 1.92 GHz)
Processor Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 400
Installed RAM: DDR3L 4GB
System Disk: Windows(C:) 64GB
Ethernet: 1000Mbps LAN
WIFI: IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n，2.4G+5.8G
Bluetooth: BT 4.0
Antenna: Built-in antenna for WIFI
Expand Memory: SD Card (Support 128GB)
Performance:
# of Cores: 4
# of Threads: 4
Processor Base Frequency: 1.44 GHz
Burst Frequency: 1.92 GHz
Scenario Design Power (SDP): 2 W
Button and Ports:
Button: 1*Power Button
DC-in: 1*DC in Port
USB3.0: 1* Standard USB Port
HD: 1*HD Type Port
RJ45: 1*RJ45
VGA: 1* VGA Port
Headphone microphone: 1*Headphone microphone jack
SD Card: 1* SD card slot
USB2.0: 2* Standard USB Ports
Power LED: 1* power LED with two - color
Power management:
Adapter DC12V 1.5A(100-240V,50/60Hz)
Environment:
Work Environment: 5°C -- 35°C，30%--90% Humidity
Storage Environment: -20°C -- 60°C，10%--90% Humidity
Packing size:
132*124*90mm
Package Included:
1x Z83-F Mini PC
1x Power Adaptor
1x HDMI Cable
1x User Manual
Like a lot of people out there, I just wasn't ready to buy a computer because frankly the bulk and cost were not what I wanted. And also the fact that I didn't really need all the preinstalled perks that Windows or Linux provided. I just wanted to get on line to YouTube, Amazon, Wikipedia, and a few others. Then I happen to find this item being reviewed on YouTube from an international trade show in the UK. Very surprising and interesting statements made by the British reviewers. They had tested this model and were clearly impressed. So, I went to Amazon to take a look see. Sure enough, they had just picked it up. OK. The product page pretty much explains the technical parameters and function of this PC. But hands on is what you need to know. Fist. It's preinstalled with Windows 10 Pro. Is that the top of the line from Microsoft? Not exactly, but definitely a good OS. When I set this unit up and 'activated' it, the Windows system opened with a 'Hello' in a woman's voice, and carefully walked me through each step needed to install it t permanently into the PC. It was quite easy and a little weird, if you have ever listened to 'Alexa'. Anyway, as you can see from the photos, it's just perfect for my desk and needs. Just enough ports, no noisy fan, and compact. As far as 'speed' goes, I cant really say, I'm not that savvy about tech stuff, just that it takes about 40 seconds to 'boot', and loading pages on the net is fast. No lag, no freeze up. All in all, this was the answer to my annoying perception that computers are just too bulky and too complicated to deal with. So, If this sounds like you, then definitely look into this unit. I personally think it will be worth your time and research.
I got this z83-f minisforum 4gig ram/64 gig ssd "CooFun" version from Jack'Shop ... and it did come with windows 10 pro LOADED (a licensed copy that activated itself ... I did not need to put in a product key) ... for the $180 it's a real nice deal ... it is not as fast as i'd like but it's not slow as grandma either ... for something you can put in your briefcase with a hd wire and connect wherever you go ... I love it ... BE WARE ... do NOT buy the cheaper one with only 32 gig ssd ... YOU will regret it soon ... you will not have the space to update your os ... and trying to shange out that sswd and get the os back on it is IMPOSSIBLE ...
Ok, **SO FAR** its worth the $105 I paid for it. This is the 4GB RAM/32GB emmc rig with Windows 10 Pro. I think I read somewhere that these models get hot and lock up or whatever. The whole purpose of this thing is basically to sit powered up 24/7/365 running only Blue Iris. Just recording stuff from my security cams and saving it to a NAS drive.
This little computer comes in a nice box which includes a very brief manual but it gives a good overview of the little thing. Comes with an HDMI cable, mounting bracket if you choose to mount it on something, power cord and the little computer itself.
Initial bootup and setup was quick and very painless. Yes, the version of Windows 10 Pro is legit and activated.
Everything worked out of the box including wireless. Now I'll let it run for a week 24/7/365 and then I'll update this review.
UPDATE:
03/10/2019
Ok, the answer to my question is a No. So if any of you want to use this for BlueIris, pass on it. Not enough CPU and RAM may barely be cutting it.
This is probably good for some sort of very light gaming, browsing the web etc.
I bought the Z83-F mini PC to run as a media server for my TV. I wanted something cheap, small and silent instead of a big rig or even an Xbox. It comes with brackets so installing behind my TV was very simple. For more memory I added 128 GB SD card and I’ll attach a 4 TB drive when I run out of space. I also installed it directly into my router. I could have used a Firestick for this but I wanted more power. You will want to add a wireless keyboard with a track pad.
The first time I booted it up, Windows 10 (already on the device) self-authenticated. If you are not familiar with Windows 10, it’s an awesome platform for a home media device, because there's not a lot it can't do.
I’ve had the device running for a couple of weeks now and I have no trouble streaming from Netflix and Hulu. I’ve also been able to played recorded content at the 1080P and 4K level flawlessly. The greatest limitation I’ve found so far is my internet connection. After binging all day I checked the device and it was cool to the touch.
So far I am very pleased with this mini-pc.
This works nicely right out of the box at an affordable price! Streaming, browsing the internet and playing videos works great and better with 8GB of RAM. I would not recommend purchasing anything with Windows 10 installed unless it came with 8GB of RAM. Has 4 standard USB ports, headphone jack for optional speakers, microSD card slot up to 250GB at the front of the unit, 1 HDMI port, 1 VGA port and 1 micro USB port. This Kodux box works well however it does get hot. I recommend purchasing a laptop cooling pad. There are many cooling pads to choose from at an affordable price. I purchased this brand, Tree New Bee TBR-K16 and it works great and keeps the Kodux PC from running hot. The cooling pad works perfectly because there is actually a vent at the base of the Kodux unit!
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