Beelink Announces Two New Mini PC Models

I thought I’d share the news: the fairly well-known Chinese company Beelink recently introduced a couple of interesting mini PC models. If you’re interested in this category, I think you’ll find some useful information here.


First up is a model with an Intel J4105 processor based on the new Gemini Lake architecture.
This processor is a little more powerful than the less expensive Celeron N4100. It runs at 1.5 GHz base clock and 2.5 GHz in turbo mode, while the N4100 runs at 1.1 GHz and up to 2.4 GHz in turbo mode.


Two main versions of the device are available, differing only in the amount of RAM and SSD storage.
Option 1 - 4 GB RAM and 64 GB SSD - price: $220 link
Option 2 - 6 GB RAM and 128 GB SSD - price: $260, link.

Personally, I think option 2 is clearly the better deal: for an extra $40, you get not only an additional 2 GB of RAM but also 64 GB more SSD storage, which certainly won’t go to waste with modern applications.



The device is quite compact. The manufacturer compares its width to the length of a smartphone, although that’s really just advertising, since it’s fairly thick. And I don’t think a larger size is necessarily a bad thing—in fact, it means better cooling.


For connecting peripherals, the computer has:
4 USB 3.0 ports, two on the front and two on the back.
2 HDMI outputs
A jack for analog audio input/output.
A Gigabit Ethernet port


There’s also a pretty important feature: you can install a 2.5-inch hard drive or SSD inside and use the device as a media center as well.


Also, judging by the photos of the internals, you can replace the stock SSD or add a second one. Unfortunately, the RAM can’t be upgraded, which is why I recommended the 6 GB model above.


Cooling is active. Unfortunately, that’s a downside: it can get noisy at times. But there’s an upside too—less chance of overheating, a problem with many Chinese computers that I’ve written about before.


The package includes a mount for attaching it to the back of a monitor or TV, as well as (presumably) two HDMI cables, one short and one long.



The second model is better known. I even reviewed one of its variants once, with an N4200 processor. This version uses a slightly less powerful N3450, although Beelink offered that configuration before, too. In this case, two things have been updated: the RAM has increased from 4 to 6 GB, and a second HDMI port has been added. The previous version had HDMI + VGA. As far as I can tell, everything else is unchanged.
This computer costs $179.99 and comes in just one configuration: 6 GB RAM and 64 GB of flash storage - link


This one also has 4 USB 3.0 ports and Gigabit Ethernet, plus the two HDMI ports mentioned above.


The two video outputs let you use the computer with a monitor and a TV at the same time—as a regular computer and a media center—or simply with two monitors for a more convenient workspace.




Both computers have dual-band Wi-Fi onboard. Based on my experience with previous models, I’d guess it’s an Intel module again.


Since the N3450 is less powerful than the processor mentioned above, the cooling is passive. I’ll note that the computer worked perfectly well even with an N4200, so there’s a good chance no modifications will be needed.


And, of course, as with the previous models, the package includes a bracket for mounting it behind a monitor.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much information about the first model, and I’d like to test it more thoroughly, take it apart, and see how it’s built and how well it works. But the store has even posted a video of the second model; maybe some of you will find it interesting.