Trend-KAMRUI via Amazon has
KAMRUI AK2 Plus Mini PC (AK2PLUS) on sale for
$150.45 when you clip the $30 off coupon on the item page and apply promo code
ZU8V38U4 at checkout.
Shipping is free.
Thanks to community member
davidj8281 for finding this deal.
Specs:- 12th Gen Intel Alder Lake-N100 4-core, 4-thread (0.80GHz Base / 3.4GHz Boost) Processor
- 16GB DDR4 RAM
- 512GB M.2 Solid State Drive
- Intel UHD Graphics
- Gigabit Ethernet 2.4G+5.0G dual-band WiFi 5 + Bluetooth 4.2
- Windows 11 Pro
- Ports:
- 2x HDMI 2.0
- 2x USB 2.0
- 2x USB 3.0
- 1x RJ 45
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Top Comments
1. No m.2 slot, only SSD. This is a significant bottleneck
2. No USB C connector
3. Only has wifi 5 (we are almost at wifi 7!)
Some other things that are normal but good to know for this price range, RAM is soldered on and the fan seems like it could be quieter.
For a few bucks more you can go with several other vendors that don't have the first 3 limitations noted above. I for one think the $20-$30 more could get you a better N100. I see why it's on sale.
During normal PC usage including boot and application start the bottleneck isn't SSD speed, it's seek latency, which is similar between PCIE ssds and even the very old now seeming SATA ssds. Difference in boot to windows is literally like two seconds.
Don't let the throughput numbers fool you. On that or the WiFi technology. WiFi 5 is totally fine for pretty much anything anyone would wanna do with this box. Don't be fooled into thinking you need stuff that you don't.
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Since the N95/100 have a 12th gen IME (media engine) that is not a problem at all if you need to go from say 4k to 1080p or lower. It can even retain the HDR metadata (I have done this). I would say it can easily do 3-4 at the same time. I have done 3 just to test, but all of my clients go direct (GCCtv, Onn 4k, Fire 4k max) so I never transcode unless on mobile and that is only the kids. Zero issue.
If you are doing such operations, you should really have your Plex/JF server connected to wired ethernet, not wifi.
The technical answer it's half-ish but for normal knowledge work or non computational work you are looking at 5-10% slower than an i3 version with proper DC but at 2x the cost or more.
For $150 you are talking a terminal or a docker/low power HTPC.
Intel specifically gimped these not to overlap w/ their i-series. The N-305 is a pretty powerful E-core beast and can power some serious workloads and routers/SPI applications.
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During normal PC usage including boot and application start the bottleneck isn't SSD speed, it's seek latency, which is similar between PCIE ssds and even the very old now seeming SATA ssds. Difference in boot to windows is literally like two seconds.
Don't let the throughput numbers fool you. On that or the WiFi technology. WiFi 5 is totally fine for pretty much anything anyone would wanna do with this box. Don't be fooled into thinking you need stuff that you don't.
Well, depends on how many streams you're doing. Can handle 2-3 streams easily, maybe more. For personal use, this is well more than enough.
I've got the beelink N100, it's great. It's PERFECT for a home server.
If you're sending out 10-12 streams to family and friends, it may not be able to handle it if they all need transcoding. But then...tell them to get with the times.
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Yes, the Shield can run Plex, but it can't run a lot of the software a typical PC user would be comfortable installing and using.
Moreover, the transcoding capabilities in these mini PCs is far better than what the Shield can handle and are much newer processors in general.
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