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This Windows mini PC fits in my hand – and supports up to three 4K monitors

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Minix Z97 Mini PC

Imagine having a PC that fits in your hand and performs well enough to get you through the day (with power to spare). Such computers exist, but not all of them are created equal.

I’ve tested plenty of these tiny form-factor PCs, and a lot of them might be cute, but they lack any semblance of power to do much. Others, like the Piccolo N150 and realized my assumptions might very well be wrong. 

Minix is a company you might never have heard of, but they create quite a lot of small form-factor hardware, such as PCs, car touchscreens, portable monitors, chargers, and wireless displays. Minix’s products often impress and are offered at affordable prices. For instance, its new Z97 Mini PC The back side of the Z97 Mini PC showing 2 ethernet jacks.

You’ll even find 2 RJ45 ethernet jacks on the Z97.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Once the setup was completed, I ran the tiny PC through what would be my normal daily routine, including installing LibreOffice, launching Ollama/Msty, browsing the web, and watching videos on YouTube.

As far as everyday tasks go, the New Z97 performed far better than I expected from such a tiny machine. LibreOffice opened quickly, editing images with GIMP was painless, websites loaded as fast as they would on my main desktop PC, and YouTube videos and music on Spotify played without issue.

should be limited to such deployments. This tiny machine is powerful enough for everyday use. And if you need a triple monitor setup, the Z97 has you covered, which means this little beast can do some serious work.

Also: 5 of the easiest, quickest Linux distros to install – and I’ve tried them all

Don’t be fooled by its size; the Z97 can serve as your desktop computer with ease and grace. It might not be the most powerful machine I’ve ever used (that would be my System76 Thelio), but it’s a far cry from the low end, and at $226 on Amazon, it’s a steal.

Minix Neo Z97 Mini PC tech specs

  • CPU – Intel® Processor N97 (6MB cache, up to 3.6 GHz)
  • GPU – Intel® UHD Graphics
  • Memory – 12GB LPDDR5X-4800MHz (Onboard)
  • Storage – 512GB M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x 4 NVMe SSD
  • Storage Slot – M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x 1 NVMe Slot.
  • Ethernet Chipset – 2 x RJ-45 1G Ethernet
  • Connectivity – M.2 2230 Intel® 802.11AX Dual Band WIFI 6 (2.4GHz/5GHz), BT5.2
  • Ports – HDMI Port: 2 x HDMI2.1 TMDS 4K@60Hz, DP Port: 1 x DP1.4 4K@60Hz, 3 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x Input AC 100~240V, Output 12V 3A 36W Max, DC 2.5/5.5mm, 1 x Audio Output Combo Jack, and 2 x RJ-45 1G Ethernet.
  • OS – Windows 11
  • Size – 88×88×42mm
  • Weight – 0.18kg
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