Chuwi LarkBox Celeron J4115 Review: A 4K Mini PC So Small, It's Lighter Than Its Own AC Adapter
The Chuwi LarkBox is a miniature HTPC that could fit just about anywhere from the same creators as the GBox mini PC or AeroBook laptop series. Aside from its miniature dimensions, the system is notable for running on the uncommon Intel Celeron J4115 CPU for 4K video playback and for utilizing an active fan inside.
Additional details on the LarkBox can be found on its official Indiegogo page here. The manufacturer offers either Windows or Linux operating systems.
More Chuwi reviews:
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
v (old) | 07 / 2020 | Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC Celeron J4115, UHD Graphics 600 | 129 g | 43 mm | x | ||
v (old) | 12 / 2019 | Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620 | 499 g | 22 mm | 0.00" | x | |
v (old) | 09 / 2018 | Chuwi GBox CWI560 Celeron N4100, UHD Graphics 600 | 558 g | 37.3 mm | x | ||
v (old) | 06 / 2018 | Intel NUC7CJYH Celeron J4005, UHD Graphics 600 | 577 g | 51 mm | 0.00" | 0x0 | |
v (old) | 09 / 2018 | Zotac ZBOX-CI660 Nano i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.1 kg | 68 mm | x |
Case
Like the GBox, the LarkBox uses a similar metal material for its chassis for a solid feel and first impression. We can't notice any manufacturing defects on our pre-production test unit whereas we can't say the same for some Chuwi laptops we've seen.
Connectivity
The four main ports are packed tightly together on the back side of the cube. The sole USB-C port appears to be for power only as our IOGEAR USB-C passthrough adapter would not work at all.
HDMI 2.0 is supported for 4K60 output.
SD Card Reader
The spring-loaded MicroSD reader is faster than we expected at about 85 MB/s. Moving 1 GB of pictures from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes about 15 seconds. A fully inserted MicroSD card sits flush against the edge and can be difficult to eject.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Intel NUC8i7BE (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
| Zotac ZBOX-CI660 Nano (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Chuwi GBox CWI560 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
| Intel NUC8i7BE (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
| Zotac ZBOX-CI660 Nano (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Chuwi GBox CWI560 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
Communication
A non-removable 1x1 Intel 9461 comes standard for Wi-Fi 5 (or 802.11ac) and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. Theoretical transfer rates are up to 433 Mbps with our own real-world tests averaging around 350 Mbps when connected to our Netgear RAX200 router.
Maintenance
Removing the bottom panel with a Philips screwdriver reveals the M.2 2242 SATA SSD expansion slot. A second panel beneath that can also be removed, but no more expansions are available as the RAM and WLAN are integrated.
Accessories and Warranty
A mounting bracket compatible with 75 mm and 100 mm mounts are included alongside the necessary screws.
Chuwi promises a one-year manufacturer warranty, but buyers may need to pay for overseas shipping and handling.
Performance
Processor
Raw multi-thread performance is about 40 percent and 80 percent faster than the Celeron N4100 and Celeron J4005, respectively, while single-thread performance remains essentially the same. This comes at the cost of a slightly higher TDP (10 W vs. 6 W), but the performance gains are well worth it.
See our dedicated page on the Celeron J4115 for more technical information and benchmarks. Performance is essentially identical to its immediate predecessor the Celeron J4105.
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 11IGL05 | |
| Chuwi LapBook Plus | |
| XIDU PhilBook Max | |
| Jumper EZbook X3 | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 11IGL05 | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC | |
| XIDU PhilBook Max | |
| Jumper EZbook X3 | |
| Chuwi LapBook Plus | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Jumper EZbook X3 | |
| XIDU PhilBook Max | |
| Chuwi LapBook Plus | |
| Intel NUC7CJYH | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 11IGL05 | |
| Chuwi GBox CWI560 | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Chuwi GBox CWI560 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 11IGL05 | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC | |
| XIDU PhilBook Max | |
| Jumper EZbook X3 | |
| Chuwi LapBook Plus | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Chuwi GBox CWI560 | |
| Chuwi LapBook Plus | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 11IGL05 | |
| XIDU PhilBook Max | |
| Jumper EZbook X3 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 11IGL05 | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC | |
| Jumper EZbook X3 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 11IGL05 | |
| Jumper EZbook X3 | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC | |
| Chuwi LapBook Plus | |
| Chuwi GBox CWI560 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 11IGL05 | |
| Intel NUC7CJYH | |
| XIDU PhilBook Max | |
| Jumper EZbook X3 | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Jumper EZbook X3 | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 11IGL05 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Jumper EZbook X3 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 11IGL05 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
PCMark results are higher than most other inexpensive Celeron or Atom-based systems but still much lower than the latest Core i3 solutions. Subjectively, the system still chugs when browsing the net especially when visiting larger web pages.
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2036 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 3191 points | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 1803 points | |
Help | ||
DPC Latency
The LarkBox is marketed as a 4K mini PC and so we're glad to report that the system is able to play 4K video at 60 FPS without any dropped frame during our YouTube test. GPU acceleration appears to be working as intended at 46 percent GPU utilization and only 17 percent CPU utilization. However, DPC latency issues may exist related to dxgkrnl.sys.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 11IGL05 | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 | |
| Huawei MateBook 13 2020 AMD | |
| Dell Latitude 7310 | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
The primary 128 GB eMMC performs more similarly to smartphones than other classic mini PCs or subnotebooks. The maximum sequential write rate of only about 106 MB/s is slow but adequate considering the intended workloads. In this case, capacity is generally more important than transfer rates. Users can expand storage via M.2 2242 or MicroSD.
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC 128 GB eMMC Flash | Intel NUC10i5FNK Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1 | Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ | Chuwi GBox CWI560 SanDisk DA4064 | Intel NUC7CJYH SanDisk Ultra II | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS SSD | 930% | 1586% | 416% | ||
| Seq Read | 286 | 1318 361% | 1668 483% | 480 68% | |
| Seq Write | 106.9 | 616 476% | 1150 976% | 464.8 335% | |
| 4K Read | 15.22 | 26.44 74% | 48.46 218% | 26.98 77% | |
| 4K Write | 21.59 | 61.3 184% | 116.5 440% | 47.43 120% | |
| 4K-64 Read | 16.8 | 650 3769% | 726 4221% | 420.5 2403% | |
| 4K-64 Write | 20.03 | 642 3105% | 1074 5262% | 174.6 772% | |
| Access Time Read * | 0.254 | 0.11 57% | 0.039 85% | 0.115 55% | |
| Access Time Write * | 0.406 | 0.07 83% | 0.032 92% | 0.089 78% | |
| Score Read | 61 | 808 1225% | 942 1444% | 498 716% | |
| Score Write | 52 | 765 1371% | 1305 2410% | 268 415% | |
| Score Total | 142 | 1955 1277% | 2716 1813% | 1025 622% | |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 107.3 | 576 437% | 197 84% | ||
| Copy Program MB/s | 92.6 | 328.9 255% | 102 10% | ||
| Copy Game MB/s | 104.7 | 471.2 350% | 175.5 68% | ||
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | 826% | 1692% | 69% | 286% | |
| Write 4K | 26.02 | 58.4 124% | 130 400% | 38 46% | 61.1 135% |
| Read 4K | 16.33 | 30.24 85% | 45.61 179% | 23.84 46% | 31.99 96% |
| Write Seq | 109.5 | 773 606% | 226.7 107% | 421.7 285% | |
| Read Seq | 334.3 | 712 113% | 271.8 -19% | 427.4 28% | |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 28.76 | 448.5 1459% | 365.3 1170% | 44.74 56% | 97 237% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 17.41 | 391.4 2148% | 350.2 1911% | 53.2 206% | 121.9 600% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 59 | 914 1449% | 2986 4961% | 129.4 119% | 504 754% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 218.8 | 1583 623% | 3565 1529% | 189.4 -13% | 551 152% |
| Write 4K Q8T8 | 402.3 | 368.7 | 183.1 | ||
| Read 4K Q8T8 | 680 | 790 | 221.3 | ||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 878% /
892% | 1639% /
1623% | 69% /
69% | 351% /
369% |
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
The integrated UHD Graphics 600 hasn't changed from the last generation J4105 or J4005 series. Users can still expect about 50 to 60 percent slower graphics performance than the common UHD Graphics 620 as a result.
| 3DMark 06 Standard Score | 4434 points | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 687 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 3516 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 420 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 140 points | |
Help | ||
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 42.9 | 19.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 7.17 | 4.93 | 4.55 |
Emissions
System Noise
Fan noise is the one aspect where the LarkBox could use some more attention. The internal fan pulses frequently between silent (26 dB(A)) and loud (43.3 dB(A)) with nothing in between. The change is very sudden and undesirable. Simple actions like web browsing or video streaming will be enough to induce the loud fan and pulsing behavior.
Thankfully, users tend to position their PCs further away than their laptops and so the loud fan may be less noticeable depending on your setup. Even so, don't expect a silent mini PC here.
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC UHD Graphics 600, Celeron J4115, 128 GB eMMC Flash | Intel NUC8i7BE Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U | Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK Iris Pro Graphics 580, 6770HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB | Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G | Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK Vega M GH, i7-8809G, Intel Optane 120 GB SSDPEK1W120GA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 2% | -5% | 8% | 0% | |
| off / environment * | 26 | 28.7 -10% | 29.5 -13% | 29.3 -13% | 28.7 -10% |
| Idle Minimum * | 26 | 28.7 -10% | 31.6 -22% | 29.3 -13% | 29 -12% |
| Idle Average * | 26 | 29.3 -13% | 32.2 -24% | 29.3 -13% | 29 -12% |
| Idle Maximum * | 43.3 | 31.8 27% | 32.3 25% | 29.3 32% | 29 33% |
| Load Average * | 43.3 | 39 10% | 43 1% | 30 31% | 36 17% |
| Load Maximum * | 43.5 | 41.4 5% | 43.2 1% | 32.4 26% | 49.4 -14% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 39 | 42 |
* ... smaller is better
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 26 / 26 / 43.3 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 43.3 / 43.5 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 26 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
Surface temperatures are warm at about 36 C even when idling on desktop without any running applications. Hot spots can become warmer than 50 C when under high loads.
It should be safe to run the mini PC on its side, but we don't recommend placing it upside-down since there are ventilation grilles on top. There is a fan inside, after all.
Stress Test
When running Prime95, clock rates would boost to 2.4 GHz and remain at 100 C for about a minute before deciding to cycle between 900 MHz to 2.4 GHz and 68 C to 98 C, respectively, as shown by our screenshots below. Interestingly, clock rates and temperature become more stable when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously.
| CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | |
| System Idle | -- | -- | 56 |
| Prime95 Stress | 0.9 - 2.4 | -- | 68 - 98 |
| Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 1.7 | 350 | 88 |
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The mini PC is very power efficient as one would expect. Idling on desktop would draw just 2 W to 3 W even when the wireless is enabled. Demanding loads like 3DMark 06 would raise consumption to 13 W to be about half that of the Core i5-powered Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n. Results are very close to the Intel NUC7CJYH powered by the older Celeron J4005 while offering significantly faster multi-thread performance.
| Off / Standby | 0.04 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle | 2.2 / 2.6 / 3 Watt |
| Load |
13.1 / 21.9 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC Celeron J4115, UHD Graphics 600, 128 GB eMMC Flash, , x, | Intel NUC10i5FNK i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1, , 0x0, 0" | Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, , x, 0" | Chuwi GBox CWI560 Celeron N4100, UHD Graphics 600, SanDisk DA4064, , x, | Intel NUC7CJYH Celeron J4005, UHD Graphics 600, SanDisk Ultra II, , 0x0, 0" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -336% | -93% | 26% | -64% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 2.2 | 4.4 -100% | 1.9 14% | 3.9 -77% | |
| Idle Average * | 2.6 | 15.7 -504% | 4.4 -69% | 2 23% | 4.5 -73% |
| Idle Maximum * | 3 | 4.7 -57% | 2.9 3% | 8.4 -180% | |
| Load Average * | 13.1 | 27.7 -111% | 8.6 34% | 12.3 6% | |
| Load Maximum * | 21.9 | 58.6 -168% | 49.9 -128% | 9.5 57% | 21.4 2% |
* ... smaller is better
Pros
Cons
Verdict
For $150+ USD, the LarkBox has surprised us with its pragmatic design, 4K video playback, and multiple storage options especially considering the small size. However, there are several ways we would improve the device.
Firstly, fan behavior could be better as its tendency to pulse is noticeable at best and annoying at worst. Secondly, the AC adapter is somewhat large even though it pushes just 24 W maximum. Integrating the AC adapter onto the LarkBox itself or making it smaller would be great to see. And lastly, we're not opposed to having faster processor options even if it meant paying a little bit more. Workloads like 4K playback may be smooth, but attempting to multi-task will feel like moving in molasses. The miniature design is attractive and useful enough that higher-end Core i3 or Ryzen 3 options would certainly attract more eyes.
More articles related to this device
Chuwi LarkBox 4K Mini PC (LarkBox Series)Related Articles
Price comparison
