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Intel Optane-equipped MINISFORUM X35G hits Indiegogo and everything looks great

MINISFORUM X35G mini PC with Intel Optane and i3-1005G1 with 20 W TDP (Source: MINISFORUM)
MINISFORUM X35G mini PC (Source: MINISFORUM)
Last week, we heard about its arrival. Now, we have some official test results and technical details that make the upcoming MINISFORUM X35G even more tempting, such as a maximum TDP of 25 W that allows the 15 W Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor to perform up to 60% better than usual, but without overclocking.

What appeared to be just another mini PC with the 15 W Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor inside turns out to be quite an interesting beast, according to the information contained by the press kit that the people from MINISFORUM have been kind enough to send our way earlier today. Compared to what we found out last week about this upcoming piece of hardware, now we have a rather long list of test results, press photos/renders, as well as more information regarding the pricing and various configurations that will hit the market.

Without further ado, let's take a closer look at the configurations, prices, and special offers that might be available for some of these hardware setups:

  • 16 GB RAM, no storage included, US$349 (normal price)
  • 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, US$399 (early bird limited offer)
  • 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, normal price TBA
  • 16 GB RAM, 16 GB Intel Optane, 1 TB HDD, US$429 (early bird limited offer)
  • 16 GB RAM, 16 GB Intel Optane, 1 TB HDD, normal price TBA

What makes the X35G special is the fact that MINISFORUM managed to come up with a design that provides enough power and cooling to handle a steady TDP of 25 W. By unlocking the TDP — the i3-1005G1 normally slows down when it hits its regular TDP of 15 W — the performance increase is an impressive 60% over similar setups that use a reference design.

Now, let's take a closer look at some test results:

  • CrystalDiskMark 5.2.0: 2.5-inch 2 TB HDD (SATA 3.0 Read:550MB/s Write:527MB/s)
  • CrystalDiskMark 5.2.0: M.2 2280 SATA 256G (SATA 3.0 Read:558MB/s Write:440MB/s)
  • CrystalDiskMark 5.2.0: M.2 2280 PCIe X4 256G (SATA 3.0 Read:2550MB/s Write:1258MB/s)
  • PassMark PerformanceTest 10.0: 5,416
  • AIDA64 stress test (CPU/GPU/MEM): 100% load for 14 hours, temperature stabilized at 67 Celsius (152.6 Fahrenheit), CPU/GPU at 1.44 GHz, higher than the 1.2 GHz base frequency
  • 3DMark 11 Advanced Edition: P2,367 overall (compared to 2,081 for the i5-8250U) 
  • CINEBENCH R15: CPU 329 cb, OpenGL 46.42 fps
  • GeekBench 5: 1,132 single-core, 2,539 multi-core, and 5,151 OpenCL score

The MINISFORUM X35G was also tested running a few games that should not be played on such processors no matter what — in my opinion — and turned out to be able to run them well enough (for the iGP in low-power processor). The list contains the ubiquitous CS: GO, as well as rather demanding titles such as Grand Theft Auto V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Tomb Raider, and Watch Dogs 2.

However, this mini PC could be an excellent tool for office environments, since it supports up to three monitors via HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C. According to MINISFORUM, the X35G can play 4K YouTube videos at 60 Hz without breaking a sweat. Some potential users will also be delighted to find out that this system is fully compatible with Ubuntu Linux 20.04 LTS. Now, feel free to enjoy a few more official photos/renders and the presentation video.

 

Source(s)

MINISFORUM (via email)

Indiegogo

MINISFORUM X35G—THE FIRST MINI PC EQUIPPED WITH OPTANE MEMORY IS CHANGING THE WAY MINI PC’S PERFORM

For Immediate Release - MINISFORUM, the leading innovator of mini PC products, has just released their newest product: the MINISFORUM X35G. www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-new-core-intel-10nm-minis/coming_soon/x/23635166

 The X35G is the first of its kind, offering 16GB of large onboard capacity and built-in Optane memory which substantially increases boot speed, software loading, file loading, and much more. The design of the X35G is low profile and offers a striking but sleek visual appearance, making it perfect for offices, living rooms, home theaters, small businesses, and a variety of other environments. The mini PC is designed with a metal frame and a minimalistic MINISFORUM logo on the top, giving it a premium and professional feel that compliments the powerful internal structure.

The X35G boasts powerful 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 processors that are based on 10nm production technology. Compared to the 8th Gen Intel Core i3, which is based on 14nm technology, the 10nm technology achieves faster operations while reducing power consumption immensely. It is equipped with built-in Intel Wi-Fi6, the latest technology which allows you to surf the web at speeds of 300MB/s which is 2.77 times faster than 5G Wi-Fi speed.

Other major features separating the X35G from other mini PC’s is the Intel UHD integrated graphics, which has 32 processing cores, support for faster system memory and higher frequency speed, and the i3 Intel deep learning acceleration technology, which can realize faster artificial intelligence-based calculations. The rear of the X35G has multiple input and output ports for different types of peripherals and includes a USB-C (Thunderbolt 5k/60hz), HDMI 2.0(4K@60Hz), and DisplayPort (4K@60Hz) on the front. 

With such a powerful and efficient mini PC you would think that heating problems could be of concern, but with the X35G it is not. The X35G has a superb cooling system that is designed to handle 25W TDP CUP and has a heat sink with a centrifugal fan that effectively dissipates heat out of the casing. The motherboard features an intelligent temperature control system to ensure heat dissipation performance under normal working conditions while being extremely silent. When the CPU load increases to 100%, it will automatically increase the fan speed to quickly discharge the heat providing improved product performance and stability.

The MINISFORUM X35G offers an array of features that creates a powerful computer system while also being the company and efficient. With its modern design, use of premium processors and memory system, built-in Wi-Fi, and an array of other features, the X35G is sure to be a leader in the mini PC space.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2020 09 > Intel Optane-equipped MINISFORUM X35G hits Indiegogo and everything looks great
Codrut Nistor, 2020-09-27 (Update: 2024-08-15)