Sleek mini PC with customizable display gets Intel Twin Lake-powered processor bump
The Firebat S1 mini PC has been around for a while, featuring a very modest Intel N100 processor and an exciting design that is unlike most other affordable systems. The mini PC has now been updated with a more powerful chip, the Intel N150, and is already available for purchase from AliExpress.
The Intel N150 "Twin Lake" chip is not substantially faster than the N100, unfortunately. Both the systems are almost identical, being 4-core, 4-thread units. The N150 features a boost clock of 3.6 GHz, whereas the N100 maxes out at 3.4 GHz. With a TDP of just 6 watts, both the systems should run relatively cool and quiet with minimal cooling requirements. Of course, with performance that matches a six-year-old dual-core Intel i3, the Firebat S1 mini PC is only suitable for extremely humble workloads.
That said, it never hurts to have a newer and faster processor, however little the improvements may be. Unsurprisingly, there is no discrete GPU, and the Intel UHD iGPU with 24 EUs is only good enough for retro games and video output. The Firebat S1 mini PC also features a customizable display at the front, which can portray useful information such as temperatures, fan speed, power draw, and more.
Memory and storage requirements are taken care of by 16 GB of DDR4 memory and 512 GB of SSD storage. Dual M.2 2280 slots are present for storage expansion. The ports on offer are as follows:
- Dual 1G Ethernet
- Dual USB 3.0, Dual USB 2.0
- Dual HDMI 2.0
- 3.5 mm audio jack
- WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.2
The Firebat S1 mini PC with 16 GB memory and 512 GB storage is available for purchase from the EU store on AliExpress, priced at $202.92. However, the N150-powered unit is not available at their AlieExpress US store as of this writing. Customers in the US with a similar requirement can opt for the Beelink S13, currently available for $179 on the platform.
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