Ultra-compact budget mini PC with 16 GB RAM and dual Ethernet now available for purchase

Last month, we reported on the launch of the Minix Neo Z95 ultra-compact mini PC powered by an entry-level quad-core Intel Alder Lake-N CPU. We did not have any pricing or launch details back then, but it now appears that the mini PC has gone on sale with a decently affordable price tag.

Modest ultra-compact mini PC for casual workloads

Powered by the Intel N95 CPU, the Neo Z95 should be able to handle most day-to-day workloads such as emails, browsing, and content consumption. The quad-core chip can barely keep up with the 8-year-old Intel Core i5 8250U, indicating that intensive modern-day workloads will definitely struggle on the system. 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM is offered, which is soldered.

Storage requirements are taken care of by dual M.2 2280 slots, one of which is PCIe 3.0 x4, while the other is PCIe 3.0 x1. At just 3.46 x 3.46 x 1.65 inches, the tiny Z95 mini PC has no room for discrete graphics. The integrated Intel UHD Xe graphics with 16 EUs is only good enough for basic video acceleration and some very, very lightweight gaming.

Thankfully, the I/O on offer is pretty decent:

• Triple USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
• Dual HDMI 2.1 (TMDS), DisplayPort 1.4
• Dual gigabit Ethernet
• WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0

The Minix Neo Z95 mini PC is available for purchase directly from the company's website, priced at $335 for the variant with 512 GB storage. A slightly faster variant with the Intel N97 CPU and 12 GB RAM is also on offer, priced at $309.

That said, folks who do not mind a larger footprint can spend a little extra on something like the Beelink SER5 Max mini PC (currently $470 on Amazon), which is several times as powerful and boasts 2.5G Ethernet as well as more RAM.