Xiaomi rips off the Chuwi LarkBox and GMK NucBox with its new mini-PC

Xiaomi has created a mini-PC, but it resembles a few others that are already on the market. Billed as the Ningmei Cube, the mini-PC is difficult to distinguish from the Chuwi LarkBox or GMK NucBox, which Chuwi and GMK launched earlier this year. Xiaomi has equipped its machine with the same processor as GMK chose for its NucBox, too.

Specifically, the Ningmei Cube has a Celeron J4125, a quad-core chipset from Intel's Gemini Lake Refresh platform. The Celeron J4125 integrates a UHD Graphics 600 GPU and can clock up to 2.7 GHz. The 14 nm and 10 W chip does not support Intel Hyper-Threading, though. Xiaomi has paired the Celeron J4125 with a fan to keep it cool and 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM, depending on the model purchased.

Like the LarkBox and NucBox, the Ningmei Cube has three USB ports, an HDMI connection, a 3.5 mm jack and a microSD card reader. All SKUs come with an M.2 2242 SSD, dual-band Wi-Fi and built-in Bluetooth connectivity. Xiaomi has packed these components into a 62 x 62 x 42 mm housing that weighs 145, making it the same size as its lookalikes.

The Ningmei Cube can be pre-ordered on Xiaomi's Youpin eCommerce platform from CNY 999 (~US$150). The company has also created an Iron Man-themed edition of the Ningmei Cube, differentiating it from the LarkBox and NucBox slightly.