Beelink SEi12 mini PC review: Outperforming the Intel NUC 11
Beelink ships a vast array of mini PCs designed for the budget to midrange markets. Though there are no models just yet with dedicated GPUs, many of them ship with Windows 11, RAM, and storage already pre-installed to be sufficient for media centers, streaming boxes, or typical day-to-day browsing or office tasks.
The latest mini PC from Beelink is the SEi12 which ships with the 12th gen Core i5-1235U whereas most other inexpensive alternatives typically come with older or slower CPUs in order to keep costs low. Our review unit can be found online for just $460 USD.
Competitors to the SEi12 include most other mini PCs powered by U-series CPUs like many Intel NUC models, the BMAX B5 Pro, or the Ace Magician AMR5.
More Beelink reviews:
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12/2022 | Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U i5-1235U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 465 g | 42 mm | x | |||
04/2022 | Beelink SEi8 i3-8109U, Iris Plus Graphics 655 | 346 g | 41 mm | x | |||
04/2022 | Beelink SER4 R7 4800U, Vega 8 | 494 g | 40 mm | x | |||
02/2021 | Intel NUC11PAQi7 i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 647 g | 56 mm | x | |||
11/2022 | BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 i5-8260U, UHD Graphics 620 | 369 g | 43.2 mm | x | |||
03/2018 | Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK i7-8809G, Vega M GH | 1.3 kg | 39 mm | x |
Case
The chassis is just slightly thicker and heavier than the older SEi 11 but with otherwise similar metal materials and physical features. The most notable visual aspect of the SEi12 is its new fleece or cloth material on the top surface whereas older Beelink designs were simply smooth plastic or a perforated plastic mesh. The cloth is smooth to the touch for a luxurious feel, but cleaning it may be difficult as hair and dust stick onto it more readily.
Connectivity — No Thunderbolt
Port options are excellent with five USB ports and two HDMI ports to choose from. However, we're unable to output any video from the USB-C port meaning that DisplayPort-over-USB may not be supported. The system cannot be powered by USB-C, either.
Communication
An Intel AX201 comes standard for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. There are no Wi-Fi 6E options likely to keep costs down, but users can install their own Wi-Fi 6E module if they wish. Transfer rates are nonetheless both fast and steady.
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Beelink SEi8 | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Beelink SEi8 | |
iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 |
Maintenance
Servicing requires a bit more work than most other mini PCs. Removing the bottom plate exposes one of the fans which must then be removed to reveal the RAM, M.2 SSD, and M.2 WLAN modules as shown by the images below. Thankfully, all it takes is a regular Philips screwdriver for any upgrades.
Accessories and Warranty
The retail box includes two HDMI cables, VESA bracket with screws, user's manual, and the AC adapter. A one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies compared to three years if buying an Intel NUC.
Performance
Testing Conditions
We set our unit to Performance mode prior to running any performance benchmarks below. The manufacturer includes no pre-installed applications or "control center" type software with any of their mini PCs.
Processor
CPU performance is excellent with results that are significantly faster than the Gateway Ultra Slim 14.1 or VAIO FE 14.1 each with the same 12th gen Core i5-1235U CPU. Turbo Boost sustainability could certainly be better, however, as CineBench R15 xT scores would dip by about 14 percent over time as shown by the graph below. High Turbo Boost potential is not expected anyway given that this is a Core U-series CPU.
Overall multi-thread performance is roughly 15 percent faster than the 11th gen Core i7-1165G7 in the pricier NUC11.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
Beelink SEi8 | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (42.4 - 65.5, n=7) | |
Intel NUC Pro Chassis_i7_1265U | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel NUC Pro Chassis_i7_1185G7 | |
HP Spectre x360 13.5 14t-ef000 | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 |
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
Beelink SEi8 | |
Intel NUC Pro Chassis_i7_1185G7 | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (0.4986 - 0.603, n=7) | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel NUC Pro Chassis_i7_1265U | |
HP Spectre x360 13.5 14t-ef000 |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
System Performance
PCMark results are significantly higher than the older Beelink SEi8 which uses an 8th gen i3-8109U and a slower Intel 660p SSD.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (6440 - 7354, n=7) | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
Beelink SEi8 |
PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (4220 - 5839, n=7) | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
Beelink SEi8 |
CrossMark / Overall | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (983 - 1644, n=7) | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 |
CrossMark / Productivity | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (1026 - 1676, n=7) | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 |
CrossMark / Creativity | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (1032 - 1618, n=7) | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (746 - 1867, n=7) | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 |
PCMark 10 Score | 5543 points | |
Help |
AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (24653 - 61921, n=7) | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Beelink SEi8 | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 |
AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (24441 - 66108, n=7) | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Beelink SER4 | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
Beelink SEi8 |
AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (25156 - 75808, n=7) | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Beelink SER4 | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
Beelink SEi8 |
AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
Beelink SER4 | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (89.5 - 119, n=7) | |
Beelink SEi8 |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
LatencyMon reveals no DPC issues when opening multiple browser tabs of our homepage. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is smooth as well with no dropped frames.
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Beelink SEi11 Pro |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
The system supports PCIe4 x4 NVMe SSDs and it even includes a heat sink to keep temperatures in check. Nonetheless, the unit ships with a slower Kingston NV1 PCIe3 x4 NVMe SSD instead as a cost-saving measure. When running DiskSpd in a loop, we can observe transfer rates dropping from a high of 3600 MB/s to a low of 1700 MB/s which might suggest an underperforming heat sink.
Drive Performance Rating - Percent | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK -8! | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
Beelink SEi11 Pro | |
Beelink SER4 |
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
Graphics performance is where we expect it to be relative to other PCs with the same integrated Iris Xe G7 80 EUs GPU. Note that other PCs with the Iris Xe G7 96 EUs can be faster by up to 25 to 40 percent if configured with dual-channel RAM instead of single-channel RAM.
3DMark | |
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (1560 - 5305, n=107) | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
Beelink SEi8 | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (561 - 1511, n=104) | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Beelink SEi8 | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
2560x1440 Time Spy Score | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (630 - 1731, n=104) | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Beelink SEi8 | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 |
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (2246 - 6477, n=105) | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Beelink SEi8 | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 |
3DMark 11 Performance | 5598 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 18879 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 3658 points | |
3DMark Time Spy Score | 1311 points | |
Help |
Blender - v3.3 Classroom CPU | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 | |
Intel NUC Pro Chassis_i7_1185G7 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (463 - 3047, n=46) | |
HP Spectre x360 13.5 14t-ef000 | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel NUC Pro Chassis_i7_1265U |
* ... smaller is better
Performance Rating - Percent | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Beelink SEi11 Pro -1! | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 -5! |
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Beelink SEi11 Pro | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 |
GTA V - 1920x1080 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 |
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1920x1080 High Quality | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Beelink SEi11 Pro | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 |
Strange Brigade - 1920x1080 ultra AA:ultra AF:16 | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Beelink SEi11 Pro | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 |
Dota 2 Reborn - 1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Beelink SEi11 Pro | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 | |
BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 |
X-Plane 11.11 - 1920x1080 high (fps_test=3) | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
Beelink SEi11 Pro | |
Beelink SER4 | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
Intel NUC11PAQi7 |
Cyberpunk 2077 1.6 | |
1920x1080 Low Preset | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
HP Spectre x360 13.5 14t-ef000 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (9.1 - 17.8, n=7) | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
1920x1080 Medium Preset | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
HP Spectre x360 13.5 14t-ef000 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (11.4 - 14.7, n=5) | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
1920x1080 High Preset | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
HP Spectre x360 13.5 14t-ef000 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (9 - 11.3, n=4) | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset | |
Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK | |
HP Spectre x360 13.5 14t-ef000 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (7.4 - 9.71, n=4) | |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U |
Witcher 3 FPS Chart
low | med. | high | ultra | |
GTA V (2015) | 117.5 | 98.7 | 17.2 | 7.41 |
The Witcher 3 (2015) | 77.7 | 48.7 | 26 | 12.2 |
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 93.8 | 88.7 | 45.5 | 42.2 |
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 35.7 | 19.3 | 13.5 | |
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 48.4 | 32.8 | 29.5 | |
Strange Brigade (2018) | 65.9 | 26.5 | 21.4 | 17.5 |
Cyberpunk 2077 1.6 (2022) | 13.4 | 11.4 | 9 | 7.4 |
Emissions
System Noise
Like other mini PCs from Beelink, fan noise is always present on the SEi12 at almost 28 dB(A) against a silent background of 23 dB(A). Fortunately, the system never becomes distractingly loud even when higher loads are introduced. Running Witcher 3 or 3DMark 06 would result in comparable fan noise levels to the Intel NUC 11PAQ when subjected to similar conditions. Fan noise can occasionally reach 39 dB(A) albeit only for short periods before falling back down to the low 30 dB(A) range. More powerful mini PCs like the Beelink SER series are even louder.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 27.8 / 27.8 / 27.8 dB(A) |
Load |
| 32 / 39.2 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: , med: , max: Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 23.3 dB(A) |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1235U, Kingston NV1 SNVS/500GCN | Beelink SEi8 Iris Plus Graphics 655, i3-8109U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 | Beelink SER4 Vega 8, R7 4800U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 | Intel NUC11PAQi7 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung SSD 980 Pro 500GB MZ-V8P500BW | BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8260U | Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK Vega M GH, i7-8809G, Intel Optane 120 GB SSDPEK1W120GA | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | -4% | -14% | -4% | 10% | -14% | |
off / environment * | 23.3 | 24.5 -5% | 23.4 -0% | 25.6 -10% | 23 1% | 28.7 -23% |
Idle Minimum * | 27.8 | 26.5 5% | 33.2 -19% | 25.6 8% | 25.1 10% | 29 -4% |
Idle Average * | 27.8 | 26.5 5% | 33.2 -19% | 25.6 8% | 25.1 10% | 29 -4% |
Idle Maximum * | 27.8 | 31.1 -12% | 33.2 -19% | 25.6 8% | 25.1 10% | 29 -4% |
Load Average * | 32 | 37.7 -18% | 38.6 -21% | 33.6 -5% | 28.6 11% | 36 -13% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 34.1 | 39.2 -15% | 33.6 1% | 30.1 12% | 42 -23% | |
Load Maximum * | 39.2 | 37.5 4% | 40.8 -4% | 54.5 -39% | 34 13% | 49.4 -26% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Cool air enters from the sides and top mesh while warm air exits through the rear as shown by the temperature maps below. The hot spot on the rear can be as warm as 47 C when running demanding applications. Placing any items on top of the unit is not recommended or else airflow will be reduced.
The AC adapter can reach 30 C when running demanding loads for long periods.
Stress Test
When stressed with Prime95, the CPU will boost to 3.6 GHz with a processor power draw of 47 W. When core temperature reaches 76 C just a few seconds later, however, clock rates and power draw will fall to 2.1 GHz and 27 W, respectively, in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of 67 C.
GPU clock rates and temperature when running Witcher 3 would stabilize at 1150 MHz and 68 C, respectively, compared to 1300 MHz and 57 C on the more expensive Intel NUC11PAQi7.
CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | |
System Idle | -- | -- | 32 |
Prime95 Stress | 2.1 | 1150 | 67 |
Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 1.9 | 1150 | 75 |
Witcher 3 Stress | ~2.6 | 1150 | 68 |
Energy Management
Power Consumption
Power consumption is relatively high which may help explain the larger-than-expected AC adapter. Idling on desktop consumes about 17 W compared to less than half that on other U-series-powered mini PCs like the SER4 or Intel NUC11. When running demanding loads like games, consumption would average around 50 W compared to just under 40 W on the NUC11.
Off / Standby | 0.88 / 1 Watt |
Idle | 15.8 / 16.8 / 17 Watt |
Load |
54.4 / 119.1 Watt |
Beelink SEi12 Core i5-1235U i5-1235U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Kingston NV1 SNVS/500GCN, , x, | Beelink SEi8 i3-8109U, Iris Plus Graphics 655, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8, , x, | Beelink SER4 R7 4800U, Vega 8, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8, , x, | Intel NUC11PAQi7 i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Samsung SSD 980 Pro 500GB MZ-V8P500BW, , x, | BMAX B5 Pro G7H8 i5-8260U, UHD Graphics 620, , , x, | Intel Hades Canyon NUC8i7HVK i7-8809G, Vega M GH, Intel Optane 120 GB SSDPEK1W120GA, , x, | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 49% | 59% | 49% | 49% | -38% | |
Idle Minimum * | 15.8 | 7.5 53% | 4.1 74% | 5.6 65% | 6 62% | 15.5 2% |
Idle Average * | 16.8 | 7.6 55% | 4.1 76% | 5.6 67% | 6.2 63% | 16.2 4% |
Idle Maximum * | 17 | 9.2 46% | 4.6 73% | 6 65% | 6.3 63% | 16.5 3% |
Load Average * | 54.4 | 41.1 24% | 35.6 35% | 31.4 42% | 42.8 21% | 83.4 -53% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 50.7 | 35.6 30% | 39 23% | 35 31% | 121.7 -140% | |
Load Maximum * | 119.1 | 41.4 65% | 39.9 66% | 80.5 32% | 55.8 53% | 173.5 -46% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption Witcher 3 / Stresstest
Power Consumption external Monitor
Pros
Cons
Verdict — Low Price Without Cutting Corners To Performance
The SEi12 offers comparable and oftentimes better performance levels to a Core U-powered Intel NUC11 while retailing for much less. The NUC11PAH with Core i5-1135G7 CPU, 16 GB RAM, and 256 GB SSD, for example, currently retails for $550 while our SEi 12 with double the storage retails for just $400. The model doesn't rely on appallingly slow Celeron or Atom solutions in order to reach attractive price points and this remains a key selling point for many mini PCs from Beelink.
The lack of Thunderbolt support is disappointing, but this will likely only impact enthusiasts who want to daisy chain high resolution monitors or connect eGPUs. For what it's worth, Intel is beginning to fight back with the latest NUC12 series now offering even faster Core P CPUs. If you're satisfied with the performance of a modern Ultrabook, then the Core i5-1235U in the SEi12 will still be more than enough and certainly much faster than most mini PCs in the same price range.
Price and Availability
The Beelink SEi12 is currently on sale for $400 USD on Amazon down from its initial price of $480. Alternatively, users can purchase directly from the manufacturer for $460.