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MINIX NEO Z64 Quadcore Windows PC $156.90 USD Inc Shipping @ GeekBuying

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MINIX NEO Z64 Quadcore Windows PC $156.90 USD Inc Shipping @ GeekBuyingAffiliate
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Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 11:38 geekbuying.com (611 clicks)
Last edited 17/03/2015 - 12:45 by 1 other user
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Hi all,

I've just posted my review of the MINIX NEO Z64W, a compact quadcore Windows PC, on Home Theatre Life. I was incredibly impressed with the performance of this little box, as it was able handle pretty much everything I threw at it. Even 1080p Hi10p was watchable, although there were a few dropped frames.

I've managed to get an exclusive coupon for Home Theatre Life readers to get $18 USD off for a week only, bring it down to US$156.90 shipped, which is by far the best price I've seen and definitely worth it for the unit.

MINIX NEO Z64 Technical Specifications

  • Chipset: Intel Baytrail quad core processor with Intel HD graphics (Z3735F)
  • RAM: 2 GB DDR3
  • Storage: 32GB eMMC + microSD slot up to 128GB
  • Video & Audio Output: HDMI 1.4, 3.5mm Audio
  • Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
  • USB: 2x USB 2.0 port
  • OS: Windows 8.1 with Bing (32-bit)

For those of you unfamiliar with MINIX, some of their Android players are stocked at JB (with a massive markup)

Computing MINIX MINIX NEO Z64W

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closed Comments

  • pensionday on 17/03/2015 - 11:42

    can these run a usb tv tuner for a mini htpc?

    • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 11:43
      +1

      Yep, definitely can as long as there are Windows 8 drivers for it. Anything you can do on a normal Windows PC, you can do on this.

  • superforever on 17/03/2015 - 11:44

    What is the difference between full Windows 8 and Bing version?

    • jv on 17/03/2015 - 11:46
      +3

      price…

    • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 11:48
      +2

      JV pretty much nailed it. It is the same but has to come with Bing as the default search engine. You can change it though.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/03/2015 - 11:50

    could you use this as a daily pc for an older lady?

    • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 11:54
      +3

      Yep, definitely can. In my review, I did benchmarks in PCMark 8 for Home and Office use and it performed well. In actual use, it would be perfect. Only issue would be that you need a monitor that has HDMI in or use a HDMI to DVI adapter.

      • [Deactivated] on 17/03/2015 - 11:55

        sweet, probs be better than her dell optiplex thats 5-6 years old.
        cheers bro

      • batrarobin on 17/03/2015 - 12:54

        …..and Windows 8.

  • busterau on 17/03/2015 - 12:00

    Where is the review you mention?

  • superforever on 17/03/2015 - 12:12

    Good price as a HTPC.

  • doperst on 17/03/2015 - 12:18

    Voyo from this deal is cheaper and has better specs:
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/180893

    • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 12:22
      +3

      I've also tested the VOYO, review also on my site. The main issue is that it overheats really badly during gaming and more demanding codecs such as 1080p60 or 4K H.264. For basic HTPC or desktop use, it's fine. But try to push it, and it overheats and throttles down. All depends on your needs though.

      • doperst on 17/03/2015 - 12:32

        Read your review, thanks!
        Do you think it is possible to install a small fan or a better heatsink?

        • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 12:36
          +1

          To be honest, I'm skeptical as there isn't alot of room in that case at all. It's possible that a better thermal pad could help.

          If you're looking for something portable, I'm testing out the Ainol Mini PC (try not to giggle at the name): http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Ainol-Windows-Mini-PC-Intel-Z…

          Roughly the same size as the VOYO but with a built-in powerbank and they explicitly mention cooling in their marketing material so we could be lucky.

          Will have the review up hopefully later this week.

        • doperst on 17/03/2015 - 13:19

          @Darkscythe:
          I really don't understand why anyone would need a battery in this thing. As a portable device it's useless as there is no screen or keyboard.

        • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 13:44

          @doperst: I can see it being useful if you wanted to take it to someone's place or show someone something quickly. The biggest thing would probably be to use it as an in-built UPS so it'll keep working even if power is lost.

        • asa79 on 17/03/2015 - 22:56

          @Darkscythe: But TV has no battery so it wont be on

        • Darkscythe on 23/03/2015 - 23:32
          +1

          @doperst: Just had my first session testing the Ainol Mini PC - cooling is excellent. 30 mins of Prime95 and didn't get above 58 degrees. Will be posted initial impressions article soon.

      • jharsem on 17/03/2015 - 14:27

        I've got a Voyo sitting here doing "social media duty" on a 3rd screen (sharing kyb & mouse via Synergy - recommended btw). The Voyo has better specs and an inexplicable (and unmentioned) battery pack - probably due to tablet motherboard reuse or similar. One downside imho is the god-awful micro-HDMI connector on it, it is super sensitive. Other than that I quite like it. 64Gb + MicroSD so plenty of space to grow. I got two of the Voyo's from geekbuying, shipping was a bit sluggish (but helped along by clear)

        • Grok on 17/03/2015 - 14:57

          What do you mean by "super sensitive"?

        • Rayve on 17/03/2015 - 16:58
          +2

          @SamR:

          Maybe he means that any slight movement causes it to lose connection - I know I had a tablet pc that had that problem but it turned out to be the hdmi cable itself and after changing cables the connection was rock solid.

        • jharsem on 18/03/2015 - 08:56

          @SamR:

          (Apologies I called it a micro hdmi - it's actually mini hdmi)

          Basically what @Rayve said - the hdmi connector does not attach in a way that would allow you to lock the cable in place (I guess not unusual for mini hdmi). In itself that would be ok but it seems that even slight movements make the connector lose some connections and the screen blanks out.

          I have two of the Voyos so I'll check on my other one but it doesn't seem to be a lose poorly-soldered connector, just "by design".

  • raydragon on 17/03/2015 - 12:32

    What i don't get is the size and form factor of these things screams lounge room media PC yet almost none of them have an IR port similar to a NUC.
    Yes you can use phones and Flirc etc to overcome it somewhat but you can't turn them on from a remote control as you would expect of something that is replacing a traditional media player.. I must be missing something as I just don't understand how no-one is including built in IR.

    • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 12:33
      +3

      This one does have an in-built IR port in the front but no idea how to use it. I'm still tooling around seeing if any of my remotes are compatible.

      • raydragon on 17/03/2015 - 12:45

        That's definitely a step forward then…
        Is it not a standard MCE remote? would think it would be the most common and sensible option?

        • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 12:55

          I know the Android variant includes a MINIX remote so it could only be compatible with that one. You could always just add a cheap USB remote or airmouse/keyboard as an alternative.

          I'll keep you posted with my test results.

    • Block on 17/03/2015 - 13:15

      I have one of these through the USB and it works a treat on windows 7.
      http://www.geekbuying.com/item/RC11-Android-Monitor-Wireless…

      • Jacku on 17/03/2015 - 13:28

        The air/floating mouse works in Win7?

        • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 13:32
          +1

          Yep, they usually emulate a mouse and keyboard rather than a touch device so no issues. The RC11 is a good choice and I've had mine for years. I'm also liking the Rikomagic MK705 but it doesn't have a right-click button.

        • Block on 17/03/2015 - 13:59
          +1

          Yep, u use the motion for moving the pointer for the mouse and then the keyboard. Takes a few days to get used to the mouse function but great when u have a computer connected to a TV and want to sit back on the couch.

    • bargaino on 17/03/2015 - 17:21

      Why would you want Ir instead of RF?
      There are plenty of controllers using a USB-dongle receiver, or bluetooth. No line-of-sight needed, no aiming, and either one can wake a device.
      Let Ir die. You'll be wanting an optical drive next.

      • raydragon on 17/03/2015 - 18:52
        +1

        Simple: One remote to rule them all, ie so it can be programmed into my Harmony (Non RF) Remote.

        • bargaino on 18/03/2015 - 12:00

          Good point, but doesn't HDMI CEC solve that problem?
          OK, not if you still use other devices like foxtel or dedicated blu-ray player. Does your Harmony completely remove the need for dedicated remotes on those?
          I would have thought it better for the HTPC to have an Ir transmitter than receiver, so it can control the other devices.

    • asa79 on 17/03/2015 - 22:57

      NUC IR is awesome as its connected to the power controls, so you can turn on from powered off via remote.

      • raydragon on 17/03/2015 - 23:06

        Yep, fully agree, which is why it's something i'd rather not do without and am surprised it isn't included in a lot more devices.

        • asa79 on 17/03/2015 - 23:08

          And great feature when mounted behind TV.
          I used the vesa mount of the NUC as the wall mount

  • Lacerta on 17/03/2015 - 13:13

    Is it possible to reinstall windows 8.1 on these devices later on down the track? Or is it wise to somehow clone the drive as soon as you receive it?

    • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 13:40

      From memory, the Windows Key is in the BIOS and it's wise to back it up. Most vendors provide recovery media that will automatically activate when the key is present. More info: https://www.technibble.com/recover-windows-8-key/

    • jpl on 17/03/2015 - 13:46

      Reinstalling should not be a problem but need to make sure the windows registration key is not lost.

      Ideally if the unit does not come with crapware, backing up all the partition is the best way to go.

    • rygle on 19/03/2015 - 08:19

      I cloned the drive on my son's HP Stream 11 that came with Windows with Bing. Installed another version of windows, had problems with drivers, imaged back, got drivers, went back to windows professional and installed drivers. You will also need to image the invisible partitions that are necessary for boot. To install another operating system you may have to change the BIOS to legacy mode (depends how this is set up).

  • atlas on 17/03/2015 - 13:24

    How much usable storage is left after windows is installed? I wouldn't want to use micro sd as a permanent storage mechanism given how slow and prone to failure they are. Is the emmc upgradeable?

    • wizedz on 17/03/2015 - 13:29

      Approx 20g

      • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 13:40

        Yep, 20.1/24.7GB is free

        • jpl on 17/03/2015 - 13:47

          Probably lesser once the updates start to kick in.

      • tonyjzx on 17/03/2015 - 13:50

        emmc is by defintion soldered to the board

        32gb is fine, 20gb free is fine and SD as storage is FINE… as long as you treat this like a little low performance pc and not a bloody cad workstation

        i dont think anyone would realistically use this as a PC replacement, rather as a htpc or net terminal or school or secretary machine etc

  • edgar28 on 17/03/2015 - 13:37

    Justification of this device over PiPoX7 ?

    • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 13:41

      Main thing is that the build quality and support is generally better with MINIX devices. Whilst I didn't have any overheating issues when I tested the PiPO X7, some people have reported some throttling after long periods of time.

      • edgar28 on 17/03/2015 - 14:04

        cheers. Just wonder due to price difference.

        • tonyjzx on 17/03/2015 - 14:17

          still, $156 for what is an SBC in a snap plastic case is a bit much isnt it?

        • edgar28 on 17/03/2015 - 14:19

          @tonyjzx:
          yeah especially Oppo X7 on special at 105USD before….

        • tonyjzx on 17/03/2015 - 14:27

          @edgar28:

          pipo x7 has an alloy case, not plastic like this thing

          other they are pretty much functionally identical

        • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 14:33

          @tonyjzx: Won't disagree here that spec-wise they're (almost) identical, although the cooling is far better on this unit which means you can push it harder.

        • edgar28 on 17/03/2015 - 14:39

          @Darkscythe:
          Pipox7 is Z3736F, which is faster (+hotter)
          checked back, it's 89.98 USD on special before. thanks to ops asking for better deal. (but some only recieved it last week)

        • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 14:43

          @edgar28: Thanks for the correction - hard to remember all the specs :p The PiPO X7 was a bargain at that price, it's true.

    • nige0090 on 17/03/2015 - 14:47

      I've had overheating problem with my Pipo x7, even after upgrading the thermal pads and adding heatsinks. The heatsink arrangement inside the Minix looks interesting and appears to be more effective. Replicating this cooling arrangement might be worthwhile for Pipo x7 owners.

      • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 15:55

        Yeah, from videos it seems like they have a large finned heatsink across all of the chips. I can confirm that I didn't see any throttling during testing.

        • edgar28 on 17/03/2015 - 18:20

          Could you ask for more discount for this toy? It just seems quite pricey when Pipo was 90 dollars before.
          :)

        • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 18:38

          @edgar28: MINIX strongly control the price so getting discounts is tough.

        • edgar28 on 17/03/2015 - 19:04

          @Darkscythe:
          cheers :)

      • nige0090 on 17/03/2015 - 17:38
        +1

        Today, I added one of the popular 5mm blue thermal pad between the pcb and the bottom of the Pipo case, and it has made a significant difference. With the upgraded cpu thermal pads plus heatsinks I was getting cpu temps in the high seventies in Kodi. Since adding the 5mm pad, my temps are hovering around 44C, playing the same files. This is not what I had expected. I had expected the greatest benefit to be derived from adding the heatsinks OVER the cpu heat shield. The ambient temperature today is certainly cooler, but I'm still impressed.
        For any Pipo x7 owners who are still to mod their device, I would suggest adding the 5mm pad as your first mod. Its a 5 minute mod and much less fiddly than replacing the cpu thermal pad etc.

  • Deviner on 17/03/2015 - 13:57

    Someone convince me not to buy one of these…. please.

    I've an old Acer Revo that can do 720p movies but doesn't run them super smooth all the time… thinking this could be a good replacement.

  • Jonski on 17/03/2015 - 14:28

    Sorry for being a bit noobie (i apologise ahead of my question).
    How could i connect this to my old plasma tv, which doesnt have a hdmi port, only composite ports and vga.

    • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 14:35

      No need to apologize - It's all learning. It'll be a bit of a challenge. You would have to get something that splits the HDMI signal into VGA and audio like this: http://www.geekbuying.com/item/HD-1080p-HDMI-Male-to-VGA-Fem…

      • bargaino on 18/03/2015 - 12:05

        Wow! An $8 device that defeats HDCP. Hilarious.
        edit: i may may have misunderstood "Supports HDCP". Could it mean that it will refuse to convert the data from a blu-ray player where hdcp is required?

        • Darkscythe on 18/03/2015 - 13:33

          Not sure, but it seems the most likely. Main thing is that it answers the original question, it'll connect a HDMI device up via VGA - the Plasma they mentioned won't have HDCP support anyways as it doesn't have HDMI

  • seigweilo on 17/03/2015 - 14:45

    do you think this can handle VST softwares?

    • Darkscythe on 17/03/2015 - 16:06

      You'd have to check the minimum specs

  • bargaino on 17/03/2015 - 15:38
    +1

    This is good if you value the freebie bundled Windows-Bing.

    Otherwise, (e.g. you just want Kodi) for a similar price you can get a brand-name Chromebox with substantially faster CPU, and USB-3 ports.

    • nige0090 on 17/03/2015 - 17:43

      Its not listed, but does this Minix also come with a year of Office 365 and 60 Skype minutes per month like the Pipo did? If so, that is worth something also.

  • kiarod on 17/03/2015 - 21:54

    Does this bit stream HD audio, or is it the same as their android players that can't?

  • neonlight on 22/03/2015 - 12:41

    Hi guys, I got the Minix X8-H was wondering what this unit offers. which is better and functionality wise what is the difference?

    • Darkscythe on 23/03/2015 - 23:33

      To be honest, from a video perspective, they are roughly on par. The X8-H does H.265 but the Z64 does Automatic Frame Rate switching. From other perspectives, this runs Windows so the sky is the limit - old games, Windows apps, etc vs Android.

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