A good PC stick is an instant computer, just add a screen! Streaming media from a mini PC stick is easy and convenient. They are smaller and more portable than the average media streaming device, plus many come with a full windows 10 operating system. How much is fanless mini PC Intel Atom Z8350 computer stick? They are also easy to use and don’t require one to carry around extra cables to connect them to a big screen TV. Just plug the PC stick directly into any TV’s HDMI port and start streaming movies. Most also have a microSD card slot allowing users to watch stored movies or view pictures. Get all on W5 pro mini PC Intel Atom Z8350 review.
For frequent travelers, mini PC sticks are a dream come true. Instead of carrying a laptop on trips, one can just bring a PC stick, a foldable keyboard, and a mouse. With these trusty devices in hand, any hotel TV becomes an impromptu workstation. Details on W5 pro mini PC Intel Atom Z8350 review. Users can work on Word documents or PowerPoint presentations without the hassle of lugging around a laptop. Since mini PC sticks have Wi-Fi, users will also have access to any of their cloud storage services like Dropbox and OneDrive.
Compare W5 pro mini PC Intel Atom Z8350 model
| W5 Pro Mini PC Stick Intel Atom Z8350 Windows 10 Mini Computer | Mini PC Stick 64GB AWOW Computer Stick | Fanless Mini PC,intel Atom Z8350 Computer Stick Windows 10 Pro | W5 Pro PC Stick Intel Atom Z8350 Windows 10 Mini Computer #1 New Release | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| computer memory size | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Processor (CPU) Model | Intel Atom | Intel Atom | Intel Atom | Intel Atom |
| Processor (CPU) Speed | 1.92 GHz | 1.92 GHz | 1.92 GHz | 1.92 GHz |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel HD Graphics | Intel HD Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 400 | — |
| Graphics Description | integrated | Integrated | integrated | integrated |
| Hard Disk Size | 64 GB | 64 GB | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Hardware Platform | PC | PC | PC | PC |
| Operating System | Windows 10 | Windows 10 | Windows 10 Professional | window 10 |
| Processor Count | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
W5 Pro mini PC Intel Atom Z8350 review
Design
The W5 Pro Mini PC is constructed from ABS plastic, and measures 3.9 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. At half an inch thick, it’s compact enough to carry in your pocket. And at only 7.2 ounces in weight, you’ll hardly even realize you’re carrying it. The bottom end of the case is vented, and you can see the cooling fan operating on the inside (W5 pro mini PC Intel Atom Z8350 review).
On the side, near the bottom, there’s a simple power switch for turning the W5 on or off. Above the power switch, you’ll find the USB inputs. On the other side of the unit, there’s a single jack for the DC power input. A power adapter is included with the kit, so you can easily plug the W5 into your wall outlet. How much is this fanless mini PC Intel Atom Z8350 computer stick?
The W5 comes with Windows 10 Pro 64-bit pre-installed. This is the most powerful version of Windows, and it’s nice to see a mini PC that can actually run it. This is, in part, thanks to the powerful Intel Atom X5-Z7350 processor.
While the X5-Z7350 has a base frequency of 1.44 GHz, it can run at 1.92 GHz for short bursts. This ensures that applications will load quickly when you need them to. It’s also a quad-core processor, which enables it to run multiple applications simultaneously with minimal lagging. The 2 MB cache isn’t terribly large by PC standards, but it’s impressive for a mini PC.
All told, the W5 is capable of streaming 4K video. It uses Intel HD graphics, so you’ll be well prepared for the future. In addition, it offers 4GB of RAM, as well as 64GB of onboard solid state storage. If you want to share home videos or presentations, you’ll be able to do that easily.
Ports and connectivity
In terms of connection options, the W5 Pro plugs right into the HDMI port on your TV or monitor. There’s an HDMI cable included in the kit, which means you won’t have to shop around for peripherals. In addition, it has a built-in dual-band WiFi card. It uses the 802.11ac protocol. This isn’t the latest and greatest, but it’s the latest version that’s supported by most modern devices.
If you want to use Bluetooth, you can do that as well. It supports the Bluetooth 4.2 protocol. Once again, there’s a newer protocol, Bluetooth 5.0. However, 4.2 offers a significantly longer range, as far as 60 feet. This makes it easy to sync with your desktop PC or smartphone, even from across the house.
The W5 Pro also allows you to plug in your thumb drive to transfer data. It has a pair of USB ports, a 2.0 and a 3.0, so you can get the fastest possible transfer rates. There’s also a USB Type-C slot, which allows you to connect smaller devices like smartphones with ease. Finally, the W5 pro has a built-in Micro SD card slot. This doesn’t just allow you to transfer data from a PC or smartphone. It also allows you to expand your local storage capacity should you so desire.
What if you want the portability of a mini PC, but still want a convenient built-in monitor and keyboard? In that case, a miniature laptop might be a better choice. We recently reviewed the GPD MicroPC. It’s a tiny laptop that does everything you’d expect from a larger system.
What are the other best fanless mini PC Intel Atom Z8350 computer stick?
1. Intel Compute Stick CS125
It may come as no surprise that Intel PC sticks embody many of best things the format has to offer—after all, the processor is most of what makes a mini PC stick what it is. The one Intel includes in the very affordably priced Compute Stick CS125 is a solid example. It’s a quad-core Atom x5-Z8300, a mobile chip with a respectable 1.44-GHz clock speed. Paired with 2 GB of RAM, you get enough performance to handle everyday word processing, Web browsing, light gaming, and streaming HD movies and shows.
Setting up the Windows 10-equipped CS125 is straightforward, but takes a few steps. You can plug the 4.5-inch-long device directly into any HDMI port on your TV or monitor, or use the included extension HDMI cable if space is tight. The stick has two ports (a USB 2.0 and a faster USB 3.0) for accessories such as a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, and you’ll need a keyboard to go through the initial setup.
Overall, the CS125’s collection of features make it a great value PC stick for most purposes. Its 32-GB embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC) flash storage isn’t a huge amount of space, but you can use the micro SD card slot to expand up to 128 GB. The dual-band 802.11ac-supported Wi-Fi connection also offers a quick, reliable network.
3. ACEPC W5 Pro Mini PC
Another benefit to a tiny, portable PC you can use with your own displays and input devices is that they can come at reasonable costs. The W5 Pro Mini PC a great example, with a quad-core Intel Atom x5-Z8350 CPU that helps provide everything you need to get streaming video and basic desktop functions on your TV. There’s a configuration with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC flash storage that does the job just fine, but you can also pay extra and get a performance boost from the higher-end version with 4 GB of memory and a 64 GB of storage.
The W5 Pro comes in a compact 3.9-inch long case, cooled by a fan that makes very little noise. It offers Bluetooth and dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, two USB ports for accessories, and a micro SD card slot to expand your storage. There’s a micro USB port for the included power adapter that you can plug into a wall outlet, but you can also power it using a portable power bank. This can come in handy when you’re on the go. The 9 Best Mini PCs of 2020
2. AWOW Mini PC
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The AWOW Mini PC doesn’t do one particular exceptional thing, but it offers an excellent all-around Windows experience in a portable HDMI stick format. Its 1.44-GHz Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor with 4 GB of RAM and integrated Intel HD Graphics 400 is plenty for the typical Web surfing, productivity work, and media viewing you can expect to do with a PC stick. You can opt for a version with 32 GB of eMMC storage and Windows 10 Home as the operating system, or upgrade to a 64-GB hard drive with Windows 10 Pro.
The device’s dual cooling fans keep it from getting too hot, but they run quietly enough that you’ll hardly notice it. It has a USB 2.0 port and a USB 3.0 port, along with a micro SD card slot for up to 128 GB of extra storage space. You can connect wireless accessories via Bluetooth 4.2 and to Wi-Fi through the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands.
4. Azulle Quantum Access
Azulle’s line of PC sticks includes design features unique among most of its competitors, and they’re found on the budget-friendly Quantum Access model as well. One easily visible difference is the adjustable antenna for improving Wi-Fi signal reception, though you may need to take some extra care to make sure it doesn’t snap off. Another difference is something that’s missing — its fan-less design means no vents or fans on the device and less noise during operation.
The Quantum Access delivers strong value and performance as well, with a 1.33-GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3735F processor and 2 GB of RAM that can handle most day-to-day tasks. It supports Bluetooth 4.0, but on the downside, it only offers single-band 802.11g/b/n Wi-Fi. There’s also only one full-size USB-A 2.0 port, along with a micro USB port and a micro SD slot. That means if you want to connect multiple devices that use full-size USB ports, you’ll need to use a USB hub or consider using a keyboard/mouse combo.
5. Intel Compute Stick CS325
If you’re looking to get truly functional performance from a PC stick, you’d do well to look to the Intel Compute Stick CS325. More powerful hardware is packed into its 4.5 x 1.5 x 0.5-inch frame than just about any other out there. Its Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor is lightning quick for a CPU designed for low power consumption. It comes with 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of eMMC storage (expandable via a micro SD slot), and the 64-bit version of Windows 10. All this adds up to a mini computer that can multitask more efficiently, work with larger files, play more games, run more intensive programs like Photoshop, and stream higher-resolution content, including 4K. That’s well beyond what the typical PC stick on the market can offer.
The CS325 is also more flexible with inputs than other options, with a USB 3.0 port on the stick itself and two more of them on the power adapter. It’s very convenient since you can have both a mouse and a keyboard connected at the same time, even if they need separate USB ports, in addition to another accessory like an external hard drive. It also supports Bluetooth 4.2 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi in terms of networking.
6. Azulle Access Plus
At 5.2 x 2 x 0.75 inches in size, the Azulle Access Plus is a bit bigger than most other PC sticks, plus it has a Wi-Fi antenna on the side. But the extra size allows the still-tiny computer to offer unmatched flexibility in terms of inputs — Azulle boasts having the only PC stick with an Ethernet port for wired network connections. It even includes a 3.5-mm audio jack for headphones, in addition to the more typical USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports and a micro SD slot. Its wireless connectivity options include Bluetooth and dual-band Wi-Fi.
Performance-wise, the Access Plus has the specs to work smoothly and quickly, even when you’re multitasking. It runs on Intel’s 1.44-GHz Atom Z8300 CPU, 4 GB of memory, and 64-bit Windows 10 Pro as the operating system. There are options for 32 GB or 64 GB of embedded memory available, and Azulle also sells bundles that come with accessories to take advantage of the device’s port selection.
7. Asus Chromebit CS10
Google’s Chrome OS is a light and nimble operating system that takes advantage of the Internet and the cloud, so putting it use on the lightest and nimblest computers makes a lot of sense. This is exactly what Asus does with the Chromebit CS10, creating an effective portable PC with a very low price tag. Powered by a quad-core Rockchip RK3288C ARM-based processor and 2 GB of RAM, its performance won’t match up to a full Chromebook, but it can certainly do more than just video streaming like a Chromecast.
The Chromebit includes a somewhat limiting 16 GB of built-in storage, but it comes with 100 GB of free Google Drive cloud storage for two years. It’s a big help to have your files synced and accessible from anywhere, rather than have to switch out additional SD cards or external hard drives for storage — especially considering the device comes with no micro SD card slot and only one USB 2.0 port. You’ll likely want to use the USB port for a wireless mouse/keyboard combo or a USB hub for more flexibility.
7. Intel Compute Stick STCK1A8LFC
If you’re familiar with Linux operating systems, take a look at what’s likely the lowest priced PC stick that can give you sufficient portable performance. The STCK1A8LFC model of the Intel Compute Stick line runs on Ubuntu 14.04, with Intel’s 1.33-GHz quad-core Atom Z3735F chip as the processor. Sporting only 1 GB RAM, 8 GB of flash storage (expandable via SD card), and single-band 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, it’s not designed for intensive applications, heavy multitasking, or high-definition media.
It works best if your computing needs are simple, or if you have a specific use in mind for the processor, like having it function as a mini server. You should also be comfortable with the advanced setup it may require to get things up and running. But if these things apply to you, you can get plenty of mileage out of this low-cost but well-built and conveniently transportable Intel device.
8. Intel Compute Stick CS525
At the highest end of Intel’s PC sticks is one with the hardware to potentially serve as a full on-the-go desktop machine. The Compute Stick CS525 comes equipped with a Core m5-6Y57 processor, a 6th-generation Core chip based on Intel’s Skylake architecture that’s usually found in tablets and 2-in-1 laptops. Combined with its 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of integrated eMMC storage, you won’t feel like you’re compromising on performance like you might with the slower hardware on other PC sticks. And, with Bluetooth 4.2, dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and three USB 3.0 ports (one on the stick and two on the power adapter), it has about as much connectivity as you can get, minus Ethernet.
The reason the CS525 is for businesses or expert users comes down to the operating system — it doesn’t come with one. The product might make the most sense for you if, for example, you’re a business with a license for multiple copies of Windows 10 to install on your organization’s devices. Individuals wanting to run Windows would have to pay the additional cost for a license and go through the installation process. But if you’re looking for the most powerful PC hardware you can carry around and plug into any HDMI port, it may be well worth the investment.