Can Beelink BT3 Pro II mini PC Intel Atom X5-Z8350 play 4K and 3D content? The Beelink BT3 Pro II is the Mini PC to beat if all you need is a simple, well-crafted system for media streaming or use in a small from office. It is built to deliver basic capabilities anywhere, for as long as you can hook it up to a monitor or TV. In the mini PC category, you have the like of Apple’s Mac mini and the pocket-size Intel Compute Stick, all of which have grown in popularity over the past year. The Beelink BT3 Pro II mini PC Intel Atom X5-Z8350 (review) is becoming popular in this growing category.
Beelink BT3 Pro II mini PC Intel Atom X5-Z8350 Specs
| General | Brand: Beelink Model: BT3 Pro II Type: Mini PC |
| Hardware | System: Windows 10 64Bit CPU: Intel Atom X5-Z8350 1.44GHz GPU: Intel HD Graphic RAM: 4GB DDR3 ROM: 64GB eMMC Max. Extended Capacity: 128GB |
| Communication | WIFI: 2.4G/5G WIFI, 802.11ac Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0 LAN: 1000M |
| Media | Decoder Format: AVS,H.263,H.264/AVC,H.265/AVC,HD AVC/VC-1,HD MPEG1/2/4,RealVideo8/9/10,RM/RMVB,Xvid/DivX3/4/5/6 Video format: 1080P,4K,DAT,FLV,MKV,MOV,MP4,VP9 Audio format: AAC,AC3,MP3,MPEG,OGA,OGG,TrueHD Photo Format: BMP,GIF,JPEG,PNG,TIFF |
| Interface | 3.5mm Audio,DC Power Port,HDMI2.0,RJ45,SD Card Slot,USB2.0,USB3.0,VGA |
| Other Features | Antenna: Yes Language: Multi-language |
| Power | Power Supply: Charge Adapter Power Input Vol: 5V Power Type: External Power Adapter Mode |
| DimensionsWeight | Product weight: 0.2480 kg Package weight: 0.6600 kg Product size (L x W x H): 12.00 x 12.00 x 2.40 cm / 4.72 x 4.72 x 0.94 inches Package size (L x W x H): 13.20 x 12.40 x 9.00 cm / 5.2 x 4.88 x 3.54 inches |
| Package Contents | 1 x Beelink BT3 Pro Mini PC 1 x Charger 1 x Mini PC Bracket 1 x English User Manual |
Beelink BT3 Pro vs Pro II comparison
| Beelink BT3Pro II Mini PC Computer | Mini Pc, Beelink BT3 PRO | Beelink U55 Mini PC Windows10 Pro | Beelink BT3 Pro II Mini PC Extended Memory 128GB,Intel Atom x5-Z8350 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAM Size | 4 GB | 4 GB | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Processor Series | Intel Atom | Intel Atom | Intel Core i3 | Intel Atom |
| Processor Speed | 1.92 GHz | 1.92 GHz | 2.00 GHz | 1.90 GHz |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel HD Graphics 400 | Intel HD Graphics 400 | Intel HD Graphics 5500 | Intel Integrated Graphics |
| Graphics Description | integrated | integrated | integrated | integrated |
| Hard-Drive Size | 64 GB | 64 GB | 256 GB | 64 GB |
| Hardware Platform | PC | PC | PC | PC |
| Operating System | Windows 10 | Windows 10 | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor Count | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
What is good in Beelink BT3 Pro II mini PC Intel Atom X5-Z8350?
Pre-installed Windows 10
Beelink BT3 PRO MINI PC is pre-installed with licensed Windows 10 home, so that our users are able to enjoy the advanced functions of Windows OS directly. Perfect for working, watching TV and playing games. Rapid, stable configuration coupled with the highly Win 10. Support dual-screen, reduce the waiting time, improve your work efficiency. Say goodbye to the system freezing and buffering. With the HDMI 2.0 data output, it makes sure you can enjoy 4K x 2K even 3D HD movies (Beelink BT3 Pro II mini PC Intel Atom X5-Z8350 review).
Intel Atom X5-Z8350
Beelink BT3 PRO MINI PC is powered by the quad-core 64-bit Intel Atom X5-Z8350 Processor at 1.44Ghz with a turbo frequency of 1.92Ghz. The CPU features the latest 14nm manufacturing process and Gen8 Intel HD Graphics. The CPU is backed by 4GB of DDR3 RAM and an active fan cooling system.
DDR3 4GB RAM, eMMC 64GB ROM
Configure 4GB memory and 64GB of storage space, with smooth and responsive navigation and apps that launch quickly. Support the SD card extended to 128GB (Beelink BT3 Pro II mini PC Intel Atom X5-Z8350).
1000M LAN
1000M LAN can improve the net speed and the performance to a large extent.
Dual Band WIFI
With support for 2.4Ghz and 5.8Ghz band, it can transmit higher amounts of data, and its naturally less congested.
Beelink BT3 Pro II mini PC Intel Atom X5-Z8350 review
Design
The Beelink BT3 Pro II measures just 0.94 by 4.72 by 4.72 inches (HWD), roughly the same size as two smartphones held together. With glossy-black plastic construction and a swirled gray top cover, the Pro II is an unassuming little box. When compared with mini PCs in the same category, this one is on the small end of the spectrum. It is certainly tinier than the Apple Mac mini or the Intel NUC NUC7i5BNH, but not quite as small as the pocketable Intel Compute Stick. Still, it is small enough to slip into a pocket, and comes with a bracket so you can easily hook it up to the back of your monitor or TV.
Storage
The Beelink BT3 in many configurations with the difference being the amount of storage on each. Our review model comes with 64GB of eMMC storage, that is the same amount found on the Intel Compute Stick CS325 and double the Quantum Access Mini PC. All that while, the Beelink BT3 remains affordable than its competitors, some with half its storage.
On the other hand, the Maingear Spark boasts a similar design and size as the Beelink BT3 Pro II but packs a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) storage. Everything else in the Mini PCs range – like the Mac mini, the HP Pavilion mini and the Zotac Zbox– are in the 500GB-to-1TB range. It comes with Windows 10 64-bit pre-installed (With the HDMI 2.0 data output, it makes sure you can enjoy 4K x 2K even 3D HD movies (Beelink BT3 Pro II mini PC Intel Atom X5-Z8350 review).
Ports
On the upper panel, you have labels for the I/O ports that are set on the side including, a Power button, a DC port, one HDMI, one VGA, a LAN port and a headphone/microphone jack. On the left side is a USB 3.0 port and a USB 2.0 port, while the opposite side holds a pair of USB 2.0 ports and a SD card slot. The HDMI and VGA port suffice for a dual-monitor setup with support for even 4K video playback.
Also, bundled into the package is a power adapter, an HDMI cable and a VESA mount bracket with screws in case you need to mount the PC to the back of a monitor or a wall. Wireless connectivity comes via 802.11ac Wi-Fi in addition to the wired connection. If you need more storage, the SD slot is expandable up to 128 GB or via an external hard drive connected to one of the USB ports.
Real Time Clock
A default reset and cleaning RTC (real time clock) feature is added on the device too. In the event of no power or no boot issues, user or technicians can recover the mini pc using this feature and reset the BIOS, which comes in handy while troubleshooting issues associated with booting.
Performance
The Beelink BT3 Pro II is outfitted with a 1.92GHz Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor, 4GB RAM and Intel HD 400 graphics, the same setup used in the Z83-F Mini PC. The low-power Atom processor has the benefit of passive cooling, which keeps the tiny PC small and silent without the need for a fan. However, it gives up some of the capability you’d get with an inexpensive Intel Core i3 processor. That notwithstanding, the system still gets 64-bit compatibility something you never get among the low-end Intel processor, like the Atom Z3735F that is only compatible with 32-bit versions.
That aside, the Pro II is designed and configured for uses like Web browsing and streaming media, and it does a good job for the exact tasks. Anybody buying it is not after replacing a regular desktop for work or productivity, rather, expanding the scope of home entertainment or bridging a technology gap in a small office. Obviously, with the Intel HD graphics, the Beelink Pro II isn’t meant to compete with the likes of the Intel NUC8i7HVK, which is built to support moderate gaming.
How to setup Beelink BT3 Pro II?
Beelink BT3 Pro has a compact structure that comes with some perks worth mentionable. The packaging contains a mounting bracket from VESA which can be used to fit the lightweight device behind a screen or other surfaces. This gives the whole system a cleaner look than normal TV boxes offer.
Another structural feature is the heatsink placement. The aluminum heatsink is placed on top of the mini pc. It ensures better cooling and as a result, better performance by conducting natural convection, which gives the device an edge over other TV boxes that places the heatsinks inside the device, making the process more complex.
Can you use this in customer service kiosk?
I would see this sort of PC being an excellent choice for either the living room or a customer service kiosk. The greatest benefit of the Pro II isn’t even the small size, but the affordable price. When at this price range you can get a basic Windows PC, you can afford to get creative using a Mini PC, whatever the limitations it may be.
How to get maximum performance from Beelink BT3 Pro II mini PC Intel Atom X5-Z8350?
I prefer VLC player for its minimal GUI. The GT1 doesn’t lag or freeze as other players have done and the 4GB RAM probably helps. The remote control is OK but I’m using an inexpensive Rii MX3 Multifunction 2.4G Fly Mouse Mini Wireless Keyboard & Infrared Remote Control & 3-Gyro + 3-Gsensor for Google Android TV/Box, IPTV, HTPC, Windows, MAC OS, PS3 most of the time and it’s perfect for my needs.
I even installed Floristry as a test and sometimes, when bored by the movie playing, I set the video up in a screen corner and play the game with amazing (to me) ease.
The GT1 is tiny but has a small LCD clock on front, an HDMI out port, 2 USB ports, an RJ45 port, Bluetooth 4.0, a microSD card slot and support for wireless “IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4G+5.8G,” which is the only area of “complaint” — as others have noted the wifi seems to drop the signal or playback buffers on larger files. Luckily for me this isn’t an issue since I use the RJ-45 port but if you have to use wifi you should test it heavily while the return window is still open! Finally, even though I just bought the GT1 in early August 2018, recently I was surprised when a message popped up stating an OTA firmware update was ready.