Introduction

Minix has been offering a line of tiny desktop computers for a few years, but the company's new NEO Z64-W is something special.It's also one of the first to come not only with memory and storage, but also with an operating system pre-installed. It's a full-fledged PC with an Intel Atom quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and Windows 8.1 software.In this report,I am going to literally rip apart the Minix NEO Z64-W and show you the beauty of how this is put together.



Specifications:




Packaging & Contents

As the system is small and tightly packed,it fits into a tiny box and requires minimal packaging.The box is rectangular.The printed info on the box gives a very good rundown of the usual marketing symbols like Windows 8.1 Edition,XMBC.



The back of the box has the full specifications as well as some suggestions where you can use it.



To the right side,the package's contents are displayed.



Below,the Minix NEO Z64-W is suspended in the middle of the box by some folded cardboard.



Contents of the retail box has everything you need to get started.I have to say that it's always a nice surprise when a manufacturer includes an HDMI cable.



The system comes with a small power adapter that looks more like something you'd use to charge a smartphone than a PC power brick.When purchasing, pay special attention to which power adapter type is included as there are different options.



Minix has also done a good job of improving the documentation in the NEO Z64-W to reflect the fact that it's a complete system, as sold.A user guide outlineshow to change the default locations of your music, photo, and video folders (to conserve the minimal onboard memory), restore the OS,route the audio signal over HDMI, and more.




A Closer Look-Outside

The exterior look of the MINIX-NEO-Z64W is both its biggest gee-whiz element (yeah, it's small) and a little familiar if you've seen other products from Minix.The detachable external WiFi (single-band) antenna is positional which makes it easy to tuck the unit into a small vertical space.



Aforementioned housing is constructed of formed plastic and build quality is exceptional.The casing is matte black, with the MINIX logo in recessed gloss black.



The MINIX-NEO-Z64W's design is low-profile and meant not to be noticed. The designers intended it to blend into its surroundings, and not draw attention to itself.You can certainly find more powerful desktop computers, but good luck fitting them into your pocket.



Within the Z64W's small form factor,MINIX has managed to pack in two USB 2.0 ports,stereo audio, Ethernet, and HDMI.Remembering that the Z64W has Bluetooth 4.0, plugging in a keyboard and mouse may be as simple as the BT connection which leaves these USB ports free.The wired Ethernet is 10/100Mbps, without support for Gigabit, but again, this is not a heavy-duty Net appliance, but a streamer and a browser.The one limitation to be most aware of is the video output.The only output on the NEO-Z64W is an HDMI port, capable of carrying an audio signal and supporting screen displays up to 1080p. It's HDCP-capable, so no worries about displaying protected content, but bear in mind the 1080p limit if you were thinking of pairing the NEO-Z64W with a 4K TV or one of the emerging low-cost 4K desktop monitors.I tried hooking up our test unit to an Asus 4K display, which technically requires dual HDMI inputs to service its top resolution, and the results weren't pretty. However, on several 1080p monitors and a 720p plasma HDTV, it displayed just fine.MINIX also includes 802.11n Wi-Fi, and the reception was acceptable during testing.



There's also a MicroSD slot to expand the computer's rather miniscule integrated storage(capable of cards up to 64GB).The microSD card slot is integral to this unit as their is only 32GB of total storage onboard.This storage was reduced 25GB formatted, and then the pre-configured OS reduced it a further 4GB, allowing us only 21GB onboard memory to play with.The good part of this is that 21GB is plenty of room to throw a popular software package such as Microsoft Office on to the SSD.That's the only upgradability the MINIX-NEO-Z64W offers, as its small size prohibits users from adding in their own SSD or additional RAM.




A Closer Look-Inside

Considering all that can be found in the Minix NEO Z64-W,I was certain that this might be one of the most enjoyable system tear downs I have done to date. Both the top and bottom are a black moulded plastic and the top is held in place by four screws that attach to the bottom of the unit.



I can tell you something it doesn't have and that is a fan.



I noticed a large black metal heatsink connected to the bottom of the board.The removal of two screws allowed me to separate the heatsink from the PCB.Looking at the bottom of the heatsink,we see some rubber that are used to conduct heat from the CPU, memory and capacitors.



Looking at the base of the PCB, we can identify four SKHynix DDR3L-1333 memory chips, each being 512GB in size with a product number of H5TC4G63AFR.



Inside the Minix NEO Z64-W, it is powered by an Intel Atom Z3735F "Bay Trail" Quad Core CPU that runs at 1.33Ghz, but cab burst up to 1.83Ghz.It's the level of chip that appears in inexpensive Windows 2-in-1 hybrid laptop/tablets,where the whole works "motherboard, storage, and all " must be stowed behind the screen. With that in mind,this is a chip for light duty, not multimedia content creation or even moderate gaming.



What is truly amazing is seeing this systems storage run by a Samsung 32GB eMMC 5.0 embedded flash controller.This chip consists of 32GB high density MLC NAND, and a MMC controller in a 153-ball BGA package.Considering that this chip is smaller than that of a postage stamp, its ability is amazing.



Here is the Realtek ALCS640 multi-channel stereo audio module.



The Realtek RTL8723BS WiFi/Bluetooth solution.



AXP288 power IC.




Minix NEO A2 Lite

Μy review unit also came with the new Minix NEO A2 Lite,an RF based air-mouse wireless remote control. The NEO A2 Lite is the same shape and size of the original A2, but without the mic or speakers. This has been done to greatly improve the battery life of this remote, whilst keeping 95% of the functions. It look and feel like a actual tv remote with advance features.



The NEO A2 Lite is packed inside a small clear plastic box that allows you to take a close look at the unit prior to purchasing it.



At the rear of the box we see a description of the product with specifications lists.



The contents of the box includes only a USB receiver and a User manual



NEO A2 Lite utilizes the latest six-axis gyroscope and accelerometer technology to give users total control of their MINIX Media Hub for Android or other compatible electronic devices.



With the added benefit of the keyboard on the back,you are able to navigate the Android OS with ease, and also set up a lot of accounts, folders etc.To top it off,Minix included a external USB sound card.Come in handy, When you have a defective sound card or a audio port.Extremely clear with no audio distortion.



The spacious keyboard has been specifically designed to enable efficient typing, ideal for writing emails and other typing based activities whilst sitting on the sofa.The red LED around the middle buttons has also been replaced with a nice green plastic trim.This remote as stated does use batteries.The remote takes a bit of time to get used to the mouse but if you reset it in settings to a slower movement its fine.It's easier than the small standard remote but you need to put in time to gain experience to use.



The NEO A2 Lite is compatible with the entire MINIX NEO Series ? NEO X5 mini, NEO X5, NEO X6, NEO X7 mini, NEO X7, NEO X8 Plus and NEO X8-H Plus ? in addition to all popular OS platforms, including Windows, Mac OS X, Android and Linux. Convenience for a multimedia PC, Perfect for chatting on the bed using it for social media.Full function audio control for XMBC or any type of multimedia software.




Bios

Because the hardware is the same... you can also install your personal copy of Windows 8.1 in the cheaper Android version.But Minix doesn't sponsor this practice because it is a little bit difficult for the average user (you must change the bios).Below,we have an overview of the Bios:




Interface

Initial system installation was next and that was very simple.With a simply push of the power button on the NEO Z64-W, Windows 8.1 began its setup and asked for our WiFi password accordingly.From there we were up and running within minutes. It was really that easy.



This is your Windows 8.1.No bloatware is included which is fantastic.From Facebook to the full-featured Mail app and modern Outlook, a "peek" bar in the modern version of Internet Explorer 11 and the new Windows Scan app, you get all of the Windows 8.1 extras that were teased in early 2013.The Lock screen turns into a photo gallery, powered by the same Microsoft Research tech behind the screensavers in Windows Media Center and the Windows 8 Photos app, picking related and timely photos automatically.The Start screen gets new large tile sizes so you can see more information at once. Apps have to be specially built to use this, but many of Microsoft's own apps are. That means you can read the three most recent emails or see full details or your next couple of meetings.



If you're used to the small swipe you use on the Windows 8 start screen to select a tile, forget about it. That now swipes you down to the Apps screen instead (although the small swipe still works inside apps like the Windows Store, at least in this version).To select a tile, press and hold on it. You can still select multiple tiles and now you can do useful things to all the tiles you have selected at once.



Navigating Windows 8.1 was fluid.I didn?t experience any slowdown when testing the included apps.Web browsing was fast and scrolling was relatively smooth. I also had no issues playing embedded YouTube videos.You can also select multiple tiles on the Apps screen and pin them to Start as a group. As this is the only place you get tiles for newly installed apps, it's a useful option.Sorting the Apps screen by how often you use apps gives you a quick list of frequent apps you haven't pinned yet. And once you've done all that work, your Start screen syncs across all the PCs you use the same Microsoft account with so you don't have to do it again.



What you get depends on what you're searching for. If it's a person, you get Wikipedia information (other apps will be able to suggest content like this but Wikipedia is the first) and photos. If it's a place, you get directions, reviews, opening hours and links to book on OpenTable or call them with Skype. For a band or album, you get videos and music tracks - that you can play from Xbox Music.When you do open Windows Store apps, you're no longer restricted to snapping them into one large and one small window.



Skype for modern Windows lets you go between chat, audio and video calls, so you can catch up and work late.



When using Windows 8.1, you may be confused at first, when trying to find the PC Settings panel - the touch friendly alternative to the classic Control Panel. In the end you will figure it out but it should have been a lot easier.



Windows 8.1 provide a simple interface for connecting to wireless networks.The procedure varies depending on whether or not the network broadcasts its name (also known as SSID - Service Set Identifier).If the name is broadcast, connecting to the network is as simple as entering a password.



Chances are pretty good you?ll set your language, region, date, and time once and likely never mess with them again. But if you?re a road warrior and you frequently change time zones, or travel to new regions, or are simply multilingual, then these settings are good to know about.



Windows has been easy to keep updated for as long as Windows Update has been around, but backups and recovery were usually a mixed bag. In Windows 8.1, Microsoft introduced an improved backup option called File History along with new Recovery options.



There?s a lot you can do with this little computer? because it is a full-fledged computer.Sure,you might buy a device like this to stick next your TV and use like a Roku or Apple TV device.But it?s a much more versatile device, capable of running Office, Photoshop, Quicken, Firefox, Chrome, VLC, XBMC, Plex, or just about any other Windows app.



Are you going to use a machine like this to play Crysis,Battlefield 4, or other games which require heavy-duty CPU and graphics processing? Not really? But here are a few examples of things I?ve been able to do with the NEO Z64-W:Connect a USB TV tuner and use Media Portal to watch and record live TV,Compressed video files using Handbrake,Stream HD video from a shared network drive using XBMC,Stream internet video from Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube and I wrote most of this review on the system,using the WordPress web app in one Google Chrome window while I leave another browser window open with up to 10 different tabs for conducting research while I write.During those tests, I haven?t run into any real bottlenecks from the Intel Atom CPU, Intel HD graphics, or 2GB of RAM.




Performance

I put the NEO Z64-W through a series of benchmarks to test out what it can and can't do.Note that the NEO Z64-W ships with a 32-bit chip, making some of these scores not comparable to their 64-bit counterparts.



I will be running a combination of tests to stress both single threaded as well as multi threaded performance, in both real work and synthetic tests.



Read and write speeds of 175MB/s and 109MB/s are definitely encouraging, considering we expected write performance half of that.Also looking at the small file transfer speeds (4.0K), we can identify that these speeds a much lower than that of a typical SSD, that of which reaches as high as the SATA 3 range these days.



Once again, high sequential performance is encouraging and low 4K performance is much lower than that of which we might see in a typical SSD. We can confirm that, through visible performance that is accounted for by access times, one might find it difficult picking out this system from any other in typical user scenarios.



Overall the CPU performance is not bad. Its obviously not the fastest thing around but is competitive in the mobile arena. Just goes to show that these mobile SoCs are getting really powerful and can take desktop workloads at a very low cost, size and power consumption.



These results are kind of expected, no surprises here. Maybe if you want to play some older games it might be able to handle it.




Conclusion

Before I set NEO Z64-W up there,I spent some time and gathered some of my own thoughts regarding its operation the first of which was the ease of setup. Just plug it in, connect your monitor, keyboard and mouse, turn it on and you are on your way.It is that easy and this is something that I feel will be a huge benefit in the NEO Z64-W's success.I spent the day on the NEO Z64-W doing things I might normally do,to include watching a HD movie and a bit of gaming, both of which impressed.HD movies run flawlessly and gaming, well gaming might suffice for the amateur or occasional player, but the hard-core guys wouldn't be running this very long.Make no mistake:nobody is expecting the Minix NEO Z64-W to be a suitable system for hardcore gaming of any sort.This very small device is a full-fledged Windows 8.1 PC and has so many advantages over systems I see today.It is compact to the point that it can be attached to the back of a monitor or television, it is completely silent, it is packed full of features we might not see in other systems, there is no visible performance lag in typical PC use because of its size, and it is priced below $180.The NEO Z64-W is an impressive technical specimen, as Minix has managed to cram in a respectable amount of power into something so small.You can use the it as a Windows-powered media center PC, as an always-on home media server or backup device, or as a general purpose computer.With a processor that uses an average of 2.2 watts, you won't waste a lot of power by leaving the computer on 24/7.With an Intel Atom Z3735F clocked at 1.3 GHz, 2GB of RAM, and Windows 8.1, the NEO Z64-W does more than enough for someone who needs a slick and small PC to handle basic office tasks as well as media consumption. Some might complain about the seemingly outdated connectivity in the form of USB 2.0, considering the price users don't have much to complain about.



Indeed,I look at the NEO Z64-W and wonder where, if this is where we're at in 2015, what size, shape, and functionality level we could see in 10 years from PCs not encumbered, as a laptop or a tablet is, by a screen that dictates its footprint.There are physical limits to how small you can go and still connect peripherals via wire.Does that mean even smaller core systems that connect strictly by wireless? Or simply increasing computational power in playing-card-size systems like these?I'd bet on both.No matter how much I looked at it though,an effective use for such a device seemed to escape me. I mean.... it is as true of a definition as one can get to a "pocket PC" and it is a very attractive looking device, but to be completely frank, it wasn't until I first plugged this in that I truly fell in love with the NEO Z64-W.All in all,I was very impressed with the pricing, quality, features and performance of the Minix NEO Z64-W mini-PCS.It brings an element to the table that I really haven't seen prior and, for this,I am awarding it with my Great Award.Warranty coverage is 1 year from the date of purchase.