Beelink EQi Mini PC Launch Details Including Intel Core 3 304 Specifications UFS 3.1 Storage Configuration and Available Memory Tiers
Expanding its mini pc lineup Beelink announced the EQi mini PC which is an entry level system intended to handle modest computing tasks and light work. Beelink release figures put the base unit at 509.15 dollars with hardware fundamentals centered around the inclusion of the Intel Core 3 304 quad core processor. The CPU is a part of the Wildcat Lake range and is a 15 watt chip that is frequently used in budget conscious laptop arrangements to take on the more popular portable options.
In order to attain a competitive price point Beelink adopted an unorthodox configuration for its internal storage by equipping the T4 with phone grade UFS 3.1 flash memory rather than the use of traditional solid state drives. The base model is equipped with 512GB of the flash memory. The performance of the UFS 3.1 is not especially impressive when compared to older eMMC drives but is also far slower than a traditional NVMe SSD reaching a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 2.1 GB per second which is similar in performance to PCIe 4.0 x 1.
Users are not permanently constrained by this storage standard as the built in motherboard has 2 M.2 expansion slots for upgrades. One M.2 slot provides PCIe 4.0 x2 speeds and the other has PCIe 4.0 x1 speeds. Both M.2 slots can be used with drives up to 4TB for users to install high performance storage.
Memory architecture varies depending on the tier. The entry level comes with LPDDR5 RAM that is soldered on the motherboard and the memory cannot be upgraded. Modular DDR5 RAM modules are used for the mid tier and premium tiers so the memory modules can be replaced at a later date. Beelink is taking pre orders on its retail site for 3 different performance tiers. The 16GB RAM model comes for 509 dollars the 24GB RAM model costs 659 dollars and the premium top tier 32GB RAM model would be priced at 739 dollars. The premium configurations use the same 512GB UFS 3.1 drive.
The small form factor chassis makes provision for all the physical ports necessary for connecting several hardware peripherals. The physical connection ports are made up of 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports 1x Type C port running at 10Gb per second 1x Type A port running at 10Gb per second 2x Type A ports running at 480Mb per second and the 3.5mm jack. The network connection ports comprise 1x 2.5G Lan port 1x 10G Lan port Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6. Display output is through 1x HDMI port capable of outputting a 4K image at 60Hz. Power is supplied internally using a single integrated 85W power supply unit and thermal management is through a silent cooling configuration.
