There was once a time when I loved building Windows PCs. Whenever I built a new rig, I always had a vision of creating the most powerful system, but encasing it in the smallest possible package. Although it has been quite some time since my last build, nearly a decade, to this day I am still intrigued by smaller or micro sized PC"s. Luckily, I get to revisit that world by exploring Tronsmart"s latest mini pc running Windows 10, the Ara X5.
While I haven"t spent a lot of time with the unit, it does seem to hold up for a majority of my daily routines. Generally, when I use a computer, I browse the web, author posts on Neowin, and dabble on media streaming sites like YouTube, Netflix and HBO. Putting the device through its paces, I found it as no surprise that the "Ara X5" was able to handle all my day-to-day activities. So far, I am impressed, but I am far from what most would call a "power user". I"ll save the deep dive into the numbers for the formal review coming later this week, but for now let"s take a look at the specifications of the Tronsmart Ara X5.
The Tronsmart Ara X5 has the following specifications:
- Intel Atom Z8300 CPU / Quad-core up to 1.8Ghz
- Intel 16EU Gen8 GPU
- 2GB DDR3
- 32GB internal storage
- Wi-Fi a/b/g/n at 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz
- USB 2.o x 2, USB 3.0 x 1
- HDMI, 3.5mm audio port
- microSD slot for expansion
- ethernet port
- Windows 10
Although this isn"t the most robust system, the Ara X5 does pack quite a bit of power at a very affordable price of $150 USD. Stay tuned as we deep-dive with Tronsmart"s Ara X5 as we will have a full review coming later this week.