NUC-like Ryzen mini PC features a 4K flip-up touchscreen — Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU and up to 32GB DDR5 RAM and 2TB SSD under the hood
Claims of it being coffee-shop friendly don't seem entirely serious.
A new mini-PC from Miniproca melds a NUC-like device with a flip-up touchscreen. Miniproca claims its 7-inch screen-lidded device is a “revolutionary” mix of high-performance PC and monitor, delivering a versatile All-in-One PC to its Kickstarter backers.
Adding more than a simple status screen to a Mini PC sounds like it could be helpful for some people. However, Miniproca might be pushing its luck by suggesting you can use its new device “anytime, anywhere—from coffee shops to airplane seats.”
We think the 7-inch touch screen may be helpful for browsing or playing mobile-style games at a push. More realistically, you may want to connect this to a large screen and use the tiltable touch display for live feed updates, messaging, status messages, control palettes, etc.
Looking at the specs, we see that the Miniproca device supports up to three additional displays via its DP, HDMI, and USB-C ports. Though we know it is made of an ‘aluminum alloy,’ a device with a screen that will be frequently adjusted (0 to 90 degrees tilt) needs to be durable tested, so pre-orders seem risky.
The AMD CPU of choice is a generation or two behind but still offers a lot of processing power for a small form factor device. We could grumble about the RAM and storage and the lack of expandability, but if this device is priced well, these known limitations won’t be too off-putting.
|
Specs |
Miniproca All-in-One |
|---|---|
|
Processor |
AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX with 8C/16T and up to 4.9 GHz. Built-in Radeon 680M graphics with 12 SPs. |
|
Screen |
7-inch diagonal 4K 120 Hz touchscreen |
|
RAM |
Dual-channel DDR5-4800 up to 32GB |
|
Storage |
M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 SSD up to 2TB |
|
Ports |
Front: reset, power, 2x USB 3.2, USB-C, 3.5mm audio. Rear: USB4, DP 1.4, HDMI 2.1, 2x USB 2.0, 2x 2.5G LAN, barrel jack (power) |
|
Wireless |
Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.2 |
|
Physical |
Aluminum alloy chassis, 175 x 137 x 55mm (6.9 x 5.4 x 2.2 inches), 855g (1.9 pounds) |
|
Other |
Windows 10 or 11 compatible, 19V 6.32A PSU for up to 120W power delivery |
Super Early Bird pricing for the Miniproca isn’t outlandish, starting at $699, but its purported final retail price of $1,259 for a model in 8GB/512GB configuration seems improbable.
Miniproca’s new Mini-PC seems to have got off to a flying start. The project was launched today with a funding goal of $5,000 within 5 hours, and it has since reached past $33,000 with 33 days to go.
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
View Original
View Original
It seems increasingly necessary for mini-PC makers to deliver some exciting twist on the form factor, or news of their latest product may be drowned out among the also-rans. Whether the twist is appealing or practical enough to gain traction is up to consumers. The ‘retail price’ doesn’t help either.
Kickstarter users already seem to have passed judgment on this Miniproca device, which has been very successful since its launch. However, we shall repeat our standard warning about crowdfunders—backing this kind of project isn’t the same as buying a product. You may face lengthy delays, spec changes, and/or even project cancellations and difficulties getting refunds or warranty cover.
Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
-
Notton I like this better than the folding keyboard NUC from a few days ago.Reply
Too bad it doesn't have a battery.
As is, the best use case is as a portable media-player for >12hr flights, where you know you will have an AC socket.
It's like a cheaper GPD Win Mini without the keyboard, controller, or battery, but with better storage. -
Guardians Bane Reply
That's def a good use case. For me I do a lot of vid chats and this would be perfect for that while doing other stuff on a main screen attached to it. Or for luve feeds and messages too.Notton said:I like this better than the folding keyboard NUC from a few days ago.
Too bad it doesn't have a battery.
As is, the best use case is as a portable media-player for >12hr flights, where you know you will have an AC socket.
It's like a cheaper GPD Win Mini without the keyboard, controller, or battery, but with better storage. -
throughfire Reply
Completely different target audience. Most people don't buy mini PCs for gaming. No one buys a Switch for anything but gaming.TheHerald said:The new switch is gonna devour all of these mini pcs crap.
Now, if the new Switch can somehow dual boot to Windows easily so that it has actual productivity abilities without losing its ability to be a Nintendo Switch, then you might have some ground to your argument. -
Heiro78 Reply
TheHerald's comment made me laugh so hard.throughfire said:Completely different target audience. Most people don't buy mini PCs for gaming. No one buys a Switch for anything but gaming.
Now, if the new Switch can somehow dual boot to Windows easily so that it has actual productivity abilities without losing its ability to be a Nintendo Switch, then you might have some ground to your argument.
Chances are that the new switch would be able to boot into android instead of full windows going by what happened with the first switch and rumors being another nvidia chip will be used for it.