Would you buy this? $44 PC promises "powerful performance" and "striking visuals"
The Wo-We Mini PC is amazingly cheap, but there are some trade-offs.
I was browsing through the r/buildapcsales today, looking for something interesting, when I stumbled onto quite the deal. Amazon is selling a fully-functional desktop mini PC for just $44.99, and that's not even a limited-time sale. But just what do you get for your money?
The Wo-We Mini PC is powered by a dual-core, Intel Celeron N4020 CPU and sports 4GB of RAM, 128GB of eMMC storage, and Wi-Fi 5 wireless connectivity. It comes with Ubuntu Linux preinstalled, though we don't know which version.
In terms of video out, the PC has both a VGA and an HDMI port. It can support dual screens and a maximum resolution of 4K (on a single screen) via its Intel UHD Graphics 600 integrated GPU.
On its Amazon page, Wo-We claims that the Mini PC offers "powerful performance without breaking the bank" and that its Intel UHD 600 GPU offers "state-of-the-art" graphics technology. The company says that its 802.11ac Wi-Fi offers "faster, smoother and more stable Internet access" too.
The tiny, 5.12 x 6.61-inch black box has a USB-C 5 Gbps port, microSD and dual USB Type-A 5 Gbps ports on the front. The back has the VGA, HDMI, 1 Gbps Ethernet, and dual USB 2.0 ports.
Depending on your needs, the Wo-We is either "Whoa, we got a lot for the money" or "Woe betide we who bought this." If you just want to use web tools, are comfortable working in Ubuntu Linux (which isn't hard to learn), and don't do much multitasking, this could work out.
If you like to have many tabs open or you don't have a lot of patience, this could end up as a $44 paperweight. We haven't gotten the Wo-We Mini PC in for testing. However, we wouldn't expect great performance, considering that its 2019-era Celeron has two cores, two threads, 4MB of cache, a base clock of 1.1 GHz, and a boost clock of 2.8 GHz.
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Those are some weak specs, as most desktop CPUs and even many mobile CPUs these days have boost clocks in the 4 to 5 GHz range. The good news is that the Celeron only has a 6W TDP, so it doesn't need active cooling. That keeps the Mini PC from making noise.
What probably hurts the experience more is the 4GB of RAM, which would make web browsing with more than a couple of tabs open a challenge. However, Linux usually makes better use of memory than Windows does.
Another problem: the eMMC memory is probably about equivalent in speed to a typical (not high-speed) microSD card. So boot time and the time you wait to open apps could be slow.
Tech-savvy users who know to expect lag may have the patience for slowness, but those who need this the most -- people who don't have computers already -- will likely be less inclined to tolerate it. If you're a low-information user, you may be confused by Linux and frustrated by any problems you run into. You could always get Windows and install it, though not Windows 11.
Of course, there are other low-cost choices that allow you to do basic computing. Right now, Woot has a Raspberry Pi 4B with 8GB of RAM for $44. However, during non-sale times, you're getting 2GB of RAM on your Pi at this price and 4GB will cost you quite a bit more. And with Raspberry Pi, you'd need to buy a microSD card to install your OS on, get micro HDMI cables for video and you couldn't run install Windows (like you can on the Wo-We).
Wo-We also sells a $54 Mini PC with 8GB of RAM but with an even older AMD Excavator A9-9400 CPU that launched in May 2016. That's a bit long in the tooth, even for a bargain.
It's interesting to see that you can get a workable, brand-new desktop PC for $44. However, the people most fascinated with this system (PC enthusiasts like me) probably need it the least.
Avram Piltch is Managing Editor: Special Projects. When he's not playing with the latest gadgets at work or putting on VR helmets at trade shows, you'll find him rooting his phone, taking apart his PC, or coding plugins. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram developed many real-world benchmarks, including our laptop battery test.
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ezst036 Having Linux on it, at least it will be fast in common usage.Reply
That CPU is quad core I think. -
salgado18 You could emulate Atari games on it, altough some would have a bit of stuttering.Reply
Doom, on the other hand, would run flawlessly on that WiFi processor. -
Marlin1975 Replyezst036 said:Having Linux on it, at least it will be fast in common usage.
That CPU is quad core I think.
No its a older dual core Gemini Lake Refresh chip from 2019. Max 2.8Ghz.
Pretty slow when for a little more you can get a N95/97/100/150 system -
USAFRet Any person who might be satisfied with the performance, and the Linux OS....almost certainly has enough spare parts around to build a whole (better?) system.Reply
I know I do. -
mikiem FWIW I picked up a similar Beebox many years ago to use as a Blu-ray player connected to the TV. Nowadays it's all streaming, and the Beebox sits on my desk as a spare connected to a TV on my desk that's otherwise used with a Roku when the PC isn't churning away doing whatever. And it does OK running Win11, which was actually a performance boost compared to Win10. Granted the Beebox has 4 cores, with a real SSD along with 8GB RAM, and it can be almost painfully slow sometimes, but it takes up a little more room than a cup of coffee and it works.Reply -
atarione Amusingly I can't buy it even if I wanted to? As Amazon says it can't be shipped to my address (CA) due to local laws or amazon policies?? Happily (I guess) I don't want this (possibly malware infested?) Chinese potato pc anyways...Reply -
RedBear87 Reply
People underestimate sometimes how those slow CPUs can be the real bottleneck in a system, no matter the amount of RAM and the kind of storage you attach....mikiem said:Granted the Beebox has 4 cores, with a real SSD along with 8GB RAM, and it can be almost painfully slow sometimes, -
Scottib Have had two of these for a couple years now. Work great running Xubuntu minimal and pihole software. Just keep on ticking 24/7.Reply -
NightHawkRMX I'd buy one for a basic server, like a pihole.Reply
If they offered a model with a slightly better CPU like an N100 I'd be more interested to get one of these for basic use or for Grandma etc. I've dealt with CPUs like this in the past and they really struggle even with basic video playback, almost too weak for basic usage