This
is not the first time that Chuwi releases a Mini PC as there has been the GBox
Pro in the past. The new model that goes by the name HeroBox and will soon
launch on Amazon is the upgraded version of GBox Pro and will come with Intel’s
Gemini Lake N4100 CPU backed by 8GB of RAM and 180GB SSD. Also, it sports a
metal body and many expansion ports.
The
N4100 CPU can reach 2.4GHz function frequency and offers adequate performance
and low power consumption. Also, it comes with the 9th Gen UHD Graphics 600
GPU that is pretty much twice as fast as
the previous generation. Having 18 processing units, it can decode 4K VP9 10bit
videos smoothly.
Chuwi
HeroBoxMeanwhile, the 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM is not only faster than DDR3 but also
consumes less power. Combined with the Intel 180GB SSD, it allows the HeroBox
to be 3x faster than the previous model in terms of read/write speeds. What’s
more, there are many ports available like 2x USB Type-C, 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB
2.0, microSD slot, HDMI, VGA, etc.
Chuwi
HeroBoxLastly, it comes with Windows 10 preinstalled so all the familiar
functions and applications are there whether you use it for work or
entertainment. And even if you don’t want to use Windows, you can always
install a Linux distribution as all hardware drivers are already available.
As
said before, the HeroBox is an all-around Mini PC that you can use as a home
cinema thanks to its powerful video decoding capabilities. It supports VESA so
that you can attach it at the back of your TV or PC monitor and forget that
it’s there. Also, thanks to its low power consumption, you can use it as a NAS
storage server that will be working 24/7 with minimal power cost. It consumes
less than 10W and you can expand the 180GB SSD up to 2TB.
Just
as a reference, if you compare it with other similarly priced mini PCs like the
Intel NUC6CAYH that comes without RAM and SSD and you’d have to buy them extra,
it really has no opponent. Apart from the fact that HeroBox comes with RAM and
SSD, the NUC6CAYH features an older CPU-GPU combination as it sports the Intel
J3455 CPU and HD Graphics 500 GPU. Also, it supports the slower DDR3 protocol.
As you can see, no matter the hardware configuration or the cost/performance
ratio, the NUC6CAYH can’t reach the HeroBox.
To
sum up, the Chuwi HeroBox is a perfect all-around mini PC with great build
quality thanks to the metal chassis and fanless design. The device will hit the
Japanese market first costing about US$ 200 and will soon expand to the rest of
the world.
