I’ve tested a few different ASUS miniPCs in the past, but today’s model is different from previous more office/HTPC boxes. Today’s box is somewhat different, it is more intended for an industrial environment, although it can also be used in the video segment as a feeder for a stack of monitors.
Similar to other different boxes of this type, the ASUS MiniPC PL64 supports different variants of the VESA mount and completely passive cooling.
ASUS sells these boxes as barebones, which means that we have to equip them with storage and operating memory ourselves. ASUS offers this box with four different processors, namely Intel Celeronen 7305, Core i3-1215U, Core i5-1235U and Core i7-1255U. The other parameters are then identical for all configurations, which is positive.
It’s slightly strange that ASUS mentions support for up to 32GB of RAM, but the PL64 has two DDR4 SODIMM slots and all processors can address up to 64GB of RAM. I did not test the 64GB RAM support, as I did not have these modules at hand, so I only tested with 2x8GB RAM. The test MiniPC PL64 was equipped with an Intel Core i3-1215U processor, which is a processor that has two P cores with HT and clock frequencies in the range of 2.5~4.4 GHz. In addition, the processor has four E-cores that tick at a frequency of up to 3.3 GHz.
The processor has a somewhat strange TDP set up to 55 Watts, but it maintains 15W for a long time. ASUS has set the power limit here due to passive cooling, so the processor will never reach 55W, a maximum of some 35W and that very briefly, basically it immediately falls into 15W mode, which means a significant reduction in clock frequencies. In a multithreaded load, this means that P-Cores tick somewhere around 2.2-2.3GHz and E-Cores only around 1.7GHz.
The graphics card is of course integrated directly in the processor, Intel refers to it as UHD Graphics, architecturally it belongs to the Intel Xe family of graphics, it has 64 EU blocks available, and of course high performance cannot be expected.
It is also interesting that the box has two M.2 2280 slots and even supports Intel’s pseudo-hardware RAID via WMD. I took advantage of this option and installed two Micron 2210 512GBm SSDs in the box, which I took from ASUS ExpertBooks L2502. Through these SSDs, I made a RAID0 box on which I installed Windows 11 Pro, in which I primarily tested.
The MiniPC configuration looked like this:
- Intel Core i3-1215U 6C/8T – 2,5GHz, Turbo až 4,4GHz, 10MB L3 cache, 15W TDP, 10nm
- 2x8GB RAM DDR4-3200 CL22-22-22-52 2T
- Intel UHD Graphics 64EU
- 2x Micron 2210 512GB M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 – Intel RAID0
- Intel I219-V 1 GbE
- Intel I225-V 2,5 GbE
- Intel AX200 WiFi 6 (802.11ax + Bluetooth 5.2)
- 2x RJ50 (RS232, 422, 485)
- 65W DC adapter
- Windows 11 Pro v22621.1413
The MiniPC arrived in an unobtrusive cardboard box. Apart from the computer itself, which measures 199.7 x 119.7 x 33.9 millimeters and weighs 1.07 kg, we also find some accessories here. In addition to several useful manuals, the box contains WiFi antennas, a set of screws and various holders, because the miniPC can be mounted, for example, on a VESA monitor holder.
ASUS MiniPC PL64 is all-metal, everything is passively cooled, so the case also serves as a cooler. The upper part with perforations is mostly used in this way. In addition, ASUS boasts that the computer can survive an operating air temperature of 50°C, which I cannot confirm or deny, I did not try to put the computer in a hot air oven after all. Personally, I think that NVMe SSDs will have a problem at such an air temperature without cooling, but it is possible that it will be OK when booting from the network.
The port equipment is also quite decent, everything is installed on a total of three sides of the computer. On the front we can see the backlit power button and two RJ50 connectors. These connectors provide serial lines, specifically support RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485, which is useful for various production lines, automation and other equipment. If you need to connect a serial device through a classic 9-pin D-Sub connector, you will need a reducer. Further in the front we find a total of three USB-A 10 Gb/s ports, a 3.5 mm audio combo jack and a disk activity LED.
On the shorter side, we find a Kensington lock slot and two USB-A 5Gb/s ports.
The back of the computer contains the rest of the port equipment. We find two RJ45 connectors here, one serving the Intel i219-V gigabit chipset and the other serving the infamous Intel i225-V chipset that supports up to 2.5 GbE. There are also two RSMA connectors into which we can screw the included antennas.
In my case, these antennas were fed by the WiFi chipset Intel AX201, i.e. the old well-known WiFi 6 chipset, ASUS also offers the option of a WiFi 6E chipset, i.e. with Intel AX211, but I assume it is for an additional fee, or with a better processor. We also find a total of three HDMI 2.0 outputs on the back, so the box can handle up to three UHD displays at the same time, which is interesting for the signage/video segment.
Also very interesting is the function where even a disconnected port can physically emulate the panel through EDID, which can be useful in a situation where the box feeds several monitors and one of them drops out. In this way, monitors will not be switched in the OS. HDMI CEC support is also worth mentioning. The equipment is completed by a DC jack connector, which feeds the classic ASUS 65W adapter.
Personally, I would have liked if the box had at least one USB-C port with PD and DisplayPort support. DisplayPort itself wouldn’t hurt either, as DP supports daisy-chaining multiple monitors over a single cable. However, I am aware that HDMI is more “creepy” in the video segment. The USB-C port could thus be more interesting for situations where the box serves as a station, at the same time, I can imagine that some users might desire an analog VGA output, but this can typically be solved with a reduction.
Of course, I had to look inside the box, on the bottom we find a total of six screws that hold the bottom lid. This also serves as a cooler for two M.2 2280 NVMe SSDs.
As we can see, the user can easily replace the operating memory, both SSDs and the WiFi card. The power button, to my surprise, is screw-in and easily replaceable.
Access to the box is thus very easy, which is expected for a device of this type.
In terms of software, the only thing worth mentioning is the MyASUS program, which allows you to check the warranty status, download drivers/BIOS and change some box settings.
The BIOS then has a classic ASUS layout, like on desktop boards. I tested with version 1.08.00, where ASUS very recently added support for VMD pseudo-hardware RAID, which I wanted to try.
2023-05-31 16:02:10
#REVIEW #ASUS #Mini #PL64 #passively #cooled #paradigm #shift #industry
