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Monday, 31 May 2021
Minix Neo G41V-4 mini-PC – another next unit of computing (review)
The Minix Neo G41V-4 mini-PC – is this that. At 139mm square and 35mm high, it has ten expansion ports, including HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4 and the old DB-15 VGA port. Intel Celeron powered with Windows 10 Pro, it is for digital signage or casual PC use.
Minix is OK with 3-cylinder under the bonnet because it is also one of the most fully-featured NUCs for the price.
Minix has made quite a name overseas for these mini-PCs, and now most of the Minix range is distributed in Australia by Canohm. The Windows range includes (approx. prices from eXpansys excluding freight):
| J50C-4 | $460 | Intel Pentium J5005, 4/64/M.2 Sata6, Wi-Fi AC, BT 4.1, HDMI 2.0, USB-C Alt DP, 12V/3A or USB-C upstream |
| G41V-4 | $350 | Intel Celeron N4100, 4/64/M2 Sate6, Wi-Fi AC, BT4.2, HDMI 2.0, DP 1.4, VGA, 12V/3A |
| N42C-4 | $325 | Intel Pentium N4200, 4/32/M.2 SATA6, Wi-Fi AC, BT 4.1, HDMI 1.4, USB-C Alt DP. 12V/3A or USB-C upstream |
| Z64W | TBA | Intel Z3735F, 2/32GB, Wi-Fi N, BT 4, HDMI 1.4, 5V/3A |
| Z83-4 | $350 | Intel X5-Z8300, 4/32, Whi-Fi AC, HDMI 1.4, Mini DP 1.4, 12V/3A |
| NGC-1 | $699 | Intel Celeron W3150, 4/128GB, Wi-Fi AC, BT 4.2, |
These are ideal in-vehicle or boat use without an AC/DV inverter.
Minix Neo G41V mini-PC
| Minix Website | here |
| Canohm Site | Here |
| Price | $350 approx |
| Warranty | 12-months |
| Country of Manufacture | China |
| About | Minix (Est 2008 – website here) is a Hong Kong-based Mac and PC accessory maker. It specialises in Android Media Hubs, Mini PCs, GaN chargers, USB-C cables, adapters, and storage. |
| Other | Other GadgetGuy Minix News and reviews here |
First impression
It is one of the more attractive NUC styles I have seen, with X-shaped top cut-outs as a cooling vent. Add to that HDMI 2.0 (4K@60Hz), DP 1.4 (4K@60Hz) and VGA (1920×1020@30Hz), Ethernet and 4 x USB, MicroSD and 3.5mm, and it is very well equipped.
Processor – adequate
The Intel Celeron N4100 14nm has four cores and four threads. It runs at 1.1Ghz with short term Turbo burst at 2.4Ghz. It barely draws any power at a 6W TDP. The Celeron is not a powerhouse, and that is fine. There is enough horsepower for web browsing, email, and productivity apps. Geekbench 5 single/multi are 391/1067.
It will throttle if placed under 100% load when the CPU reaches 90° for more than a few seconds. So don’t try t6o multi-task too much if you are playing a video.
RAM/Storage – adequate
It has 4GB, LPDDR4-2133 soldered to the motherboard.
The 64GB (16GB free) is eMMC 5.1 – fast enough at 340/123MBps sequential read/write. But with 16GB free, there is not a lot of space for storage.
There is an M.2 2280 M-keyed slot (accessible without chassis removal) for SATA6 SSD (PCIe NVMe not supported). If you use this slot, it maxes out at about 500MBps sequential read. But it also has a MicroSD slot for up to 256GB extra.
Video
Intel UHD Graphics 600 has 12 Execution Units and will support three displays. OpenCL is 1047, and Vulcan is 1122. It will decode 4K MP4, but you may have to download the K-Lite Codec Pack and Windows Media Player Classic to decode more.
Tests
| HDMI 2.0a Video 4K@60Hz | Pass |
| Display Port 1.4 4K@60Hz | Pass |
| External Support two monitors HDMI, DP |
Pass 4K@60Hz |
| External support three monitors HDMI, DP and VGA |
Pass 4K@60Hz HDMI and DP and 1080p@30fps for VGA |
| Wi-Fi AC (not MIMO) | Dual-band 2.4/5Ghz Maximum 433Mbps full-duplex at 2m from the router |
| Thermals | Fanless – no issue |
| 4K video decode | 4K@30fps – Pass – not HDR. Supports VP9 and HVEC |
| Streaming | Netflix 1080P/5.1 Amazon Prime 720p/2.0 YouTube 4K/5.1 All other services will be at least 1080p/2.0 |
| Sound | Supports PCM 1.0/2.0, Dolby Digital/DTS to 5.1 |
| VESA mount | Supplied |
| USB | 2 x USB-A 3.0 5V/.9A/4.5W 2 x USB-A 2.0 5V/.5A/2.5W |
GadgetGuy’s take
The Minix Neo G41V-4 is a mini-PC – it is well-made and fills a niche for those that want a NUC-sized device and are not bothered by Intel’s 11th Gen Core CPUs.
As its primary use is to drive displays, it receives our recommendation. But look at what you need first – the Neo J50C-4 with USB-C and up to 165GB RAM may be a better fit.
Rating
It is hard with NUCs because there are so many variations on the theme. It passes or exceeds all our paradigms for a lower-powered $350 computing device and throws in three external display support, Windows 10 Pro and a user-accessible M.2 slot.
The post Minix Neo G41V-4 mini-PC – another next unit of computing (review) appeared first on GadgetGuy.
iFixit unhinges the iMac M1 24″ – thin, different
iFixit has completed the iMac M1 24″ teardown and revealed the secrets of an incredibly thin 24″ computer – some impressive engineering, a tiny M1 ARM motherboard and display board at the top.
Of course, with that engineering comes a lack of repairability with everything soldered to the motherboard earning it a 2/10.
What is an iMac M1 24″?
The iMac is perhaps Apple’s most iconic all-in-one computing device. The Mac bit is short for Macintosh from the late 90s. Since 2004 it has had a unibody on a cantilevered stand.
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“Giulia Piccoli Trapletti, DensityDesign Research Lab”., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://ift.tt/3fzDUm2
The reality is that it has morphed from an Intel-based x86 CPU to Apple’s M1 ARM chip and, in doing so, allowed thinner designs. The downside is you can’t upgrade what you buy.
There are two M1 chips – the standard has eight computing cores and a seven-core GPU. The ‘deluxe’ has an eight-core GPU.
Storage is 256/512GB, 1 or 2TB and memory is 8 or 16GB (at order).
Apple calls the 24″ display, 4480 x 2520, 218ppi, 1billion colour, 500nits a 4.5K. It has a Wide Colour gamut (P3) and senses the ambient light to adjust tone (True Tone).
Ports include two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C 4.0, which supports USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 with Alt DP. The deluxe model has two additional USB-C ports. It has Wi-Fi 6 AX and BT 5.0
Both models are 54.7 (W) x 46.1 (H) x 14.7mm (W) and weight 4.46 to 4.48kg. these require a 240V plug pack outputting 143W. The iMac draws about 60W operating, so the extra is to support downstream USB-C and Thunderbolt ports,
Prices: from $1899 to $2499
Back to the iFixit unhinges, the iMac M1 24″ teardown
The complete teardown is here. Below are some highlights.
The motherboard is similar to that used in the MacBook M1 air with two fans and heatsinks. Everything is soldered on; repair or upgrade is impossible.
The stereo speakers – impossibly thin – have a full-range speaker and a tweeter.
If you plan to VESA mount – order it that way as the stand is not easily removable.
GadgetGuy’s take
By far the biggest’ complaint’ is about upgradability. But I suspect that this comes from people who don’t understand docking stations (Thunderbolt 3 or 4 – 40Gbps data transfer) that can support external SSDs and peripherals at impressive speeds.
And while the M1 chip architecture only supports a maximum of 16GB if the M1 macOS is anything like iOS (its iPhone 12/Max only has 4.6GB), the ARM OS needs less ram than X86.
Our iMac M1 24″ review is on its way.
You can read more about the Apple M1 chip here.
The post iFixit unhinges the iMac M1 24″ – thin, different appeared first on GadgetGuy.
Chinese smartphone sales Q1 2021 – a huge shakeup
Chinese smartphone sales Q1 2021 shows the most significant market share distribution ever, with OPPO and vivo jointly occupying the top spots and Apple slipping from #2 to #5.
Counterpoint Chinese smartphone sales Q1 2021 reads a little like a fantasy with such a massive redistribution of places.
A year ago, Huawei was undisputed #1 with over 30% of the Chinese market. Today it is at #4 and 16%. We all know why – the US Entities List stopped it using Google Android and Google Play, and then it sold Honor, accounting for 43% of its sales. In addition, it severely channel stuffed (moved phones from its inventory to its retailers’ inventory), and that is coming back to bite as there are still many unsold Huawei phones on retailers’ shelves. And now it has announced that its new phones will run Harmony OS, forcing yet another smartphone operating system and app incompatibilities on users.
A year ago, OPPO was at #3 with 15% of the market. Its Reno sub-brand resonates in that market. It and its BBK sibling vivo are vying for the top spot, each with 23 to 24% sales. vivo is doing very well with its Carl Zeiss camera link. Both have low cost 5G phones offering fantastic value.
Xiaomi, which for a while enjoyed #2, is now #4 at 15%. Xiaomi’s strength is export markets.
And that leaves Apple in #5 at 13%. In the past year, it dived about 5%. Its iPhone 12 series helped it claw back to pre-2020 levels.
Interestingly another BBK sibling, realme, has had an impressive 451% Year-on-Year growth bringing it in at #7. Its online sales model, edgy youth-focused marketing and backed by BBK build quality is undoubtedly working.
GadgetGuy’s take
While 2020 could in no way be representative of the smartphone industry, the status quo was fairly stable until Q4 2020. That is when Huawei and Apple started to nose-dive and OPPO, vivo and realme) stepped into the gap.
With the well-publicised smartphone component shortages, OPPO, vivo and realme are in the best spot with the massive BBK group purchasing power. It buys entire product runs of camera sensors, SoCs, memory, screens and more, then mixes these into the BBK product mix. No one can match its buying volume.
You will note that Samsung does not figure in Chinese sales as it no longer has factories there. Interestingly its strengths in western markets make it the overall Android global leader with about 23% of the market.
The post Chinese smartphone sales Q1 2021 – a huge shakeup appeared first on GadgetGuy.
Sunday, 30 May 2021
Saturday, 29 May 2021
Dyson V15 Detect – the difference between and clean home and a healthy one (review)
The Dyson V15 Detect is the definitive difference between and clean home and a healthy one. Why? Because it lights up dirt and detritus that you never knew is there. It can turn you into an obsessive-compulsive cleaner even if you hate vacuuming – and I do.
Damn you, Sir James Dyson. I was blissfully ignorant of the pigsty that I was living in. Once a week, I would set off Robbie the robovac to fill its 500ml dustbin and return home for a charge about an hour later. I knew it could not do the stairs, was not terrific on carpet, and choked on the shag pile feature rug but it passed the barefoot test for clean.
The Dyson V15 Detect (reviewed after two weeks of use) on average found about 300ml detritus more after the robovac and pulled 400ml out of the feature rug that we had conveniently not vacuumed for a while.
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Robovac -
Dyson found all this and more
But what is most telling is the ‘Mr Fluffy’ Laser-lit rotating head that exposes dirt and detritus that Robbie misses. It is not just under the cupboard eves or edges (Robbie does not do edges) but in places that you would assume a LiDAR equipped robot could easily access.
Damn you, Sir James Dyson, for that infernal readout that tells me that I vacuumed up 626,613,348 <10um particles, not to mention the 871,000 dust mites (or it could be fine sand – I prefer to believe the latter).
Dyson V15 Detect – top-gun stick vac for whole-of-home clean
Note there are four models
- V15 Detect Total Clean (this review)
- V15 Detect Absolute Extra (Dyson online only)
- V12 Detect Slim Total Clean – a scaled-down V15 800g lighter and a smaller .35l dustbin
- V12 Detect Absolute Extra (Dyson Online only)
| Website | Dyson Australia This review |
| Manual | Here |
| Price | V15 Detect Total Clean $1399 V15 Detect Absolute Extra $1449 V12 Detect Slim Total Clean $1199 V12 Detect Absolute Extra $1249 |
| Warranty | 2-years ACL |
| Country of Manufacture | Malaysia |
| Company | British engineer Sir James Dyson founded Dyson in 1991. It designs and manufactures household appliances such as vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, hand dryers, bladeless fans, heaters, beauty appliances, and lights. |
| More | You can read more GadgetGuy Dyson news and reviews here |
First impression
I have been reviewing Dyson stick vacs since the V8 circa 2017. Apart from some cosmetic changes, the concept has been:
- 125,000 RPM Hyperdymium miniature DC motor (the name must come from the same place as Unobtainium).
- Cyclone air system that maintains vacuum pressure regardless of how full the dustbin is. Air science is a Dyson strength.
- Filtration – the air it expels is clean – no redistributing dust.
- Battery technology – electronic monitoring and auto adjustment to eke out every last minute.
- Brush technology and the use of carbon fibres (expensive but more effective and longer wearing).
- And high technology – enough to send a man to the moon that monitors engine speed, suction, and so much more.
The most significant cosmetic change came in 2018 when the V10 design changed to ‘straight through’, altering the centre of gravity and making it more balanced in the hand.
Since the V10, we have seen a removable battery (around $199 and V11 onwards); an Outsize version (gets the job done faster); larger .76/1.9L dust bins; intelligent suction power adapts to different surfaces; and now a laser-lit head, and it counts and categorises dust and detritus particles. Oh, and let’s not forget the new anti-tangle conical brush that is a daemon cleaner for hair and mattresses (easily sucks up dust mites and hair).
Damn you, Sir James Dyson? Do we have to throw away our old vacs because once you experience the V15 Detect, you wonder, “What’s next?”
Well, I can try to answer that.
Dyson’s seven million engineers (just kidding) will find vacuum and cleaning issues we never knew we had and herald in the V16! I want to say it is a robovac, but no matter how hard Dyson engineers tried with its Dyson 360 Eye (circa 2016), it did not meet their standards. And that is how I feel about the plethora of robovacs I review, nice try, but no cigar!
The remainder of this review is the boring stuff – nuggets you will pore over if you are planning to spend $1399/1449 on a stick vac.
Accessories – almost everything
The Dyson V15 Detect comes with
- Laser Slim Fluffy 25cm motorised head for hard floors
- High torque motorised head with anti-tangle comb – for carpets, but it is fine on all floors
- Hair screw motorised too for mattresses, pet bedding, upholstery – works like an Archimedes screw.
- Extension wand (pipe)
- Crevice tool for edges
- Mini soft brush for dusting – no scratches
- Stubborn dust brush – stiffer bristles and perfect for cars, carpet etc.
- Combo tool with pop-out mid-hard bristles and wider crevice tool
- Wall mount (screw to the wall) docking station
- Wand storage clip holds two tools on the extension wand
All that is missing is a flexible hose wand to allow you to use it as a handheld cleaner. I am not too keen on screwing the docking station to the wall either (you never know when you will sell the home). To that end, the LG A9 series comes with a floor stand, flexible hose and two batteries. It is the only serious contender to the Dyson V11 series.
Get started
No app – charge and go.
You can select Eco, Auto, or Boost from the colour readout. Auto is the default, and it moves between Eco and Boost based on the amount of suction needed. Note that this only works with motorised brushes. All other tools require manual power selection. You can also go into the menu and adjust the sensitivity.
On the first run, we set it to Auto, and on the second, we used Eco – there is no appreciable difference apart from the feature rug. The screen gives a real-time estimate of the battery minutes left.
Power – one of the most powerful stick vacs
Few vacuums advertise the air watt power – Dyson included. This is capable of 230 Air watts on Boost mode. By comparison, the V11 Outsize has 220AW, and V11 has 185AW. The LG A9 has 175AW. Frankly, it is hard to see the difference except on our shaggy feature rug.
Battery Life – 60 minutes typical use
The battery is not just a collection of Lithium-ion cells. It is a complex Dyson engineered electronic device with considerable electronic smarts to get the most run-time and care for the battery.
The charger is 45V/1.1A/50W feeding a 25.2V/3.6A/91W battery. It plugs directly into the battery – no need to use the dock. You can also charge the battery outside the vacuum.
Regrettably, two weeks trial is not quite enough to be definitive. Let’s just say that a 75m2 area takes about 35 minutes to vacuum thoroughly. It includes 25% sisal carpet, 10% ceramic tiles, 15% feature rug and 50% bamboo hardwood flooring. In the end, I have about 25% battery left. Dyson claims up to 60 minutes of fade-free power on Eco/hard floor – pass!
As is typical with any vac, the more suction power you use, the less battery life you have. We tested turbo on the feature rug and got around 9 minutes.
Battery charge from 0-100 is just over four hours. You could buy another battery ($199) if your home is larger.
Dustbin – larger than most
It is 770ml, and given its efficiency, it fills in the 75m2 test area. What is more impressive in the first test is that we used it after a robovac had already collected about 500ml of detritus. The Dyson and its laser-lit Mr Fluffy show just how inefficient robovacs can be.
How does it clean? Brilliantly
We have a 100g mix of detritus, including fines, long hair and rice bubbles. We measure the amount picked up in one pass on the default setting.
- Hard floor – recovers 100%
- Sisal short pile carpet – 99%
- Longer pile carpet – 95%
Even the best 4000Pa robovac takes two passes to get over 90% across the board.
The readout shows collection by dust size, and that uses a Piezo sensor in the airflow.
But the most exciting thing for obsessive-compulsive cleaners is the readout makes you want to clean all over again, and again, and again! Yes, you can achieve no detritus!
Hair
My wife has longish 250mmm hair. The hair screw is 100% effective with no hair in the brush. The Torque drive is 100% effective, but a few strands wrap around the brush.
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This motorised hair brush is superb removing 100% of hair
Noise – acceptable
It ranges from 70-75dB at 1m. It is not intrusive.
Emptying the dustbin – hands-free
It’s a single red, push down, lever over a waste bin. Unless it is over-full, the detritus comes out easily or repeat a few times to shake out dirt.
Maintenance – almost none
The dustbin is removable and washable. The fine steel filter inside the dustbin can be wiped clean.
The top filter is washable – wonderful – and in theory, lasts forever. It needs to dry for at least 24 hours, so it may pay to buy a spare. In fact, there are no running costs for replaceable items, so it’s a keeper.
Mr Fluffy brush is removable from the motorised head and washable – another wonderful. Ditto to drying. You can wipe clean the rest of the head assembly.
The High torque brush and Hair Brush are removable, and their head assembly and wiped clean. You can’t wash these.
The other tools can be wiped clean or, if necessary, washed.
General use
The slimline laser Mr Fluffy head fits better under cupboard overhangs, especially those with timber overlay on the previous surface and lost 10-15mm clearance.
The laser works best in-office light <500 lumens or less. But even in bright sunlight, it still shows up larger detritus. You are going to be gobsmacked when you see how much dust there is, even in an apparently clean home.
Manoeuvrability is quite good as the vacuum head can turn sideways to get under low furniture as long as you crouch down!
When vacuuming the feature rug, there is quite some head resistance, but it is worth the effort to get a deep clean.
The hand vac section is 2.07kg plus any wand or tools. It is comfortable enough as a floor vac but can get heavy when using it as a hand vac in the car etc. Those with weak wrists should consider this.
Competition
The Dyson V15 Detect main competition is the price – $1399/$1449 for a stick vac! There are more than a few Darryl Kerrigan’s shouting, “Tell ’em they’re dreaming” – this is not for Darryl et al.
In fact, until I joined the Dyson clan, I probably would have agreed with Darryl. But gradually, we bought Supersonic hair dryers (9.2/10 – two if you count one for the daughter); Air purifiers (9/10, and they remain the only combo fan/heater/air purifiers); Light Cycle (9.4/10 – amazing task light) – I no longer wince at the price.
Because when I see the amount of design and engineering, I appreciate the cost. For example, when I compare the tech in other stick vacs that ranges from an on-off switch to a mild degree of auto-sensing – this is light years ahead. Even the new Chinese knockoffs claiming to do all for half the price don’t!
Dyson has a 45-day, no questions, free-of-charge return policy. That is confidence.
Grey Market and parallel imports
Dyson is a desirable brand and attracts its share of counterfeiters and parallel importers. The approved retailers are Harvey Norman, Bing Lee, The Good Guys, JB Hi-Fi, Big W, Costco, Shaver Shop, David Jones and Myer. Occasionally retailers use Catch.com.au to move superseded stock.
Do not buy from Kogan, Dick Smith, Matt Blatt (all Kogan fronts), or other dodgy online merchants. You will get international or refurbished models with no Dyson guarantee.
GadgetGuy’s take
The Dyson V15 Detect Total Clean and its Absolute Extra (Hospital grade HEPA filter) are at the leading edge of a new breed of vacuum that focuses on both a clean home and a healthy home. While I thought my home was clean (enough), it is a real eye-opener to see how much detritus traditional, and robovacs leave behind.
If you are an allergy, hay fever, or asthma suffer this is for you. In fact, get a Dyson air purifier as well if you want a healthy home.
It is capable of whole-of-home cleaning on any surface. Well done, Sir James Dyson.
Rating
Given that there is nothing like it, then it is now the class leader. And if you can get to the end of a 2-week trial and can’t find a single thing to whinge about, you know it is good.
The Dyson V11 Outsize scored 9.4/10, losing a few points for weight and manoeuvrability – it is big. This is more powerful, and the laser and auto-suction are tangible improvements.
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Kingston NV1 M2.2280 PCIe NVMe SSD – better than entry-level speed at a good price
The Kingston NV1 M2.2280 PCIe NVMe SSD is an entry-level product at an excellent price – 50GB for $79 to 2TB for $269 or about 13 cents per GB. It is perfect for replacing or upgrading a PC or laptop where you don’t need bleeding-edge speed.
Having said that, it is no slouch either. Our 1TB review unit clocks 2073/1737MBps sequential read/write with equally impressive random read/write specs.
Kingston NV1 M2.2280 PCIe NVMe SSD
| Website | here |
| Price | 500GB/1TB/TB $79/139/269 (approx. 13 cents per GB) |
| Warranty | 3-years based on Terabytes written 500GB – 120TBW 1TB – 240TBW 2TB – 480TBW |
| Design | DRAMless meaning no bucket of high-speed DRAM cache to keep up sustained data transfer rates> Uses Phison PS5013-E13-31 controller |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x 4-lane |
| Software | Acronis True Image (take care – it is on a sticker inside the sealed package) |
| Other | GadgetGuy Kingston news and reviews here |
Speed – more than you would expect
Despite being DRAMless, it is not bad on random read/write of files. But, having no cache, it starts well with large data copying and then quickly drops back to about 500MBps.
GadgetGuy’s take
Entry-level usually means SATA 6 performance (500Mbps) and low cost. Here the it is four times the speed. This has both the price advantage and PCIe NVMe – most SSDs at this price are SATA 6. It’s a tad cheaper than the Kingston A2000 series (has a DRAM cache) ad a lot cheaper than a DRAMless Samsung 980 (review here 9/10).
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Intel NUC11THKi5 – put a tiger in your tank (review)
The Intel NUC11THKi5 is one of the Intel NUC range using the 11th generation ‘Tiger Canyon’ i5-1135G7 ‘Evo’ style processors packed into a 117 x 112 x 37mm enclosure. By comparison, the 120W power brick is larger.
The Intel NUC11THKi5 minuscule size (a.k.a. NUC 11 Pro Mini) belies its capabilities. Inside are 2 x SODIMM slots, 1 x M2.2243 SATA 6, and one full-size M2.2280 PCI NVMe Gen 4 slot. And there are copious ports as well – 2 HDMI 2.0b, 1 x Thunderbolt 4 and 1 Thunderbolt 3 (also acts as USB-4 Alt DP 1.4a) and four USB-A ports. In this case, size does not matter.
Who is the Intel NUC11THKi5 for?
NUC (Next Unit of Computing) is a Windows or Linux PC in a box about the size of a thick, sliced-bread sandwich. They come in different heights to accommodate 2.5” SSD drives, and there are gaming formats replete with Skull glowing LEDs. You have flexibility in choosing CPUs, RAM, storage, and building your own kits where you supply everything but the motherboard and chassis.
Intel licenses NUC to a range of PC makers and industrial designers, incorporating the motherboard into their chassis or design.
So, it is more a concept, and GadgetGuy loves them. We use them for media centres (audio and video), controlling/monitoring managed rack switches, laptop replacements, smart terminals, and more. You will find NUCs in many trucks, farm, mining vehicles, and controlling transport like train gates and stop lights. They make excellent controllers in digital signage where message updates over Wi-Fi are instant—or controlling shop cash registers, security and more.
Now you know that NUC exists, it should be your first stop unless you need a laptop with a screen.
Intel NUC11THKi5
| Website | here (specs) |
| Price | Due to flexible configurations, NUC 11 kits start around i3/i5/i7 from $450/600/850. |
| Warranty | 3-year |
| Country of manufacture | China |
| About | Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, in Silicon Valley. |
| More | You can read more GadgetGuy Intel NUC news and reviews here |
First impression – small
Perhaps the best place to start is equating it with the Intel Project EVO processors in ultra-slim notebooks. The lower 28W Thermal Design Power (TDP) means passive cooling via vents on three sides. So it is not a desktop processor.
That means that unlike the same processor in an EVO notebook, this does not have to throttle on battery – you have 100% power.
Processor
We tested the 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 4-core/8-thread, 2.2/4.2GHz. Geekbench 5 single/multi was 1441/5210. Interestingly the i7-1165G7 (not tested) is not that much faster. PassMark is 10004 versus 10499 for the i7.
Throttling is not an issue on mains power. We ran a 100% load test for 15 minutes. It was 4.1Ghz for 11 minutes and then 3.4Ghz. It would be rare to subject this device to those extreme loads. Temperatures stay around 50°, rising to 70° at the end. Fan noise went from 25dB to 36dB.
GPU
It has the new Intel Iris X3 graphics with 80 execution units – OpenCL/Vulcan 14207/15070.
- HDR
- HW decode Direct3D 9 (DXVA2), Direct3D11, Intel Media SDK, MFT filters, Intel VA
- HW Acceleration VC/VC1/MPEG2/HEVC/VP9/JPEG/AV1
- Full support for Direct 3D 12 and 15, OPELGL 4.5 and OPEN CL 2.1
- Supports 7680×4320@60Hz and up to four x 4K@60Hz displays
- HDMI res 4096×2304@60Hz
- HDCP 1.4, 2.2 and 2.3 for DRM content
- Four display pipes
It will play most modern games at medium frame rates. It is more for productivity.
RAM/Storage
It can take up to 2 x 32GB SODIMM, maxing out at 64GB. Storage is a TS512GMTS4305 – an M2.2242 SATA 6 SSD with very average performance – commensurate with the SATA 6 interface. The slot is B-keyed (two keys), so you can’t swap in a PCIe NVMe, even if you could find one. Use it as a boot drive. Fortunately, it has an M2.2280 PCIe 4.0 NVME 1.3 four-lane slot that you can use too. It also supports the latest PCIe 4.0, so speeds top out at around 7000/4000MBps sequential read/write with the right SSD.
We did not experiment with disk clone to a second SSD, but there is no reason you could not create an M2.2280 boot SSD and remove the 512GB.
Power use
- Idle 10W
- 50% load 25W
- 100% load 49W (above TDP)
This is well below a typical desktop and should cost about 1 cent per hour to run.
Ports
Interestingly this supports 1 x Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps), and by inference, it is also USB 4.0 (20/40Gbps) and 1 x Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C 3.2 Gen 2), both with ALT DP 1.4a. Unfortunately, it draws 120W, so upstream charging from a dock is disabled. That means you can buy a lower cost, lower-powered dock.
Alt DP 1.4a includes DSC (Display Stream Compression 1.2a), 32 channel audio, HDR10, Rec. 2020/DCI-P3 colour space support, 4x 8Gbps lanes for 32Gbps. It supports 8K@30Hz, 5K@60Hz, 4K@120Hz (same as frames per second).
What this means is that you can get higher res support over HDMI 2.0b. This supports a maximum of 18Gbps, 4K@60Hz, HDR/HLG and Ultra-wide 21:9 monitors. All it is missing is bandwidth (48Gbps for HDMI 21.) and means it cannot support dynamic metadata like Dolby Vision.
- Front: 2x USB 3.2
- Rear: 1 x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C 4.0), 1 x Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C 3.2 Gen 2), both with 5V/3A and 9V/1.67A/15W downstream power
- 1 x USB-A 3.2, 1 x USB-A 2.0
- 2x HDMI 2.0b with HDCP 2.2 and CEC
- Intel 2.5Gbps Ethernet Controller i225-LM
- Power port 19V/6.32A/120W
- Missing – combo 3.5 audio and micro/SD slot
Expansion
There is no speed difference between Thunderbolt 3 and 4 – both are 40Gbps. But TB4 supports 8K displays and a 32Gbps data rate over PCIe. What this means is TB4 docks will have more ports but still have the physical limit of 40Gbps.
While Thunderbolt 4 docks are appearing (Razer, Kensington, OWC), TB3 docks using the Intel Titan Chipset like the Plugable series are largely TB4 ready with dual HDMI 2.0 or DP 1.2 outputs.
We tested the Plugable TBT3-UDZ Thunderbolt 3/USB-C 100W docking station (review here), and it supports 2 x 4K@60Hz monitors and 12 other ports for huge expansion.
Data transfer rates over the port maxed out the speeds of the USB-C 3l2 Gen 2 devices.
Wi-Fi and BT
- Wi-Fi 6 using Intel AX201, 2×2, OFDMA, 1024QAM, Target Wake Time (TWT) and spatial reuse for up to 2.4Gbps with the right router
- BT 5.1
It achieves 2.4Gbps at 2m from a RAX200 AX11000 Netgear router.
Dolby Vision/Atmos
Dolby Vision/Atmos content is likely to come from torrent sites meaning it is heavily compressed in the first place. If you have a Dolby Vision/Atmos TV and soundbar, it will pass the signal through for external processing.
But to be clear, it will not decode Dolby Vision/Atmos. At best, it will deliver up to 7.1 multi-channel sound. Control is via the Realtek Audio Control. Over HDMI and DP:
- PCM 1.0, 2.0
- LPCM, 192 kHz/24 bit, six-channel
- AC-3 Dolby Digital
- Dolby Digital Plus (5.1)
- DTS-HD (5.1)
- Dolby TrueHD
- DTS-HD Master Audio
GadgetGuy’s take
While the Intel NUC11THKi5 is promising, it is a tad expensive when you fully equip it. I would be inclined to look at the Intel NUC11 PAQ (review here), which is similar in cost, uses the same processor, has more ports and space for a 2.5” SSD as well.
The NUC11 scored 10/10, but this is a slightly lesser version, so it will lose a few points.
The post Intel NUC11THKi5 – put a tiger in your tank (review) appeared first on GadgetGuy.
Friday, 28 May 2021
Apple TV 4K gen 2 media player – streaming’s heavy hitter (review)
With subtle enhancements to the picture quality and a new remote control, the Apple TV 4K Gen 2 media player shapes up as one of the best smart lounge room companions.
As with many product categories, Apple didn’t invent the streaming media player, but it took it to the next level. When the Apple TV launched in 2007, it brought media players to a wider audience and raised the bar in terms of the user experience.
Google and Amazon later followed suit with their cheaper stripped-down HDMI dongles. They’re also designed to bring streaming video into the lounge room. Today, the three tech giants are competing to be your gateway to the world of online entertainment – with the Apple TV 4K Gen 2 up against Google’s Chromecast with Google TV and Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K.
All three devices are on almost equal footing when it comes to streaming services and picture quality. This means the battle mostly comes down to the user experience, where the Apple TV 4K Gen 2 has a few tricks up its sleeve.
Review: Apple TV 4K Gen 2 media player
| Australian website | here |
| Price | from $249 |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Country of manufacture | China |
| Other | You can read other GadgetGuy Apple news and reviews here. |
First impressions
At first glance, the box itself has only undergone a few minor tweaks compared to the Apple TV 4K gen 1 (review here 8.6/10) released in 2017.
Apple continues to stick with the traditional set-top box-style design rather than release a cheaper dongle-style device like Google and Amazon. Because we all know Apple doesn’t do cheap.
Thankfully, the compact design doesn’t take up too much room in your home entertainment cabinet. It’s small enough to tuck away alongside or behind a television if need be.
The most obvious change with the Apple TV 4K Gen 2 is the new remote control. It’s a welcome improvement for those frustrated by the trackpad and slender design of the remote released with Apple TV 4K gen 1. Even Apple acknowledges this, selling the new remote separately for $79 – catering to those who love their old Apple TV HD/4K but hate the old remote.
Apple TV 4K Gen 2 media player Specs
| Storage | 32 GB ($249) or 64 GB ($279) |
| Footprint | 98 x 98 mm |
| Height | 35 mm |
| Weight | 425 gm |
| Video | HDMI 2.1 |
| Resolution | 4K |
| High Frame Rate | 60 fps |
| High Dynamic Range | HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision |
| Audio | 5.1 Dolby Digital, 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos |
| WiFi | WiFi 802.11ax WiFi 6 with MIMO; simultaneous dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) |
| Ethernet | Gigabit |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 |
| Other connectivity | Thread |
| Processor | A12 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture |
| REMOTE: | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Infrared transmitter | |
| Microphone (for Siri) | |
| Touch-enabled clickpad | |
| Lightning port (for charging) |
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Remote control aside, the new Apple TV 4K gen 2 looks the same as its predecessor.
High Frame Rate
Under the bonnet, the Apple TV 4K Gen 2 has Apple’s A12 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture. Apple has also upgraded the video port from HDMI 2.0 to HDMI 2.1.
This extra grunt and increased HDMI throughput supports High Frame Rate content at 60 frames per second. That’s assuming your television can handle it. The new Apple TV 4K Gen 2 also steps up to WiFi 6 to support smoother streaming.
Increasing the number of frames displayed per second helps smooth out fast-moving action, making it great for blockbuster movies and sport. The problem is that there is precious little content produced or delivered in 60 fps. Almost everything is still 24 or 30 fps.
Hollywood’s trials with High Frame Rate (HFR) have been hit, and miss, such as when The Hobbit was canned after the use of 48 fps made things look a bit fake. Sport is where HFR should really prove its worth.
Put to the test
You can get a taste of 60 fps on the Apple TV 4K Gen 2 via YouTube, Netflix and Red Bull TV. But you need to search hard for content, and the improvement when stepping up to 60 fps is very subtle.
The short film Meridian looks spectacular on Netflix in 60 fps on my LG OLED. You can see the difference when switching the video output between 30 and 60 fps, but you need an eye for detail to appreciate it. You also run into that problem where the image looks so crisp it looks fake as if the objects have been pasted into the scene.
I showed these scenes to my family without explaining the frame rate issue, and they also felt that it looked unnatural and distracting.
There’s no indication that the broader entertainment industry is rushing to embrace HFR the same way it rushed to embrace higher resolution and dynamic range. It is quite possible viewer backlash will kill it off.
For now, if you’ve got an iPhone 12 Pro in your pocket, it can shoot 4K HDR video at 120 fps. The Apple TV 4K Gen 2 can show in 60 fps if your television is up to the job.
As a result, right now, HFR mostly feels like future-proofing for a future that may never arrive. Even if it does, HFR’s improvements are perhaps too subtle – or too distracting – to impress your average punter.
Calibration
When it comes to picture quality, Apple has added a new calibration feature that lets you point your iPhone at your television to fine-tune the Apple TV 4K Gen 2 colours. To be fair, it’s not exclusive to the new box and is also supported by some earlier Apple TV models.
It’s a nice idea, and you could argue that it will encourage people to pay more attention to picture quality without getting lost in the calibration menus on their television. Or you could argue that anyone who cares enough about picture quality to go to the trouble of doing this would likely go the extra step of actually calibrating their television to look its best.
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Apple’s new picture calibration isn’t as effective as actually using your television’s calibration features.
Apps
While streaming video is the headline act, Apple is determined to ensure that the Apple TV 4K Gen 2 is much more than merely a conduit to Apple’s movie library and the various streaming video services.
You’re more likely to appreciate the extra grunt from Apple’s A12 Bionic chip if you use the box as a games machine. It also introduces HFR support for games.
Not that an Apple TV 4K Gen 2 is ever likely to steal a PlayStation or Xbox’s pride of place in the lounge room. But the Apple Arcade subscription service makes it a more attractive option for casual gamers.
Apple is also working to tie together its hardware and services, although they’re not exclusive to this Apple TV 4K Gen 2. For example, if you own an Apple Watch with an Apple Fitness+ subscription, you can watch workouts on the Apple TV – with your heart rate and other stats displayed in the corner.
Plus you’ve got AirPlay streaming, allowing you to fling video or mirror the screen from iGadgets.
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The Apple TV 4K places nicely with the Apple Watch and Apple Fitness+ subscription.
Apple TV 4K Gen 2 remote
Apple has gone back to basics with a click wheel-style design similar to the Apple TV gen 1 remote, in fact, similar to the very first iPod.
It’s large and a little clunky compared to the previous slender remote, but it’s still a welcome change. Forgoing physical navigation buttons for a touchpad on the old remote might have been good for gaming. Sadly, it made for a clunky and frustrating user experience when navigating through apps and menus.
What’s impressive is that the new click wheel is also a touchpad. This gives you the best of both worlds with slick scrolling and precise control. Switching between them grows you on quickly, although you need to take care not to accidentally brush the trackpad with your thumb when navigating through a grid of apps. The ability to predict and ignore inadvertent brushes in this scenario would be helpful.
Sliding your finger around the click wheel also offers precise control when scrubbing back and forth through a paused video. It’s a big improvement on how most other streaming devices behave.
Apple’s new remote also introduces power and mute buttons, making it easier to control your television without needing to reach for another remote on the coffee table.
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The new remote is a big selling point, plus it’s sold separately for people who own an older Apple TV.
Interface
The latest tvOS brings with it a few nice improvements which enhance the overall user experience.
While the Apple TV was already strong on cross-platform search, the latest update also improves cross-platform discovery. The “Up next” video home screen now displays a better range of content from a wider range of streaming services. This makes it easier to jump into your favourite shows and see when new episodes are available.
Apple has also added the ability to switch between different user profiles in your household, similar to how you can switch between user profiles within streaming apps like Netflix. It’s a smart move, following the lead of the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, in that it makes it easier to treat the Apple TV’s video home screen as your personalised gateway to the world of entertainment.
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tvOS offers a slick user experience.
GadgetGuy’s take
The Apple TV 4K Gen 2 is a great addition to Apple-centric lounge rooms, especially if you have a 4K television that supports HDR. If you’ve got an iPhone in your pocket and an Apple Watch on your wrist, then Apple’s media player will feel right at home.
If you’re not wedded to Apple, you’ll get more bang for your buck from a Google or Amazon streaming stick.
The trouble is that the Apple TV 4K Gen 2 doesn’t offer much of an update compared to the first-generation model, except for the great remote you can buy separately. Many other interface improvements will also come to the existing Apple TV 4K via a tvOS software update.
Support for HFR 60 fps is nice future-proofing if you’re buying your first Apple TV 4K. But if you already own the first-generation model, you wouldn’t bother upgrading. Not unless your television supports HFR and you’re sure you’d make the most. That’s assuming you can even find something you want to watch or play that’s produced in 60 fps, and you like the look of it.
Would I buy it?
Yes, if I was an Apple-centric home and I didn’t own the Apple TV 4K gen 1.
The post Apple TV 4K gen 2 media player – streaming’s heavy hitter (review) appeared first on GadgetGuy.
