HTPC is a great choice for those who wants a PC for their living room that can act as both media player and couch PC. Vary by sizes, many brand emerges with its own version of affordable mini PC to fulfill the market demand.
ASUS introduces its VivoPC back then, as the compact PC solutions for those who needs something that has an even smaller footprint that the usual HTPC that we've seen. The ASUS VivoMini PC UN65H that we're reviewing today is the smallest available model from ASUS, powered by the Intel 6th-Generation Core i3-6100U, Intel HD Graphics 520 for your casual needs.
Specifications
Unboxing
Inside the box you'll find the the power cord, power brick, user's manual, warranty guide and the VivoMini UN65H itself.
At the front of the VivoMini UN65H, you'll find the power button that fires up the PC when the power adapter is connected. As the specifications will vary by the model, the stickers at the front indicates the model you're using - easily distinguishable by the processor used.
At the side you'll find the Kensington lock which is for security reasons.
The other side of the VivoMini UN65H comes with a universal card reader that works great for instant photo access from your memory card, 2 x USB 3.0 ports for your needs of high speed data transfer and it supports Battery Charging 1.2 technology.
Behind the VivoMini UN65H unit you'll find the DC in port for power source, HDMI ports and DisplayPort for your monitor or smart TV, 2 x USB 3.0 ports for high speed data transfer, Ethernet port and audio jack for your external speakers.
Heat dissipation issue is often linked with small compact system and the VivoMini UN65H has its chassis designed to have a meshed bottom cover to overcome that issue.
Wondering how the VivoMini UN65H looks from the inside? First thing we've noticed when doing a tear down is the a 2.5" HDD secured to the bottom cover, which can be replaced with a SSD if there's needs for it.
The VivoMini UN65H comes pre-installed with a 4GB DDR3L SO-DIMM and an empty slot that is intended for future upgrade if the needs arise. It also comes
At the bottom of the motherboard you'll find a blower style CPU cooler to remove heat from the system itself.
User Experience
Normal tasks, streaming video from the internet works just fine for the VivoMini UN65H. The advantage you'll get here is non other than its small footprint, which allows you to bring it to almost every where when you plan to have a change in the environment or perhaps travelling to somewhere and you wanted to connect it to the fancy wide screen TV in your hotel room - something which most custom HTPC couldn't offer.
Aside of the 100% sure to work normal usage, we gave the VivoMini UN65H a quick test on games. While graphically demanding games like Crysis 3, Far Cry 4, Battlefield 4 is deemed unplayable on the UN65H, the popular Dota 2 did managed to run at 1080p, with basic rendering options leaning towards the fastest side.
Load Temperature
We started our test with room temperature of 31º C and performed tasks as listed below:
- Normal browsing
- Playing HD video
- Gaming
Load temperature of all tasks performed seems pretty reasonable and the highest temperature that we get is during gaming session which the temperature is able to maintain below 70ºC.
Verdict
The ASUS VivoMini PC UN65H might not packs as much power as a custom HTPC where you can change the necessary parts whenever you want, but it still managed to pull out quite a performance with the Intel Core i3-6100U and Intel HD Graphics 520 - you'll still be able to play some games that is equivalent to the Dota 2.
If anyone would ask us why should they get the VivoMini PC UN65H, its mobility and small footprint its something that's worth to be highlighted, aside of its overall performance. Price wise, it's a little off the bar but If you're looking a compact PC with minimal footprint that is able to fulfill your needs (basic works, basic entertainment or even digital signage), the ASUS VivoMini PC UN65H one compact PC that you might want to consider to go for.
Pros
Good looking, sleek and compact design
Built-in wireless connectivity
Lots of USB ports available
Upgradability for memory and hard drive
Decent cooling performance despite of its compact design
Cons
Limited choice of color
Pricey
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