MXQ G12 Amlogic S905X2 4K Android TV Box Review

MXQ G12 Amlogic S905X2 4K Android TV Box Review

So here is a TV box called the MXQ G12, that I believe got caught up in all the S905X2 competition and was easily overlooked as an average. Believe me when I say the MXQ G12 is no average TV box. In this review, you not only see how stunning in appearance the MXQ G12 is, but how its performance propelled it to the top of my rankings chart. The MXQ G12 is the dark horse in the S905X2 line and is one of the boxes that I totally underestimated when selecting boxes for review.

GearBesthttp://shrsl.com/1mjff  $57.99 with coupon – GBCNMXQG12 Box in the video came from this retailer.

Csdealshttp://shrsl.com/1mjfx  $66.18 

Aliexpresshttp://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bxhWkOs0  Various Prices

 

Menu Button Navigation For TV Boxes Video  –  https://wp.me/P7Izmk-1kL

Snowball Notifications Bar For TV Boxes Videohttps://wp.me/P7Izmk-1kF

MXQ G1 Position On Rankings Charthttps://wp.me/P7Izmk-1hU

Latest Kodi Addons Backup Install Videohttps://wp.me/P7Izmk-1kS

MXQ_G12_In_The_Box

MXQ_G12_LED_Lights

 

MXQ G12 Hardware

  • CPU: Amlogic S905X2 1.9GHz ⚡
  • GPU: Mali G31
  • RAM: 4GB
  • RAM Type: DDR4
  • ROM: 32GB
  • WiFi – 2.4Ghz + 5.8GHz Dual Band
  • Ethernet LAN 1000Mbps

MXQ_G12_AIDA64__CPU_Info

IO Ports

  • 1 HDMI 
  • 1 USB 2.0
  • 1 USB 3.0
  • 1 DC input
  • 1 AV port
  • 1 RJ45 LAN 100Mbps
  • 1 Micro SD

MXQ_G12_Side_Ports MXQ_G12_Rear_Ports

Operating System UI

The MXQ G12 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system on a basic user interface that consists of large main buttons and a shortcuts bar. The interface does not come with a navigation bar or notifications bar but in the video, I discovered two of the best replacement apps that provide all the features of a TV box navigation bar and notifications bar. 

These are just some of the features of G12’s UI:

  • OTA Updates
  • Dolby Vision
  • DTS Audio output
  • 4K 3840 x 2160 HDR display
  • Root Access
  • YouTube in 4K
  • Netflix in STD quality
  • Screen Rotation
  • Mobile casting via Airscreen app
  • Expandable storage up to 64GB via SD card

MXQ G12 Launcher

4K Video Playback

The 4K video playback performance was the same as all the other boxes carrying the S905X2 chipset. Some of the videos played very well at 60hz, while the jellyfish video at 400Mbps bit-rate, and the Cambodia video that is encoded with Dolby audio had some issues.

MXQ_G12_Dolby_DTS

 

3D Gaming

The 3D gaming performance on the G12 was again excellent on the Mali G31 with Open GL ES 3.2. With the CPU clocked at 1.9GHz, it was expected that the box was going to overheat but it didn’t maintain a temperature of around 56°C during gameplay which is very commendable. However, I couldn’t get my gamepad keymapping apps to work. 

NXQ_G12_3D_Gaming

Benchmarks

  • Antutu – 62,151
  • Geekbench 4 – 781 single-core  2,367 multi-core
  • Ice Storm Extreme -5,i43
  • Sling Shot Test – 517
  • RAM Copy – 3,718 MB/s
  • ROM Speed – 148MB/s read    107 MB/s Write
  • WiFi Speed – Max speed on both 2.4GHz + 5.8GHz  ONLY

MXQ_G12_Ranking

Conclusion

Pros

The MXQ G12 is a high-performance TV Box that didn’t get the attention it deserved until now. It runs on the high-performance Amlogic S905X2 CPU, and it’s clocked at 1.9GHz, which is the highest in the industry for this CPU. It has a stellar design, with LED strips running to the edge of both sides, giving it a sportscar type appearance. It has 4GB of DDR4 RAM, and 32GB of internal storage. The box is rooted. It has very good WiFi reception. It plays 4K videos quite well, consistent with other boxes in its class. It has Dolby vision and DTS surround sound audio. The benchmark scores are higher than most boxes in its class, and it ranked high on the charts. You get Netflix and Amazon Prime video in standard quality. You can stream free movies and TV shows via Kodi and movie streaming APKs. 3D gaming is very good, and the box does not overheat during gameplay.

Cons

On the downside. The launcher does not come with a navigation bar or notifications bar. however, you have two very good replacement apps for this issue. It doesn’t have the required DRM Google-wide vine level one for Netflix to show in HD quality. The Ethernet LAN speed is lower than the WiFi speed. Some of my 4K samples had some playback issues. I couldn’t get gamepad keymapping to work. And the box comes with an infrared remote.

13 thoughts on “MXQ G12 Amlogic S905X2 4K Android TV Box Review”

  1. Your review was thorough and well presented; thank you. I think your reviews are the best out there.
    Question: Supposedly they make this box with a 64gb storage option but I have only seen them sold with 32gb. Any idea if the 64gb version is available? Thanks.
    Then again, if there is a 64gb option, maybe it changes the speeds etc which may make that version different from your excellent scores.

    Reply
    • I also checked before I purchased the box and there were only 32GB models. The sales agent said that it depends on the sales volume the manufacturer may send that model.

      Regards

      TV Box Stop

      Reply
  2. I have another little question: have there been any firmware updates for the MXQ G12? . I’m just wondering if the manufacture puts any effort into updating this box. Thanks.

    Reply

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