My Beelink Mini S12 Pro Mini PC Experience Review
Hello, everyone! Today, I’m excited to share my hands-on experience with the Beelink Mini S12 Pro, a Mini PC that has been making waves in the tech world. Running on an Intel Alder Lake 12Gen N100 CPU, equipped with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, and boasting a generous 512 GB of storage, this compact powerhouse promises a lot. Join me as I dive into its design, features, gaming performance, and benchmark results.
Unboxing the Beelink Mini S12 Pro
After a quick unboxing, the contents revealed a thoughtful package. Alongside the Mini S12 Pro, I found one HDMI cable, a shorter HDMI cable for convenient mounting, a 12V 3A DC power supply, a bracket with screws for monitor attachment, and a user manual. The design, featuring a plastic shell adorned with the Beelink logo, showcases a range of I/O ports, including dual HDMI 2.0, 1 GB LAN, USB 3.0, a headphone jack, and more.
Unboxing and Design:
Upon opening the box, I discovered the Mini S12 Pro alongside essential accessories, including two HDMI cables, a 12V 3A DC power supply, a bracket for monitor mounting, and a user manual. The design showcases a sleek plastic shell with the Beelink logo, featuring dual HDMI 2.0 ports, a 1 GB LAN port, USB 3.0 ports, a headphone jack, and more. The Mini S12 Pro also comes with a handy SATA expandable storage compartment.
Exploring the Inside
The Mini S12 Pro’s internals are just as impressive. A 512 GB NVME 2280 M.2 SSD and a single 16 GB DDR4 RAM module make up its core components. Notably, the SATA expandable storage compartment adds a layer of customization, allowing users to enhance storage capacity according to their needs. The APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) combines the CPU and GPU, featuring the Intel UHD graphics with Vulkan and OpenGL 4.6 support for gaming.
Beelink Mini S12 Pro Surprising Performance
Upon the first Windows startup, I was taken aback by the Intel N100 processor’s base clock speed of 800 MHz. However, the Mini S12 Pro defies expectations with an efficient boost clock mechanism, dynamically adjusting between 500 MHz and 3.3 GHz based on workload. The 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 64-bit operating system contribute to a smooth user experience, and the AIDA64 and CPU Z tools provide a deeper look into the system’s capabilities.
Mini S12 Pro Multimedia Capabilities
This Mini PC doesn’t disappoint when it comes to multimedia. Supporting 4K 2160p resolution with HDR, it offers versatile display options, including dual monitor extended display and wireless display features. The Realtek ALC 897 audio adapter ensures a rich audio experience, supporting various surround sound formats. Additionally, the Mini S12 Pro excels in playing a range of video formats, from HDR10 and Dolby Vision to AV1 and HLG.
Mini S12 Pro Benchmarks Rank
Diving into benchmarks, the Mini S12 Pro showcases impressive results. RAM transfer speed hits 6187 MB/s, while the M.2 NVME SSD boasts read and write speeds of 413 MB/s and 807 MB/s, respectively. Network speeds, both via Wi-Fi 6 and gigabit LAN, reach peak performance. The Geekbench 5 CPU benchmark records 1000 single-core and 2721 multicore scores, showcasing its processing prowess.
In gaming, the 3DMark time spy test generates a score of 361, indicating smooth performance with games like Apex Legends and Grand Theft Auto V. The Antutu benchmark scores 349,338, and in PCMark 10, it achieves a score of 2727. While it may not be a gaming powerhouse, the Mini S12 Pro proves its worth in a variety of applications taking position number 11 on my mini PC ranking chart.
Alternative Operating Systems via SATA
For tech enthusiasts keen on exploring alternative operating systems, the Mini S12 Pro presents opportunities. I attempted to install Android x86, but compatibility issues with Intel 12Gen chipsets hindered success. Switching to the Chrome OS server build via the brunch framework, I gained access to the Google Play Store and Android 11 64-bit subsystem, offering an enhanced experience for media streaming and app compatibility.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Beelink Mini S12 Pro stands out as a high-performance budget Mini PC. Priced around $179 (with a $10 coupon, down from $189), it offers a compelling option for those seeking versatility and power in a compact form. As Black Friday approaches, this could be an opportune time to make a purchase. Beelink continues to solidify its reputation as a top manufacturer of Mini PCs, and the S12 Pro model is a testament to their commitment to delivering quality devices.
Thank you for joining me in this exploration of the Beelink Mini S12 Pro. If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to drop them in the comments section. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you found the information helpful, and subscribe to stay tuned for more tech reviews on this channel. Until next time, happy exploring!
