Many people like ARM based media player because most of them run Android providing access too many apps available via Google Play Store, a similar experience to what they got used with phones and tablets, and also because they are small, inexpensive, and fanless. However, the latest ARM processors such as Rockchip RK3288, can get really hot, so most of the time CPU frequency needs to be limited to avoid overheating and stability, which reduces performance. Which may be why, Ugoos decided to launch UT3S mini PC, an upgrade to UT3 mini PC with a mini Fan placed on top of a larger heatsink.
Ugoos UT3S specifications and look remain very similar to the original model:
- SoC – Rockchip RK3288 quad core CortexA17 @ 1.80 GHz + Mali-T764 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0 /3.0, and OpenCL 1.1
- System Memory – 2GB to 4GB DDR3
- Storage – 16GB or 32GB eMMC Flash + micro SD card slot (up to 32 GB)
- Connectivity – 100M/1000M Ethernet, dual band WiFi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz/5GHz) and 802.11 a/c using external Wi-Fi antenna?, and Bluetooth
- Video I/F – HDMI 2.0 output (female) up to 4k2k @ 60 fps, and AV output (3.5mm jack)
- Audio I/F – HDMI, AV, and optical S/PDIF
- Video Codecs
- Decoding – MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4,H.263, H.264, H.265,AVS, VC-1, RV, VP6/VP8, Sorenson Spark, MVC up to 4K2K @ 60fps
- Encoding – H.264, H.265, VP8, MVC (1080p)
- H.264, H.265 Data Rate – Up to 60Mbps
- Audio Codecs/Formats – MP1, MP2, MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, OGA, APE, FLAC, AAC, M4A, 3GPP
- USB – 4x USB Host port, 1x micro USB OTG
- Power Supply – 5V/3A
- Dimensions – 115 x 115 x 20 mm
- Temperature Range – Operating: -10~40, Storage: -20~50
- Humidity – 5%-90%, No condensation
- Certification – CCC,CE,EMC,FCC,Wi-Fi
The company also decided to remove the HDMI input, and replace it with a USB host port. It’s probably not a big loss since I’ve yet to see a Rockchip box with HDMI input support PVR or PiP. The base frequency is listed as 1.8GHz in the specs, but with the fan it should be possible safely (TBC) to overclock RK3288 to 2.2 GHz, The box comes with an HDMI cable, a power adapter, an IR remote control, and a user’s manual by default, and optionally an air mouse, or a wireless mouse or keyboard combo may be provided.
The device runs the dual boot Android 4.4 + Ubuntu 14.10 image I tried with Ugoos UM3. The user experience should be the same as any other boxes in Android, and Ubuntu is very usable as long as you don’t try to play full screen 480p or greater online videos smoothly in a web browser, and also don’t expect Adobe flash to run nice and smooth.
Two version of Ugoos UTS3 are available:
- Ugoos UT3S Black with 2GB RAM and 16GB flash
- Ugoos UT3S Red with 4GB RAM and 32GB flash
Both models are available for pre-order on GearBest for $129 and $169 with “UT3S” coupon. I could not find it on other sites, except on DealsMachine, but while the title refers to UT3S, the description is fully about UM3…
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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