Right before Christmas, I posted a review of MINIX NEO J50C-4 Max mini PC powered by an Intel Pentium J5005 Gemini Lake processor coupled with 8GB RAM and a 240GB SSD. It’s basically the same as the previously reviewed MINIX NEO J50C-4 except for the extra memory and faster & higher capacity SSD storage.
MINIX asked me if I could do a giveaway of three units on CNX Software after the review, and I thought it would be a good idea so here we are.
I wanted to complete the review before launching the giveaway and tested MINIX NEO J50C-4 Max with the pre-installed Windows 10 Pro. I worked just as well as the previous model with no CPU throttling and the performance one should expect from a Gemini Lake processor, but you may want to add an extra 8GB memory stick to take advantage of the higher bandwidth provided by dual-channel memory. This can help with some 4Kp60 video playback and applications using 3D graphics such as games.
To enter the draw simply leave a comment. You may consider writing what you plan to do with it to make the contest more interesting. Other rules are as follows:
- Only one entry per user. I will filter out entries with the same IP and/or email address.
- The giveaway is open for 48 hours and will end at 11 am (Bangkok time) on January 6th.
- Comments will be closed after 48 hours. If comments are open, the contest is still going on.
- Three different winners will be selected with random.org, and I’ll introduce them to MINIX by email for shipping arrangements.
- Shipping is free and handled by MINIX
Good luck!
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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392 entries… Let’s run Random.org three times to find the winners:
109 -> Janos Marton
247 -> Tomek
150 -> Txema
Whatever, let’s give it a try 🙂
This would be wonderful to use as a Plex server. Thank you
Planning to use it to run benchmarks to compare it against my Odroid-H2+.
great device for media player, light home server and smart home hosting
General purpose pc stuff most likely
I’m betting my luck on this 🙂
I am curious how this would compare in performance and utility to my Odyssey Blue from seeed. They both run Windows 10 but differ in target audience, I believe. Thanks for offering the giveaway!
media player …
This would be great to run my network monitoring software
Looking to make a pfSense firewall or FreeNAS server.
Looks like a pretty much fun piece of hardware. Thanks for the giveaway contest ?
Thank you and wish me luck on 2021. This device gonna great for Home assistant + Plex server.
I’ll be using it as a Home assistant server
Excellent piece of hardware for media centre or home server
perfect as media server
to make a home nas
I would love to do a review of this Mini PC. Never had a Minix Mini PC. Thanks for the giveaway either way!
This will be wonderful as a HTPC.
This is a nice machine! I would use it as a home server for nextcloud
Would fit nicely as an SDR station
Fingers Crossed. ?
It would be a nice nas~
Linux media and IP video server
in! I might try to put the old BSDesque OS, “MINIX” on it, just to confuse everyone.
(no, but really, it’d probably go in the little homelab)
put files on it
Would be a great hardware to test out multipath TCP+Wireguard, hmm.
Well, if it works I can combine network bandwidth from multiple ISPs.
Nice linux server
Wiring up a sailboat system – this would be great.
Making a Home Server out of it
I would replace my old zoneminder pc with this one. It would save quite a lot of space
Great gift for some friends
Small footprint desktop using monitor’s VESA mounts. Dual boot into Android x86 as media box.
Home automation and monitoring
Mini server for experimenting
Drive nice big display for the electronics lab!
Sounds like a good box for playing with vms
I would like to use it as a dedicated pc at my 3D printer
Would be a killer little plex server
This would be nice as KVM server
Using this as media server 🙂
I will use as a Linux server. Good luck!
A small, low powered HTPC used for 4k media consumption is great.
count me in
Media center 🙂
This would give a welcome upgrade to my home assistant server!
Probably a mediacenter to take advantage of QSV but lets see…
It`s awesome begining of the year!
I’m in!
nice !
I would love to run it as HTPC 🙂
Happy new year.Looks fun.
This can be a great home theater PC. I have a raspberry pi but it isn’t powerful enough to handle some of my high res videos. This machine can perfectly replace it.
Thanks for the opportunity
It’d be a cool upgraded Linux home server for me 😛
Nice pretty little media server 🙂
Should be nice to win one.
It could replace my old PC from 2011 which I’m currently using. I mainly do PCB design with Eagle and Kicad. A fresher Architecture and Smaller size would be beneficial.
I’m in, it would be perfect Home Assistance server for me ?
Maybe Santa will bring something little later 🙂
I would use it as my main desktop PC. It’s much better than my Atom based laptop.
NAS and media server
Nice little PC 🙂
A great starting point for my future smart home server.
Ideal media player !
I would like to use it as a streaming audio server.
This would be perfect as a new media player!
never tried those intels yet
I would replace my current power hungry linux server!
As Home assistant server.
a nice linux server
would rather use it for home assistant server
I’d love one! Great giveaway.
seems to be a great multi-function always on device.
This would be great as a small all-purpose server (Git, PIM, …)
Happy new year from France !
Media player of course !
OpenHAB headless server
Media box, and Home Assistant
Would like to use it as HomeServer for Virtualization
Plex transcode box, most likely. The Gemini Lake chips are supposed to have good hardware transcode support.
Planning to use it as my portable workseat
OE! That would be nice as an upgrade for my bartop (my DIY arcade emulation machine) which is currently running on a Raspberry Pi 3B 😉
I will install Linux and use it as Kodi or Moonlight client.
I want to use it as a computer for the children of my old village to learn to use Single Board Computer.
It could be used for development for hosting gitlab or docker.
Great piece of hardware for hi-fi multimedia server.
🙂
Happy new year!
Linux Box for game development using software like Godot and Blender.
Linux server with some multimedia
I’ll use it as a thin client for remote gaming / remote development
I’m in.
yes please 😉
Would be great as a home automation server. After the OS is replaced with Linux.
This could be a media center and it also could be a cool retro gaming host !
This will be a great replacement for my cubietruck, compiling is really pain on it.
Perfect as media server
8GB justifies it’s “mini PC” name. Less than 8GB is an expensive and wierd TV box replacement.
Awesome device for a home server.
I take my chance too! It could be a very nice replacement of my current x5 mini-pc that is used for my children to start with a computer. This minipic seems much more efficient and upgradeable!
may I win something for once..! oh, and BTW: armbian for the NanoPi R4S is available as a preview…
This would be a marvelous small email server 🙂
Happy New Year everyone!
i’d use it as a media pc in the living room, currently using an old laptop for that
Just for everyday computing.
Count me in.
I’d use one of these as a fixed SDR station, coupler with a receiver and some homemade antennas.
Thank you!
I likes that box….hopefully I will get one…
Not sure what I will use it for just yet, but it will probably have something to do with my TV.
Thanks CNX and MINIX.
That would be nice for my NAS project with nextcloud home server! ?
Happy New Year to Everyone! It would be a nice NAS/media player.
I think I would use it as a NAS/Plex server
Sounds like a decent machine.
Home Linux server with Pi-hole, Graylog and some other services. SATA SSD is relatively weak for the server, but 8GB is what I currently lack on my RK3399+NVMe.
For me this would make a very nice Plex server due to the HW accelerated H.265 and H.264 de- and encoding.
It seems a good candidate for an home automation server and with some IA processing on images captured by the home cameras
Its for install home automation software
I would like to use it for home automation
I need something new to play with and this fits the bill perfectly.
Nice, this would be ideal to replace an ageing Ubuntu server I’ve got running
It would be my son’s new PC
I regularly follow the site every day, it’s the first time I see so many comments. I realized that there is a gift and I felt like I was in my country, I was confused. :))
Awesome! =D
I need it…..
a nice k8s cluster!
i’m in too, thanks for the offer
Media client and server
I’ll try with monitoring system.
That would be fantastic, I’d love to win one 😀 I’d probably use it as a media server for my TV.
South Africa
Would be nice to replace the old office computer my parents are using at the moment.
Hi! I would use Minix as Home Assistant server. Thanks!
Will replace my old Macbook pro, because it is way more handy on desktop than laptop.
OpenWebRX SDR server
Great machine to put some Linux in!
Gimme one, so that i can host my Nextcloud @home on my small network cabinet 😉
Oh and … thanks for this site ! You’re my prefered news source regarding embedded hardware !
I’m in
I want It for install a daw software and use for music creation. Thanks Minix and CNX. Happy new year from Spain.
Minix, great vendor! I would not mind upgrading my Minix Neo X8-H 😉
Last one i used, had 1GB of RAM /android. Let’s try a powerful one.
Planning to use it for media centre and some retro gaming
I’m in. Perhaps an HTPC usage and/or home automation.
Thanks Minix & CNX
Will use it for media and general usage.
I’d like to build a network streamer and connect it to my external USB DAC and HiFi amplifier. This could be the right box.
I could try installing OpenHAB and/or ZeroTier
[fingers crossed]
Great replacement for my very large, noisy, elderly Asus homebuilt
Just whai I need
I want to build a home dvr which my whole family and parents (using a plex client) can use to view their fav shows
Happy New Year ! I like to do home computing and media server with this little beast !
I guess it could be a nice HTPC.
I’m in. Thanks
Would be amazed to win such a device drawing and surfeiting, would use it gladly with much joy. Thanks !
count me in
I never win
This would be nice to run home assistant server
Let’s see, maybe I finally get my zfs experiments going with this unit 🙂
I’d replace a couple raspberry pis with it.
How nice if I get it.
Would use it to replace my old and power hungry home server
I have 2 possible use cases for it: as HTPC or as file server replacement.
count me in!
This small but powerful PC will be used as my fixed office PC. (Laptop getting old…)
Id like to run an GE historian database in my Project, and this will be perfect for the job.
NAS + Docker machine
Great Blog!
I would use it as a single node k8s cluster
Pick me!
Always-on development machine to run bleeding edge distros to easily test latest compilers and latest libs.
Bolted to the back of a monitor in my workshop.
Would be a good self-hosted mail server.
Would be used to amateur radio!
I Would love to use es download box
I’ll be using it to do some data testing and analysis projects for research projects.
Great piece of hardware for media centre or home server
I would use this as an upgraded smart home server.
Happy new year. Those Minix are looking awesome.
International giveaway? Sign me in. If I win, I will be giving it away to a friend.
I would use it for my libre pinball pincab project:
https://purl.org/rzr/pinball
for an eventual vulkan port
Wow! This would be perfect for my daughter learning FreeBSD.
I want one
Build me a mini pc
For fun, I’d try using it as a pfsense router! (using VLANs)
Count me in, I’d like to give this a try to see if this is a brand that is really worth my money
Looking something to review on new tech centric YouTube channel.
wow! I’d like to try a Minix!
I’m in!
Seems like it would do nicely as an upgrade for my current RPI3 home automation server. Should improve responsiveness quite a lot I would imagine.
Drone computer !
These little Atom boxes are pretty handy for basic tasks!
Never used a mini pc before. Thanks for the giveaway.
I hope to win this.
Awesome !
I would use it to port useful software for FreeBSD.
Thanks.
Home Assistant server
Happy new year. I’m in.
Nice box
Watch a movie at home.
Would like to use it to automate my house using homeassistant.
That would make a nice media centre!
I would love to have one and replace my ancient RasPi2 file server.
Ideal as home automation server.
Media server
I want one of them. It would be my new file server. Thank you
Will use it as remote workplace or mediaserver
that would be a nice competitor against my odroid-H2+ as a always-on desktop workstation
Happy new year…
This will make a perfect home media/file server. Count me in! Thanks.
Home automation server?
Count me in ?
That’s very nice of MINIX. Thanks them regardless.
Time to make my smart TV even smarter – sign me up!
I’d use this to for a surveillance system to catch people stealing my persimmons!
Nice giveaway for 2021 ! Planning to use for development on some opensource projects. Thanks you
I am doing Linux development for IoT and multimedia – audio – video capture, encoding – transcoding, streaming. I mostly use systems on a module. But mini-devices on the Intel processor are very interesting for their capabilities thanks to the QickSync technology.
It was very interesting to read the reviews, I hope that this device will help me in further research and sailing in the boundless space of Linux.
Looks interesting.
I could make good use of one of these!
This would make a great Home Assistant hub.
I so need this, as my Windows Vista has died a sudden death…..?
It would be nice to add an x86 to my homelab, thanks
Great giveaway!
Could be fun to play with one of the BSDs on it given that it it is x86.
Yay!
I’m thinking plex server for this as well.
install a bare metal hypervisor for a mini dev lab.
Serbia
Linux & Program Learning
What a nice mini PC <3 It will perfectly fits my living room : listening music, watching videos (thanx to video projector), playing games and browsing the Web and driving home automation.
Would be nice to have and use to make my big TV a very smart tv.
It is Januworry and I just spent $1 on the powerball, think I have a better chance here. Banged up a shelf, adding the power and network, this would be sweet to introduce for the homelab.
I would gladly use it as a tiny proxmox server for homelab use.
Happy new year and thanks to you and minix for the giveaway 🙂
Been wanting to have a home lab to run containers.
better late than never
Nice living room machine
Would love to have one of these to play around with!
Throwing my name in the hat…
Media and overlay machine for live events.
I’d use it to play with SDR.
Looks like a fun toy, thanks!
git server.
Canada
Need to replace my HTPC, this looks perfect!
Another Jeedom server 🙂
Here!
I’d look at using it as a HTPC
Web development / render server for my home project
Greetings from Greece!
Would love to win this, it would make a great media center PC!
count me in
Mini server
This would replace my parents PC.
Would be interested in using it as a HTPC.
I would make a mini server 🙂
Put into my vertical bartop, my Intel NUC with J5005 fried 🙁
Nice unit, happy 2021
Looks cool. Let’s see.
Lovely looking little box, most likely a media player i. The first instance, should stand up to some games as well.
Thanks for the giveaway!
One more vote for SDR server 🙂
It will make for a perfect smart home server with NVR and HA
Might become a retro gaming system for my son.
I’m going to run an IoT stack with NodeRED, Grafana and InfluxDB.
Just to try
Sounds like a great music server.
May be a good home web server
Will use this as a web server.
Let’s go
I’d love that as a home server!
I agree.It would make a great plex server ?
Hey, I’m in.
I’ve heard so many good things about minix hardware … I want to judge by my own.
And it will be for sure a good replacement for my old but still healthy zotac fanless NUC like (CI323 to be exact, with 4G ram and celeron N3150 CPU) that I use as my main computer.
BTW, first time posting here, but I’m long time anonymous CNX reader and I take the opportunity to thank you (and all the valuable commentators) for this excellent blog and to wish you a happy new year..
Many thanks to Jean Luc and to Minix for a nice, bright start to the new year.
A little boring, but I’d like to replace an existing machine which has hardware problems (no, not a Minix box).
home office computer 🙂
UK ?
Why Kodi ofc
I would be looking at using for entertainment setup.
happy new year @ all , would be a nice start of the year from minix
Interesting to home server self hosting
I’ll try my luck. been looking for a small, low powered pc to run for general web browsing & office apps etc.
happy new year @ all , would be a nice start with the minix
self hosted Media server
bitcoin full node
? I’m confused now , but i want to enter the giveaway
Like the review, I would probably run Kodi on it. Thanks for the giveaway!
Would Love to Win this!!!
Portable virtual synth controller / processor
I guess I have to leave the lurking to give it a shot!
Could replace my 11 year old workstation.
I will join this giveaway – great idea, thanks 🙂
Hello!
I would run Minix on it
Minix on the box
Minix in the CPU
Minix in the box
… just to compile a linux on it
I would love to win this
Count me in
Plan to use it as media player.
Would be great fit as the computer for my electronics workbench
Excellent!!!! i want to install Debian, greetings
I own an old Citrix box with an Atom CPU to run Kodi, Sonarr, Radarr and my own IOT platform. Sadly, Ubuntu won’t provide updates for its i386 platform, so I am on the lookout for a successor.
As general purpose PC.
My first toy like this was Compaq Evo T20 Thin Client flashed with Slackware 11. Time flies ;).
I’d consider using it in my IoT project as an application server and analytics platform!
I want it badly
I’ve never owned a mini PC before so I’d use it to try out pretty much anything I can think of, and I’m sure something will stick. Desktop use, a home server, a testing machine for running tests on actual hardware rather than virtualised. I’m sure I’ll think of more!
Would love to use this as a space saving PC, VESA mounted to the back of my monitor.
So small, so many uses. Thanks.
nice media player
Nice box
Compact design
I’ll give it a try
Me..me..me.me.me.me.me. 😉 I think would be an excellent computer to use for my work tasks.
Perfect form-factor HTPC running LibreELEC!
Thank you. I use it as kodi box
I would like a pfSense firewall
Winning
It’d be interesting to see how this stacks up against my current media server!
Would build an ecommerce platform.
I know its boring but Id just use it as a media player. Having one that is x86 would make me very happy as its easier to code solutions for than android (for me anyways).
I’m in !!
I’m in, from Portugal
Would be a great home automation and multimedia server
I am the maintainer of the VSCP protocol/framwork and would use one for development and tests of IoT subsystems.
Great media player or light linux server
Probably I would use it as a little office pc for the kids to study on… Lockdown again in the UK…
Oh nice, will be good KODI+TVH server for my house 🙂
It’s x86, one can do anything with this thing, Is try to use it as power efficient home server, for instance.
Yes please. I need a new home media server and this would come in very handy.
It would be great for a project for our volunteer fire station to display data from the calls
I’ll also try, I would like to have a new media player connected to my TV.
Hoping for me … from Italy. Tks a lot.
My Next PC. Thanks for the contest
Great box to run linux on my desk.
Would love this, as it is literally an upgrade to my current system
Home Assistant
Hello Jean-Luc Aufranc
ill take the chance.
Hi, it would be interesting to try.
Already have a few mini PCs at home (Intel NUC, Chromebox, etc.) Curious about what this new Minix brings to the game.
It would make a great media player!
Looking to setup a multimedia NAS!
It would be a great home automation server…
Nice to have as a home theater
I would like a OPNsense firewall.
I’m in!
I would make a Plex server with it.
Quite unsure where to put it. I need (read: want) a PC in my tinker lab. On the other hand, there’s my idea to have a dedicated Windows PC for financial related stuff (tax declaration, online banking) that should disappear in the closet for most of the time.
We’ll see.
I guess I can give it a try too.
Kodi box. Nas server. Thanks
Trying to use this device.
This would be wonderful to use as a Linux based media server playing videos with Kodi!
I will make a game console. I will delight children.
htpc
Thanks for sponsoring my home media centre
I currently have a full Win10 PC as a makeshift-server for Plex, AirSpy (SDR radio), UT2K4/UT99, and SMB among other smaller things. It’s relatively power-efficient (Asus J1800I-C M/B) but i’d reaaally love something with more oomph, smaller and quieter 🙂
Thanks for the giveaway, let’s try this!
If I won this PC, I would give it to my mom. Now she has an old slow PC.
P.S. Good luck, everyone!
Would be a cool mini server.
Thanks for the invite
Would be nice as a HTPC !
Great option for a personal web server.
I will be very glad if I win
It good for replace my Z83 that running OMV for 4 years.
Would be an awesome machine to hook up to the TV in the living room to watch videos and play games through emulation.
I’m planning on using it as home server for several selfhosted software.
I would use as media pc!
nas server media player
I would use this for a Minecraft Bedrock server for my children and their friends.
This would be grate for home automation and a media server
For Folding at home
It would be nice for home media server
I use it to learn Python, and then give it to my child to teach programming
I would connect as office PC mounted on the back of monitor. Perfect!
I’m going to use it as a small home server, running various containers (pihole, mpd, rsync etc.).
This could be my new upgraded HTPC! 🙂
file server
would use it for media streaming server
i want it
NAS and media player. Thanks for a great site!!
for kids to learn
one for me please
IOT server
If I will win, I will present it to my mum 🙂
i would use this as my computer. usa texas
Gimme or I will pout
Emulation station setup in Ireland
Please count me in.
The MINUX would replace my IBM z15 (which seemed like a good idea at the time but is really, really hard to lug around).
We’ll see.
I will try, too, I have never won giveaways
Best wishes from Ukraine!
Nice device. Will be great as small server and a development lab
Just try my fortune
Plex media server, media player, etc.
Whatever I think of if I get it! 😉
Browse websites and use for online games (simple games), and media center.
That looks like a great box to test for our universities class rooms!
Just use as my normal PC. Have a really old one that sometimes does not start.
OpenMediaVault server
A nice start into a new year 🙂
Simple nas kodi PC. Thanks
TV box
I want one! HTPC
Planning CI/CD ..
Home assistant server
Media player…