Beelink EQ12 mini PC features Processor N100 "Alder Lake-N" CPU, up to 16GB RAM

Beelink EQ12 is a mini PC powered by an Intel Processor N100 “Alder Lake-N” quad-core processor offered with 8GB or 16GB DDR5 memory, a 512GB NVMe SSD for storage, as well as two 2.5GbE ports, and a WiFi 6 & Bluetooth 5.2 wireless module.

The actively cooled computer also comes with two 4K capable HDMI ports, three USB 3.2 ports, and a 10Gbps USB Type-C that also supports DisplayPort Alternate Mode enabling the EQ12 to drive up to three 4K displays.

Beelink EQ12 specifications:

SoC – Intel Processor N100 Alder Lake-N quad-core processor @ up to 3.4 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24 EU Intel HD graphics @ up to 750 MHz; TDP: 6W
System Memory – 8GB or 16GB DDR5 4800 MHz RAM
Storage
- 500GB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD upgradeable up to 2TB
- Support for 2.5-inch SATA SSD / HDD (CNXSoft: not shown in the specs, but a “scalable HDD” can be seen in the exploded view below)
- MicroSD card slot
Video Output
- 2x HDMI 2.0 up to 4Kp60
- 1x DisplayPort up to 4Kp60 via USB-C port
- Up to three independent displays support
Audio – 3.5mm audio jack, digital audio via HDMI and DP
Networking
- 2x 2.5GbE RJ45 ports via Intel i225-V controllers
- Dual-band WiFi 6 (up to 600 Mbps) and Bluetooth 5.2 AX101 module
USB – 3x USB 3.2 10Gbps ports, 1x USB 3.2 Type-C 10Gbps port with DisplayPort Alt. mode
Misc – Power button, clear CMOS pinhole, dual fan cooling with CPU “silent” fan and system fan
Power Supply – 12V/3A via DC jack
Dimensions – 12.4 x 11.25 x 3.84 cm
Weight – TBD

The mini PC ships with a power adapter, two HDMI cables, a VESA mount kit, and a user manual. The Beelink EQ12 ships with Windows 11 Pro, but should also run Linux distributions such as Ubuntu 22.04 as we’ve seen in the review of an Intel Core i3-N305 “Alder Lake-N” mini PC (Weibu N10).

The Processor N100 SoC’s CPU and GPU performance places it between the Celeron N5105 quad-core “Jasper Lake” processor and Core i3-115G4 dual-core/quad-thread “Tiger Lake” processor when using 3DMark 11 and Cinebench R20 benchmarks as reference.

The Beelink EQ12 can be purchased for $239 and up on Amazon or the Beelink store. Pricing seemed a bit high to me at first because we recently wrote about another Processor N100 mini PC that sells for a little over $160 with 8GB LPDDR5, and 64GB SSD. But the EQ12’s price is not that bad once we consider the higher capacity storage (512GB), 2.5GbE instead of GbE, and WiFi 6 instead of WiFi 5, plus higher speed USB ports, and the ability to drive three displays.

Alternatively, Beelink has a cheaper Processor N100 mini PC with the MINI S fitted with 16GB DDR4 memory, 512GB SSD, a single GbE port, WiFi 5, and four USB 3.2 10Gbps ports (but not USB-C) sold for $199 on Amazon, and if you select the entry-level Processor N95 model with 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD the price even drops to $159. For reference, the N100 MINI S was also tested with SBC Bench in Ubuntu 22.04.

Via Liliputing

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

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.