Introduction

Having had an Intel NUC in the past, I had been on the lookout for similar small form factor (SFF) computers that would run quiet and be be frugsl on power consumption. I wanted to use it as a Linux (Fedora) server. Intel Atom powered devices are too underpowered for my needs.

I came across these while searching for such mini pcs. These look like white label manufactured units. You’ll find identical other branded ones too. Hystou and eGlobal are amongst the retailers that have been around for a while.

The item feels solid. The thick aluminium casing acts as a good heat sink.

Pros and cons at a glance

Pros

  • No sound!!
  • Nice thick aluminium casing acts as a good heatsink. Computer runs cool.
  • 12V input power - quite handy to use as a field unit too.
  • Has SATA data and power connectivity to mount a 2.5” SATA drive

Cons

Specification Highlights

AliExpress - Hystou Fanless MiniPC Store - Item Listing

The unit I received was:

  • Core i5-5200U / i5-5250U (I received the i5-5250U unit)

  • No RAM / No SSD option - later I added 16GB 2400 DDR3L RAM and a Crucial 240GB SATA SSD

  • Brand Name: HYSTOU
  • Type: Mini PC
  • Case Material: Brushed Aluminum Alloy
  • I/O ports: 4* USB 3.0 + 2* USB 2.0 + 1 LAN + 1* HDMI + 1* VGA + no SD Card Slot
  • Memory: 2 Slots. Max 16G RAM
  • Storage: 1 mSATA SSD + 1 SATA HDD
  • Feature: Fanless System
  • Graphics - Intel Integrated Graphics.
  • Size: 19719737cm