What are the Differences between the Beelink EQ12 and MINI S12 Mini PC? How to Choose?
2024-03-14 18:09:21
In 2023, Beelink released two Mini PCs, the EQ12 and the MINI S12, specifically designed for daily office work and home entertainment. These two Mini PCs are powered by Intel N-series processors but have different interfaces and configurations. In this article, we will provide a detailed comparison between these two products to help you choose the one that best fits your needs.
The following diagram summarizes the main features of the two products.
The EQ12 and MINI S12 are very similar in terms of design, both models feature an ABS plastic shell with laser faceting on top and a high-gloss treatment on all four sides to enhance the overall texture. A Beelink label is located at the bottom right corner of the top. Additionally, a silicone puller is integrated at the bottom to facilitate the removal of the bottom panel. The appearance is an understated yet refined aesthetic that resonates with the EQ series' business-oriented focus.
From the dimension diagrams of the two, it’s easy to see that the MINI S12 is a more compact model, which is 0.36 inch shorter in length and 0.43 inch shorter in width.
In terms of interfaces, EQ12 has added a multi-function USB-C port and upgraded the one 1000 Mbps LAN port to two 2.5Gbps LAN ports based on the MINI S12. The dual LAN port of EQ12 expands its usage scenarios, such as soft routing. For users who require more network connections, EQ12 is a better option.
The EQ12 comes with an efficient CPU cooling fan and Beelink's innovative MSC-system fan technology, which is specifically designed to address the cooling needs of key components such as RAM and SSD, preventing performance throttling due to overheating. In contrast, the MINI S12 utilizes the metal casing of a 2.5-inch SSD for passive cooling, RAM and SSD temperatures can be reduced by heat conduction.
The main difference between the EQ12 and MINI S12 is the RAM and CPU. The EQ12 uses DDR5-4800MHz RAM, while the MINI S12 uses DDR4-3200MHz RAM. Here are the differences between DDR4 and DDR5.
Compared to DDR4, DDR5 RAM brings higher frequencies and a larger bandwidth while consuming less power. DDR5's single-channel architecture enables a single memory module to perform similarly to a dual-channel module, doubling bandwidth and significantly improving performance. In general, DDR5 provides better performance compared to DDR4.
The EQ12 is equipped with the Intel Processor N100, while the MINI S12 is powered by the Intel Processor N95. Both chips belong to the Intel Alder Lake-N family. The main differences between the two are the default TDP, the number of GPU execution units, and the maximum dynamic frequency of the GPU.
Thermal Design Power (TDP) represents the average power, in watts, the processor dissipates when operating at Base Frequency with all cores active under an Intel-defined, high-complexity workload. It is important to note that TDP does not represent the maximum operational power of a processor. Therefore, it is not accurate to simply assume that a 15W TDP is better than a 6W TDP, as the reality may be completely different. For example, the N100 processor has a 6W TDP but can reach a maximum stable power output of 20W for higher performance, while the N95 processor with a 15W TDP can only reach 15W. This means the N100 has a larger dynamic frequency range, which allows it to reduce frequency to a relatively lower level when the Mini PC is at idle or under light workload. Therefore, the N100 offers better flexibility in performance and power adjustment.
In actual testing, both EQ12 and MINI S12 can stably maintain a performance release of 20W. However, at the same TDP, the frequencies exhibited are not entirely identical, indicating that there are differences in the relationship between the power settings and performance of the two processors. Let's take a look at the test results of the AIDA64.
(Remark: AIDA64 is a system information tool that provides detailed information about both hardware and installed software. It helps users diagnose issues and offers benchmarks to measure the performance of the computer.)
The Intel Processor N100 has a lower base frequency. At the same 10W TDP, the CPU frequency of the N95 processor is 4.8% higher than that of the N100. However, at 15W power consumption, the frequency of the N100 is already 5% higher than that of the N95. By the time both of them reach 20W, the frequency gap has further increased to 7.5%. The N100 processor exhibits lower low frequencies and higher high frequencies, delivering better performance and energy efficiency compared to the N95.
(Remark:Test results may vary slightly due to different testing environments and conditions.)
In conclusion, the EQ12 provides a significant performance boost, making it ideal for users with higher performance requirements, while the MINI S12 is a more budget-friendly option. We hope that this article helped you make an informed decision.
