Dubai
Smart Station has cramped loads of functionalities into its mini PC — Smart 9550, which has the size slightly bigger than an Apple TV set-top box.
It has the full power of a desktop and is powered by Intel Core i5-5250 1.6GHz dual-core processor with 3MB Cache and with built-in Intel HD Graphics.
It houses 4GB of RAM and 120GB of solid state drive storage capacity. It can be upgraded up to 8GB RAM and up to 500GB SSD or 1TB hard disk space.
The device is made of silver colour aluminium alloy metal and can be fixed to the back of the monitor with a VESA-compatible mount. It measures 134 x 126 x 38mm and weighs 600 grams.
It also does not come with a keyboard, mouse or monitor, these are all add-ons.
I had already reviewed many of the thin clients from Zotac and I really like these devices as it is handy and can be easily carried with you.
On the front of the devices houses four USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 ports, LED indicator and power on/off button. On the back houses the audio, mic, LAN, HDMI, VGA and jack for power supply. Both the sides have the WiFi antennas.
The box contains two WIFI antennas, one power adapter, one VESA mounting bracket and screws.
The device which I got for review comes pre-installed with Windows 10 but usually, it comes with no OS. Users can install any operating system, including Linux, Ubuntu, DOS, Windows 7 or Windows 8 or Windows 10.
Due to the fan-less architecture, maintenance is less and creates zero noise for silent computing, and due to the ultra-low voltage processor, current consumption is also less. It uses 12v input power and consumes 15W compared to 150W for desktop.
The company claims that energy consumption is the 1/6th of the traditional desktop.
During regular use, the heat dissipation effect is excellent as it has enough vents on the sides and bottom but when playing heavy graphic-rich games the device turns warm but not to the point of worrying.
Even though it is small, it can play games without major lag. But the GPU isn’t strong enough, it does not have a dedicated graphics card, to deliver 3D graphic-rich games and tasking the processor also takes its toll.
I ran some HD films and played some music without any trouble. As it is, the device works fine for basic, day-to-day use. Juggling a few Excel sheets, browsing the web with lots of open tabs, working with Acrobat files, writing and editing documents in Microsoft Word.
Even though it is small, the device handles everything you throw at it and offers excellent performance for the price. It is good enough for almost any form of digital media consumption. It is an ideal machine for a bedroom PC or as an expensive media centre. It is priced at Dh1,700.
Pros
• Neat design
• Excellent options for ports
• Powerful for daily use
• Easy interior access
• Can be mounted to the back of monitor or HDTV
Cons
• Old processor (fifth generation)
• No card reader
• No Bluetooth option
• No 4K support
• Gets warm when tasking the processor
