When it comes to mini hosts, many friends may feel strange and have not been contacted, after all, in the impression of most people, desktop-level desktops are often a bulky large chassis, mini? Where can it be miniature?
Previously, I was also skeptical of this type of product, until last year I bought an Apple M-series processor MacBook Pro, ARM architecture processor plus Apple system does have its advantages, but I usually encounter the demand for X86 architecture Windows, at this time can only dry eyes to borrow other people's computers, go to Internet cafes or computer rooms to solve problems, and have to take a disk to copy their own data.
Saving a host? The space in the dormitory of students is limited, it is really difficult to put it, and it is also troublesome to move in case there is a need to take away during a long vacation...
Buy another Windows notebook? The beggar's version of MacBook Pro around 1w5 has emptied my wallet, and the slightly better brand notebook is at least more than three thousand, and the MacBook Pro has been able to complete most of my needs when I go out, there is no need to spend another time for screens, keyboards and other parts...
After comparing repeatedly, I focused on the category of mini host, and as soon as the e-commerce platform searched, the top computer manufacturers in sales were Apple, Zero, Xiaomi...
After understanding, I knew that Zero Moment was far ahead in almost all aspects of the domestic mini host (Yu Chengdong's tone).
It just so happens that some time ago I saw that Zero Moment released the new EQ12, and the positioning of the thousand yuan entry is exactly in line with my needs, and I immediately start to experience it.
After opening the delivery box, I was shocked by the size of this box, you tell me that it is a host in it? Take a mobile phone packaging box and compare it, it is just a big circle.
The white packaging box is blue as the main color, the Chinese logo of "zero engraving" in the upper left corner, and the "12th Generation" in the upper right corner means 12th generation Intel processor - yes, such a small size, but equipped with an X86 architecture processor.
The central EQ logo, and the words "EQ SERIES MiNi PC" below tell you that it is an EQ series product. E stands for Environmental, and Q stands for Quiet, which means a small host with quiet low-power positioning.
The back side is written the specific parameter information of the product, CPU, memory storage size, network support, adapter, etc., and there are China Energy Efficiency Certification Mark and HDMI Certification Mark on the right.
The outer wrapping paper and inner box of the packaging box are pulled left and right, and the inner packaging box is the same as the mobile phone box, which is pulled up and down. The accessories are located in the carton on the left side of the box, and the main unit protected by the bag and the upper and lower sponges are separated on the right.
The accessories are given very adequately, of course, the power adapter will not be less of you, 12V 3A output DC interface.
Generally, the monitor should give you an HDMI cable, zero moment directly gave you a long (100cm) and short (20cm) two, I even thought at first whether the factory misplaced two, check again only to find that it is indeed two.
Wall mounts, screws, and screwdrivers for disassembly and assembly are also available for wall mounting, as well as paper materials such as manuals.
Take out the protagonist, the Zero EQ12, although I have seen it before, I still can't help but sigh at its small size. Slightly larger than the TV set-top box, and then compare the volume of the small-screen Android phone Xiaomi 13, the official volume data is 12.4 x 11.3 x 3.9 cm.
My model is navy blue color matching, the top surface of the plastic shell is a staggered diamond pattern, the touch is very good, and to a certain extent also reduce the phenomenon of fingerprints. The edges are chamfered and the workmanship is very good.
The words "Zero EQ" have a small corner cut in the lower right corner of the top surface, and the design of reflective mirror is used.
The front is neatly arranged with clear CMOS function holes, two USB Type-A 3.2 Gen2 ports, a 2-in-1 connector for the most advanced 3.5mm headset microphone on mobile phones, and a red power button.
The most commonly plugged connectors and buttons are placed on the front for easy operation.
When you press the power button to turn on the console, the power button lights up white.
On the sides, two rows of 20 heat dissipation holes are distributed, both on the left and right sides, and symmetrically on both sides.
The interfaces on the back are richer: three thermal openings in the top row, and two USB ports below (the maximum rate of Type-C above is 10Gbps, supporting 4K@60Hz display output; The Type-A port below and the front are the same, which is also USB 3.2 Gen2), two 2.5G LAN cable interfaces, two HDMI 2.0 display output interfaces, and DC power connectors.
The design depth of the Type-C port is slightly deeper, and the measured small part of the Type-C connector is not very good after insertion, if this happens, it is recommended to replace the cable and try again.
With so many interfaces, the playability is very powerful: dual network ports allow EQ12 to be used as a soft route, two HDMI + a Type-C that supports display output can be connected to three screens at the same time...
Turn over to the bottom, the quick set button description and product detail information are marked in the middle, the screws are hidden in the four corners inside the left and right anti-slip mats, and the bottom two gold screw holes are used for wall mounting.
It occupies a very small size on the desktop, and if you want to use a computer in a place where space is tight, the EQ12 can easily meet it.
Get started, (non-barebones version) the system comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Pro, ready to use.
Let's take a look at the main configuration first.
Processor Intel 12th generation Alder Lake-N100, is a low-power quad-core processor, 10nm process, TDP of 6W, almost equivalent to an energy-saving lamp. Maximum performance release up to 25W.
Such a power consumption level, 24 hours without shutdown will not consume any power, which is very suitable for HTPC, soft routing or a small NAS.
Supports TPM 2.0 required for WIndows 11 installation and is enabled by default.
The non-barebones version comes with 512 GB of M.2 PCIe 3.0 SSD storage and supports S.M.A.R.T and TRIM.
Test the disk read and write speed to see, the official advertisement can reach 800 MB/s, which is fully in line.
As for graphics performance, the Intel integrated graphics of light office do not have to have high expectations, just for reference. The 3DMark Time Spy scored 377, the graphics score 328, and the CPU score 2519.
Occasionally playing League of Legends and running fifty or sixty fps is not a big problem.
Daily office performance, refer to PCMark 10 running score, total score 3025, daily document office, look at a web page brush a video is not a big problem.
Finally, take a look at the secrets hidden inside.
The bottom cover can be removed by removing the four screws at the bottom corners. The first layer opened is very regular, and the parts only leak out the two rear connectors, the system fan on the bottom and the SATA HDD slot, and you can insert another 2.5-inch SATA hard drive.
Remove to the next layer, disconnect the fan cable, revealing the true appearance of the motherboard, which is only about 6 inches in size, but almost all the main components are integrated.
The M.2 NVMe 2280 slot has a Maxio mastered 512 GB SSD plugged into it.
Below is the Wi-Fi wireless network card, using the Intel AX101NGW released in Q3 2022, supporting Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, with a maximum speed of 600 Mbps, supporting MU-MIMO and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA).
Integrated with a "crab" Realtek ALC897 sound card.
The memory adopts the optional 8/16 GB DDR5 4800MHz of Micron's Inruida, which is also one of the guarantees of smooth system.
Removed to the end is the top processor position, with a separate CPU silent fan on the outside.
In fact, the use scenarios of EQ12 are very diverse, light office, soft routing, low-performance computer room, demonstration machine, HTPC... Its excellent power consumption makes it more suitable for round-the-clock operation.
It's not suitable for heavy users, but if you need a spare host like me, running Windows 11 smoothly will suffice.
Even if you don't have a monitor, you can set up a remote desktop and connect it with a tablet or even a mobile phone as a monitor.
Or, if you're a Mac user like me, you can connect directly to the host using the Mac remote intranet.
In short, it as a spare host outside my Mac, many times temporarily used to do a public code word, to deal with simple graphic design image processing needs is more than enough, the next step will be to explore more of its gameplay, recommend light performance needs, space tight friends to buy.