I wonder how everyone views the development prospects of computers. To be honest, for many ordinary families, I have found that many people no longer watch TV or use computers. When they get home, they just play with their phones, and many people have even started to look down on the development of computers. This is indeed the case; since the advent of smartphones, it has changed many people’s entertainment lifestyles. At least in terms of gaming and binge-watching, phones have replaced the functions that computers used to serve.

However, if we talk about productivity tools, smartphones still cannot replace computers. Looking at the current direction of the computer market, it is developing towards two extremes. One is aimed at gaming enthusiasts and DIY players, with various flashy RGB lighting and large gaming-themed cases. The other is the mini computers that can rival smartphones in portability. These mini computers are very compact, but their performance can match that of large desktop computers. However, to be honest, these mini computers, while having obvious advantages, are still not mainstream in the domestic market.

In recent years, in order to create a satisfying minimalist desktop, I have tried many things. However, no matter how I tinker, the large case on the desktop is still very space-consuming. Therefore, to create a cleaner desktop while meeting my needs for working from home and occasionally taking the computer out, I wanted to try the mini computers that have just become popular in the domestic market. In fact, the performance of mini computers nowadays is really not weak at all, with prices ranging from a thousand to around 5K, and mid-range and low-end products have matured significantly, especially abroad where mini computers are very popular. With the push of Intel’s NUC, they have become very widespread. However, before I made my purchase, I also had many concerns like everyone else.

First, I was worried about the performance of mini computers, especially whether they would lag under heavy workloads. Second, although I only wanted to use such a mini computer as a home office computer, I was unsure if it could handle streaming, entertainment, or even gaming occasionally. The last question was about the expandability of these mini computers. What is the upgrade potential? If I want to upgrade the memory or hard drive, or even connect multiple monitors at the same time, I wonder if that would be possible.

However, I ultimately chose a mini computer, the Zero刻EQ59 Pro, which costs less than a thousand yuan. This is a mid-range home office computer, so its performance is certainly not as good as flagship machines, but that doesn’t mean its performance is weak. If you know a bit about computers, this thousand-yuan computer’s configuration is enough to meet daily office needs. It features an Intel 11th generation N5105 quad-core 2.9GHz processor, along with a 16+512GB storage combination. For ordinary home use, if you’re not playing large AAA games, it’s completely sufficient for processing documents, taking online classes, and binge-watching. Next, let’s see together if this thousand-yuan mini computer from Zero刻 is suitable for daily home use.

First, I want to clarify that this machine was purchased entirely out of my own pocket. I bought the 16GB memory version for 1095 yuan. If I had bought the 8GB version, it would have been under a thousand. Therefore, some of the experiences discussed in the text are my subjective opinions, and we can talk about both the pros and cons. After receiving the product, I have to say I was somewhat shocked by this computer, as I transitioned from a large desktop to this small computer the size of a TV box. It took me a while to adapt, and I was even surprised. The dimensions of the case are 124*113*42mm, which is the same size as a traditional TV box. The design is also quite boxy, and the case material is made of ABS plastic and acrylic, which looks decent. However, if it were made of metal, it would feel more premium. For someone like me with OCD, I worry that the plastic material might get scratched.

The first step after receiving the machine is definitely to open it up and satisfy my curiosity about its expandability. Opening it is quite simple; just four screws. After unscrewing, carefully lift the back cover, but pay attention to the hard drive’s ribbon cable. Once opened, you can see that although the EQ59 Pro is small, the internal design of the motherboard, hard drive, and memory is very neat and orderly. There are two memory slots, both filled with 8GB 2933MHz memory sticks, creating a 16GB dual-channel setup. The hard drive is a 500GB M.2 SATA3 2280 solid-state drive, which does not support the Nvme protocol. If you want to upgrade the M2 solid-state drive, you need to pay attention to the protocol. However, this mini computer from Zero刻 has reserved a slot for a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD hard drive, allowing for expansion.

Immediately, I installed a Teclast 2.5-inch solid-state drive, and the installation was very simple: just open the metal hard drive cover and plug it in.

The Zero刻 EQ59 Pro comes standard with a network card that supports WIFI 5 and Bluetooth 4.0. Although it’s not the current mainstream WiFi6, it’s sufficient for daily use, after all, it is a thousand-yuan machine.

The key point is that this mini computer’s CPU is equipped with Intel’s 11th generation processor, the N5105, which uses a 10nm process that achieves the best balance between performance and power consumption. This CPU can run well without active cooling, which is an advantage as the machine is very quiet. You can often see this CPU in some mid to high-end laptops or 2-in-1 tablets.

Regarding interfaces, the front of the machine features two USB3.0 ports and a full-featured Type-C port that can be used to connect displays, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack and power button, as well as a CMOS reset hole on the far left.

On the back of the machine, there are two Gigabit LAN ports, two USB 3.0 ports, two HDMI ports, and a power adapter port.

From this perspective, it can be seen that this mini computer, with two HDMI ports and the full-featured Type-C port at the front, can support connecting three monitors simultaneously. This is very practical for users who like to set up dual or triple screens for work.

Next, it’s time to power on the machine. If it’s for home use, I recommend pairing it with an ordinary monitor. Just tidy things up and pair it with a wireless keyboard and mouse for a very simple and beautiful desktop. However, I specifically paired it with a Creative 4K portable monitor, as I believe this mini computer matches well with this portable monitor. The front of the machine has a full-featured Type-C port, allowing the portable monitor to receive video signals and power through a single cable. The monitor I purchased is the INNOCN N1U, which is a classic IPS 4K monitor with excellent display quality. Let me show you the effect.

The Zero刻 EQ59 Pro performs quite well, and even at 4K resolution, it runs very smoothly. It’s truly impressive. From the side, you can see that apart from the power cable for the host, there’s just a Type-C cable. It’s really not an issue to take on business trips as long as there’s a power outlet available.

The INNOCN N1U monitor supports touch operation, and when paired with the Windows 11 system, it’s really great to use. Windows 11 now perfectly supports the Android subsystem, and connecting a touch monitor and installing the Android subsystem makes it even more fun. This monitor has been out for about two years, and the price is quite reasonable now. The main selling point is 4K support, with 8bit color depth, displaying 16.7 million colors, peak brightness reaching 340 nits, and a static contrast ratio of 1000:1, providing good color performance. Among 4K 15.6-inch panels, I believe this level offers the best value for money.

As for the system, the Zero刻 EQ59 Pro comes pre-installed with the genuine Windows 11 Pro system, which indeed surprised me, as many manufacturers only equip their products with the Home version of Windows 11 at most, but Zero刻 is quite generous in this regard.

In the Lu Master benchmark test, the CPU scored nearly 120,000, the graphics card over 40,000, and the memory 73,000, while the hard drive scored 47,000. If positioned as an office computer, this benchmark performance is completely sufficient for daily office needs.

Thanks to the dual-channel memory, the EQ59 Pro’s memory bandwidth and data throughput performance are also good, with the N5105 scoring 265 in single-core and over 1000 in multi-core tests in CPU-Z.

Using CrystalDiskMark to test the performance of the built-in solid-state drive, it reads at 512MB/s and writes at 479MB/s, which is consistent with the official specifications. Although it cannot match the speed of NVMe protocol drives, it is sufficient for daily office use.

The external Teclast solid-state drive from the stable series can also achieve read speeds of 544.5MB/s and write speeds of 501.5MB/s.

Finally, let’s return to my concerns about mini computers when I first received the host. It is clear that as a thousand-yuan mini computer aimed at office use, its performance is not particularly strong, but it is sufficient for office work. During a full day of high-load office use, including typing, document editing, browsing the web, and having multiple tabs open, the computer ran smoothly without any lag or crashes. So, my first concern was alleviated. The EQ59 Pro can completely serve as a primary office computer.

Secondly, for home use, the great advantage of Zero刻’s mini computer is that it can make the home desktop very neat. Unlike using a large case, which can be cumbersome to place, with messy power cables, this setup is indeed refreshing—just one power cable is enough. Lastly, regarding expandability, with two memory slots, you can expand to 32GB of memory. The built-in 500GB M.2 hard drive is sufficient, and it supports an additional 2.5-inch hard drive, offering good expandability. Most importantly, this mini computer can connect three monitors simultaneously, fully meeting the needs of users who prefer multi-screen setups.

Of course, I prefer to use mini computers paired with portable monitors. For someone like me, having a touch-enabled 4K portable monitor is incredibly useful. It can be taken on business trips, and while it may not be as convenient as a laptop, I should note that most of my usage is for home purposes, and occasionally taking it out is much more convenient than my old desktop. What do you all think?