In addition to the 13th generation Core (mobile version), Intel also released a brand new entry-level mobile processor earlier this year, which also adopts the latest Intel 7 process technology and follows the energy-efficient cores (Gracemont architecture) from the 13th generation Core. The overall specifications outperform the currently popular previous generation Celeron N5000 series.
It is precisely because the Intel N series processors balance cost, performance, and power consumption that they have become the new favorite in the entry-level laptop and mini host field.
Now, the familiar MINISFORUM has brought the UN100 equipped with the upgraded Intel N100 processor. This product combines a delicate and compact body, rich interfaces, dual hard drive bays, dual network ports, and triple screen display capability, along with a launch price just over a thousand yuan, making its cost-performance ratio quite high on paper.
In this video, we will comprehensively examine the actual performance of this little guy to see if it can handle the office and entertainment tasks for families.
Unboxing and Appearance Analysis
The package of the MINISFORUM UN100 includes a charger, wall mount bracket, screws, and a 60 cm HDMI video cable. The one we received is an engineering sample, and the retail version will also include a user manual and warranty card among other accessories.
I must say, I was quite surprised when I first held the UN100. I had prepared myself for a large plastic body, but the actual machine features a full metal body crafted with a one-piece molding process.
The deep gray color combined with the matte surface treatment gives it a very strong metallic feel, and it also has a cool touch, overall the workmanship feels quite good.
The dimensions of the MINISFORUM UN100 are impressive, with actual measurements (excluding the bottom protrusions and feet) of 136mm x 121mm x 35mm, approximately 0.57L, which is about the size of an adult’s palm, and its surface area is even smaller than that of two mainstream smartphones.
The machine we received already has an M.2 SSD installed, and its total weight is about 440g, which is equivalent to the combined weight of an iPhone 14 Pro and an iPhone 14 Pro Max, making it very lightweight in the mini computer field.
The power adapter that comes standard with this machine is also quite small, slightly larger than a phone charger, with a standard of 36W (12V/3A) and weighing about 175g, which is also not cumbersome. Carrying it along with the main unit for long-distance travel won’t be a burden on your shoulders.
The front of the UN100 host provides a power indicator light, power switch, USB-C 3.2 Gen2, two USB-A 3.2 Gen2, and a reset hole. Both the 2A1C ports offer a transmission speed of 10Gbps, definitely a plus.
This C port supports PD single cable connection. If your monitor has a C port and supports power/video output, you won’t need to plug in a DC power supply after connecting the MINISFORUM UN100.
On the left side of the host, there is a large dust-proof net, a MicroSD (TF) card reader, and an audio interface. Perhaps due to its mini size, I personally would prefer it to have a standard SD card reader. However, there are not many mini hosts that come standard with a card reader these days, so having one is already a blessing.
The right side of the host features the heat dissipation outlet. Rest assured, the N100 processor used in this product generates very little heat, and this set of vents is truly sufficient.
The back of the host is equipped with two USB-A 3.2 Gen1 (5Gbps), two RJ45 network ports, two HDMI ports, a power socket, and a security lock hole. When used for a long time in public places such as offices or dormitories, you can use the security lock hole to secure the host to prevent theft, which is a thoughtful design detail.
Configuration Analysis and Power Consumption Performance
Next is the performance segment that everyone is most concerned about.
As mentioned earlier, the MINISFORUM UN100 is equipped with the Intel N100 processor, which has a certain genetic relationship with the 13th generation Core, and this is its biggest competitive edge.
In simple terms, the N100 features 4 cores and 4 threads, with a maximum clock speed of 3.4GHz. In addition to the CPU architecture upgrade, its integrated graphics have also been upgraded to the Xe architecture; however, due to the limitation of 24 execution units and a lower frequency, its 3D performance is certainly not on par with its Core counterparts.
The N100 also brings a new graphics, display engine, and IPU, supporting AV1 decoding and the latest LPDDR5 memory, but it only supports single-channel memory (up to 4800MHz) and PCIe 3.0×1 channel SSDs, with a maximum speed ceiling of about 800MB/s.
As a non-performance-oriented mobile platform, the core competitiveness of the Intel N series lies in its superior energy efficiency. To maximize this advantage, MINISFORUM has equipped the UN100 with onboard memory, which is Samsung LPDDR5-6400, and it operates in dual-channel mode. However, as mentioned earlier, the N100 only supports single-channel memory with frequency limitations, which prevents it from fully utilizing the advantages of higher frequency memory, resulting in automatic downclocking and downgrading by the system.
At the same time, the standard SSD equipped with the UN100 is also an SATA channel M.2 SSD (from Kingston), which has relatively lower power consumption compared to PCIe channel SSDs. Considering the inherent speed limitations of the N100 platform’s SSD, this pairing is also understandable.
So, how low is the overall power consumption of the MINISFORUM UN100 platform?
When connected to a wireless mouse and wired keyboard, the standby power consumption of this product can remain stable between 4W and 6W.
When testing with a USB flash drive and running the AIDA64 FPU stress test, the overall power consumption of this product fluctuates between 18W and 22W, during which the actual CPU power consumption can remain stable at 12W, with the CPU temperature around 70 degrees Celsius.
At this point, using a temperature gun to monitor the temperature of the host’s top cover, it surprisingly remains below 30 degrees Celsius, feeling completely cool to the touch.
While I don’t have professional noise measuring equipment, I used an app on my phone as a temporary substitute. During the stress test, when I held the testing phone close to the UN100 host, the noise level displayed was below 40 decibels, and in terms of actual sound perception, I personally believe that even using it at night in the bedroom won’t disturb family members who are already resting.
Performance Testing and Gaming Experience
Low power consumption, low heat generation, and low noise—will these affect the final performance? Rest assured, the Intel N100 is relatively strong, with a benchmark score of nearly 400,000 on Master Lu.
We can compare the N100 with its predecessor, the Celeron N5105. In the CPU-Z, CineBench R20, and R23 benchmark tests, N100’s single-core performance improved by about 46%, and multi-core performance improved by an average of 34%, which is a significant leap.
Of course, the N100’s strength is relatively speaking; there is still a clear gap compared to the recent generations of Core i3.
We also conducted simple tests on the integrated graphics of the N100. The 3DMark11 P benchmark GPU score was 1492, while the scores for 3DMark Fire Strike and Time Spy were 336 and 1185, respectively.
Let’s test the actual gaming experience of the MINISFORUM UN100 with League of Legends. At a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels and medium quality, this mini computer runs very smoothly, even during the most intense team battles, there is no noticeable lag, and skills and movements are very responsive, which won’t affect our ranking performance.
After a 30-minute game, the MINISFORUM UN100 achieves an average frame rate of 43 FPS in this game. Of course, if you connect to a 1080P monitor, lowering the resolution will certainly allow for higher frame rates.
Although the N100’s performance is relatively average, it still possesses powerful multimedia capabilities, supporting 10-bit HEVC, VP9 encoding/decoding, and AV1 decoding.
In practical tests, playing 4K (HEVC) and 8K (AV1) videos, the CPU usage can remain below 10% for extended periods, allowing for video playback without affecting other operations, saying goodbye to stuttering.
In conclusion, the MINISFORUM UN100 can easily handle daily light office tasks, LOL-level online gaming, and serve as a home multimedia playback center without any pressure. It is also equipped with 2 HDMI ports and 1 USB-C that supports video output, allowing those who need stock trading to achieve high-efficiency triple display. Additionally, the two Gigabit network ports on this product can also act as a soft router, allowing for various configurations.
Disassembly and Internal Expansion Capability Analysis
The difficulty of disassembling the UN100 is relatively high among the MINISFORUM mini host family, as its bottom cover screws are hidden beneath four foot pads, requiring removal of the foot pads to access the screws.
After removing the bottom cover, we also need to take off the bracket that secures the antenna, then pull the entire motherboard out of the main unit while flipping it over to see the M.2 hard drive on the motherboard. The second 2.5-inch hard drive bay is secured in the innermost layer of the metal casing, connected to the motherboard via a cable.
This inverted motherboard design has the advantage of directing the CPU’s primary heat source towards the bottom of the unit, keeping the user-facing top cover naturally cool.
I personally prefer the tool-free disassembly design of the MINISFORUM NAB and NPB series, which is particularly user-friendly for ordinary users.
Disassembly design of MINISFORUM NAB and NPB series
Optimal Choice for Entry-Level Mini Computers
The biggest advantages of mini computers are their compactness, portability, low noise, and energy efficiency. The MINISFORUM UN100 fully embodies these characteristics, with its exquisite all-metal integrated body, lightweight design that fits in one hand, rich interfaces, dual hard drive bays, standby power consumption of 5W, and a full load power of just over 20W, alongside relatively low noise, making it sufficient for daily office and entertainment performance needs. All of these features are integrated into a product priced starting at only 1150 yuan (with 16GB memory and 512GB hard drive version priced at 1350 yuan). What more could you want?!
Of course, if you usually have demands for running large standalone games or performing video creation that requires higher productivity, the UN100 may not be sufficient. Other models from MINISFORUM such as UM560XT, UM773, NUCG5, NAB5/6, and NPB7 are also excellent performers in their respective price ranges, and MINISFORUM will also launch mini hosts equipped with the upgraded AMD Ryzen 7040 series processors in May, which is highly anticipated.
As for the MINISFORUM UN100, it naturally has some areas that could be improved. For instance, if a USB-C port capable of PD power delivery could be added to the rear of the unit to replace the existing power socket, it would clearly align better with current trends. Users purchasing products in this price range are either seasoned players with similar soft router transformation needs or ordinary users with limited budgets, the latter often lacking sufficient DIY experience, and the disassembly process for upgrading the hard drive in the UN100 is still somewhat complicated. I hope the next generation of products can consider a design where the hard drive bay is positioned lower, allowing for upgrades simply by removing the bottom cover.
The end of the article. If you think this is well written, please give it a thumbs up and “see it”. Feel free to share it with your friends or repost it 🙂
Exciting recommendations, not to be missed!
| 2023 New Laptop Roundup (Continuously updated, highly recommended) | |
| 2022 Mini Computer Roundup | 2022 Android Tablet Roundup |
| Lenovo Legion Gaming Laptop Roundup | Lenovo YOGA Laptop Roundup |
| ThinkPad Business Laptop Roundup | Lenovo Xiaoxin Laptop Roundup |
| ThinkBook Business Laptop Roundup | Alienware and Gaming Laptop Roundup |
| HP ProBook Series Business Laptop Roundup | ROG Zephyrus Series All-Purpose Laptop Roundup |
| ASUS VivoBook Laptop Roundup | ASUS ZenBook Laptop Roundup |
| Acer Gaming Laptop Family Roundup | Xiaomi/Redmi Laptop Roundup |
| Honor Laptop Roundup | Huawei Laptop Roundup |
| Thunderobot Laptop Roundup | Mechanic Laptop Roundup |
| Mechanical Revolution Laptop Roundup | Shenzhou War God Gaming Laptop Roundup |