Microcenter has Intel Compute Stick (Win8.1 version)

[VirtualLarry]

http://www.microcenter.com/product/447594/Z3735F_Compute_Stick_133GHz

Limit one per "household".

Thinking this might be a nice replacement for my G1610 ITX HTPC.

Edit: It seems Newegg has it too. I kept checking the mini-PCs / barebones section, no wonder I couldn't find it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...re=intel_compute_stick-_-83-800-004-_-Product

Seems like Intel is still artificially crippling their Atom platform. While they proudly tout the CPU as 64-bit, they ship them with a 32-bit UEFI and OS.

 

[cbn]

2GB RAM and 32GB eMMC, it appears to be a standard for this class of mini-computer.

With that mentioned, lately I have been using a E2180, 2GB RAM, and this SanDisk 64 GB SSD (2000 IOPs for 4K random write) with Windows and the experience is not that bad (with the SSD helping the disk swap).

I wonder how much slower the 32GB eMMC would feel compared to my rather low end 64GB SSD?

 

[cbn]

Two more mini computers with 2GB RAM, 32GB eMMC:

http://www.amazon.com/Minix-Z64-W-Streaming-Media-Player/dp/B00T7ETYZC

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856501007

 

[VirtualLarry]

http://www.geekbuying.com/item/PIPO...l-3736F-1-8GHz-Quad-Core---Silver-339668.html

This PIPO X7 seems like a better deal than the Liva, it comes with Windows 8.1 (w/Bing?) for slightly over $100.

 

[cbn]

http://www.geekbuying.com/item/PIPO...l-3736F-1-8GHz-Quad-Core---Silver-339668.html

This PIPO X7 seems like a better deal than the Liva, it comes with Windows 8.1 (w/Bing?) for slightly over $100.

Yes, ECS needs to get those Liva's with Windows 8.1 out soon.

As far as CPUs go, it looks like Z3736F has the same turbo as Liva's N2807 (both @ 2.16 Ghz). Z3736F is quad core vs. N2807 dual core. Base clock is lower on Z3736F (1.33 Ghz vs. 1.58 Ghz).

N2807 vs. Z3736F:

http://ark.intel.com/products/81072/Intel-Celeron-Processor-N2807-1M-Cache-up-to-2_16-GHz

http://ark.intel.com/products/82115/Intel-Atom-Processor-Z3736F-2M-Cache-up-to-2_16-GHz

P.S. I don't know much about Pipo or how they ship products (hopefully no bloatware or spyware as mentioned in this thread). Their info page mentions they are partners with Rockchip. So if we see Intel and Rockchip continue to partner, I would expect them to offer low cost products using the collaboration x86 chips.

http://www.pipo.com/page.php?cid=47

Strategic partner of Rockchip
We are the strategic partner of Rockchip. We debug for Rockchip and we will be the first one to launch tablets with Rockchip's new chipset and new software.

 

[sm625]

Thinking this might be a nice replacement for my G1610 ITX HTPC.

I wouldnt do that. You'd be literally gutting your single thread performance by 75%. Those atoms are 1/4 as fast. I doubt it could even handle a twitch.tv stream.

 

[dark zero]

I wouldnt do that. You'd be literally gutting your single thread performance by 75%. Those atoms are 1/4 as fast. I doubt it could even handle a twitch.tv stream.

Even the AMD A10 6700 Micro is more stable than the Bay Trail

 

[SPBHM]

I would trade some size for 1 ethernet and at least 1 or 2 more USB...

the way it is, it feels to limited, but still, pretty cool product, and the pricing is very competitive

oh, you can buy a similar product for a lot less actually like the Meegopad T02

 

[ElFenix]

http://www.microcenter.com/product/447594/Z3735F_Compute_Stick_133GHz

Limit one per "household".

Thinking this might be a nice replacement for my G1610 ITX HTPC.

Edit: It seems Newegg has it too. I kept checking the mini-PCs / barebones section, no wonder I couldn't find it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...re=intel_compute_stick-_-83-800-004-_-Product

Seems like Intel is still artificially crippling their Atom platform. While they proudly tout the CPU as 64-bit, they ship them with a 32-bit UEFI and OS.

I don't know why you are always trying to find the worst computing experience you can.

 

[Shehriazad]

Windows 8.1 with Bing!......WITH BING!!! :awe::awe::awe::awe:



xD For some reason this is still funny to me.

 

[Arachnotronic]

I don't know why you are always trying to find the worst computing experience you can.

The amount of money that he spends on these low-spec machines could probably be used to build a beastly 4790K/5960X machine.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I don't know why you are always trying to find the worst computing experience you can.

My HP Stream7 tablet would beg to differ with you.

And the Compute Stick has twice the RAM.

 

[cbn]

Some deals on Z3735, 2GB, 32 GB eMMC as ASUS 11.6" laptop:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2437104

(HDMI, two usb ports, headphone jack, card reader)

 

[cbn]

Lenovo and Archos will have their own Windows Z3735F, 2GB, 32GB eMMC compute sticks as well:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/archos...ter-that-fits-in-your-pocket/#ftag=RSSbaffb68

Lenovo $129
Archos $99

 

[escrow4]

The amount of money that he spends on these low-spec machines could probably be used to build a beastly 4790K/5960X machine.

I'd generally agree with you but any Bay Trail is sufficient for office and porn. Which is what you'd generally use a cheapo system for. Sure it won't be as snappy as a 5960X with a Titan X but it will still tick over.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'd generally agree with you but any Bay Trail is sufficient for office and porn. Which is what you'd generally use a cheapo system for. Sure it won't be as snappy as a 5960X with a Titan X but it will still tick over.

Wow, escrow4 endorsing Bay Trail ("sufficient") for basic compute tasks?

Anyways, I'm very happy with my G3258 rigs @ 3.6Ghz. I haven't yet put in the Z97 boards, so I can try for 4.3-4.4, but for what I do, it's entirely sufficient. That might change, if I get Witcher 3 or GTA V. I'm getting older though, not as much gaming as when I was in my teenage years and my mid-20s.

I wish I could get a G3258 shoved into a Compute Stick, rather than a quad-core 1.33Ghz Atom, but what can you do. Gotta respect the TDP with respect to the form-factor. And my HP Stream7, with a similar config, but only 1GB RAM, is sufficient for web browsing. With 2GB, it should fly.

Then again, I am having second thoughts about getting a Compute Stick, given that I would probably have to use a power USB hub with charging port, to power it and get enough USB ports for my usages. (Need webcam, for example.)

If those $100 third-party Compute Sticks, come with Win10, then I might pick one up to play with.

 

[escrow4]

Wow, escrow4 endorsing Bay Trail ("sufficient") for basic compute tasks?

Anyways, I'm very happy with my G3258 rigs @ 3.6Ghz. I haven't yet put in the Z97 boards, so I can try for 4.3-4.4, but for what I do, it's entirely sufficient. That might change, if I get Witcher 3 or GTA V. I'm getting older though, not as much gaming as when I was in my teenage years and my mid-20s.

I wish I could get a G3258 shoved into a Compute Stick, rather than a quad-core 1.33Ghz Atom, but what can you do. Gotta respect the TDP with respect to the form-factor. And my HP Stream7, with a similar config, but only 1GB RAM, is sufficient for web browsing. With 2GB, it should fly.

Then again, I am having second thoughts about getting a Compute Stick, given that I would probably have to use a power USB hub with charging port, to power it and get enough USB ports for my usages. (Need webcam, for example.)

If those $100 third-party Compute Sticks, come with Win10, then I might pick one up to play with.

I'd say no to Clover Trail (I have one of the OG tablets and it frequently lags with updates in the background and doing anything else) but Bay Trail is sufficient. Of course its slow but its doable. I'd take a desktop Celeron but you can make it work. Its more about the RAM and storage than the CPU now anyway.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'd say no to Clover Trail (I have one of the OG tablets and it frequently lags with updates in the background and doing anything else) but Bay Trail is sufficient. Of course its slow but its doable. I'd take a desktop Celeron but you can make it work. Its more about the RAM and storage than the CPU now anyway.

That's a good point, regarding updates, and the background WindowsUpdate service.

At least with Windows 7 and 8/8.1, you can set Windows Updates to manual. With the "home" version of 10, supposedly that won't be possible. And, given the issues that we've seen (check out the OS sub-forum for a few threads) of the Win7 Windows update process taking up several GB of RAM and gobs of CPU time checking for updates, I don't think I would want to subject a 2GB Win10 tablet or compute stick to that, especially if it could run in the background at any time, and really screw things up.

(Though, that gives me an idea, can't you just disable the appropriate services, if they won't give you a UI to set it for manual mode?)

 

[cbn]

This thread got me curious, so I borrowed an ASUS T100 laptop (Atom Z3740, 2GB RAM, 32GB 64 GB eMMC).

http://ark.intel.com/products/76759/Intel-Atom-Processor-Z3740-2M-Cache-up-to-1_86-GHz

http://ark.intel.com/products/80274/Intel-Atom-Processor-Z3735F-2M-Cache-up-to-1_83-GHz

Both Z3740 (in ASUS T100) and Z3735F (as found in Intel's compute stick) are quad core with 1.33 Ghz base clock and 1.86 Ghz turbo. The Z3740 lists dual channel memory (rather than single channel) and higher bandwidth compared to Z3735F.

Rapid scrolling The Verge homepage (using T100's 1366 x 768 laptop screen) via the browser's right side horizontal bar is very smooth with both Chrome and Internet Explorer. Firefox, hangs when doing the same. However, normal speed scrolling using the wheel on my wirelesss mouse is OK.

 

[escrow4]

That's a good point, regarding updates, and the background WindowsUpdate service.

At least with Windows 7 and 8/8.1, you can set Windows Updates to manual. With the "home" version of 10, supposedly that won't be possible. And, given the issues that we've seen (check out the OS sub-forum for a few threads) of the Win7 Windows update process taking up several GB of RAM and gobs of CPU time checking for updates, I don't think I would want to subject a 2GB Win10 tablet or compute stick to that, especially if it could run in the background at any time, and really screw things up.

(Though, that gives me an idea, can't you just disable the appropriate services, if they won't give you a UI to set it for manual mode?)

Its not so much the RAM but the disk thrashing. I don't update that tablet often and 300MB+ updates on a tiny 32GB eMMC drive is a recipe for disaster.

 

[cbn]

On these Windows 8.1 with Bing installations, how much disk space is used up?

After installing updates?

 

[Insomniator]

Kind of cool that these turn any HDMI monitor into an all in one for 100 bucks.

Still, as far as using them on a TV goes, not sure i see the great use. A $25 chromecast lets me stream any media I want from any device in my house.

 

[ummduh]

Kind of cool that these turn any HDMI monitor into an all in one for 100 bucks.

Still, as far as using them on a TV goes, not sure i see the great use. A $25 chromecast lets me stream any media I want from any device in my house.

I've been watching then for a possibly awesome carpc comeback. I've been dying to do one forever, and these things just seem to be tailor made for it...

 

[myocardia]

I've been watching then for a possibly awesome carpc comeback.

Why would you do that, when for less money, you can get the same specs, along with an 8" touchscreen, and for slightly more money, the same specs with a 10" touchscreen?

 

[soccerballtux]

2GB RAM and 32GB eMMC, it appears to be a standard for this class of mini-computer.

With that mentioned, lately I have been using a E2180, 2GB RAM, and this SanDisk 64 GB SSD (2000 IOPs for 4K random write) with Windows and the experience is not that bad (with the SSD helping the disk swap).

I wonder how much slower the 32GB eMMC would feel compared to my rather low end 64GB SSD?

dude, overclock that e2180. I bought mine for $87 and overclocked that 2.0ghz to 3.4ghz, best deal ever