REVIEW – I have a huge 17″ Asus gaming laptop that I bought in 2014, which is not compatible with Win 11, so when MINIX asked me to review their new NEO Z97 mini PC I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to replace my aging laptop but also see what mini PCs have to offer.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $199.99
Where to buy: MINIX Website or Amazon
What is it?
The MINIX NEO Z97 Mini PC features an Intel N97 processor, 12GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD, integrated Intel UHD graphics, and with Windows 11 Pro (64-bit) pre-installed the NEO Z97 gives you very respectable performance in a compact and very cost effective form.
What’s included?
-
- 1 x MINIX NEO Z97 Mini PC
- 1 x AC Adapter 12V/3.0A
- 1 x Vesa mount
- 1 x HDMI cable
- 1 x User manual
Tech specs
- Dimensions: 88x88x42mm / 3.46×3.46×1.65 inches
- CPU: Intel® Processor N97 (6MB cache, up to 3.6 GHz)
- GPU: Intel® UHD Graphics
- Memory: 12GB LPDDR5X-4800MHz (Onboard)
- Storage: 512GB M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x 4 NVMe SSD
- Storage Slot: M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x 1 NVMe Slot
- Ethernet Chipset: 2 x RJ-45 1G Ethernet
- WIFI & BT: M.2 2230 Intel® 802.11AX Dual Band WIFI 6 (2.4GHz/5GHz), BT5.2
- HDMI Port: 2 x HDMI2.1 TMDS 4K@60Hz
- DP Port: 1 x DP1.4 4K@60Hz
- Reset Port: 1 x button
- USB Ports: 3 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
- DC Port: 1 x Input AC 100~240V, Output 12V 3A 36W Max, DC 2.5/5.5mm
- Power Jack: 1 x DC-IN Jack (12V⎓3A)
- Power: 12V/3A DC Power Adapter
- RJ45: 2 x RJ-45 1G Ethernet
- Reset Button: 1 x Clear CMOS Button (Reset BIOS)
- Video Output: 2 x HDMI® 2.1 TMDS (4K@60Hz) + DP 1.4 (4K@60Hz)
- Audio: 3.5mm Audio Output Combo Jack
- System: Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
- Language Supported: Supports Multi-language
- Operating Temperature: 0~15°C @5~80%RH
- Storage Temperature: -20~70°C
- Relative Humidity: 10~95% RH @ 40°C/104°F, Non-Condensing
Performance:
The MINIX NEO Z97 has all the power needed to keep up with daily tasks and even light gaming. The Intel Processor N97 (6MB cache, up to 3.6 GHz) was responsive and smooth while also able to support three displays at once via two HDMI 2.1 ports (4k@ 60Hz) and one DisplayPort 1.4 (4k@ 60Hz). I used my work provided Samsung 49” Odyssey monitor with the DisplayPort connection and was able to get 120Hz on the super wide 5120×1440 Dual QHD display. I did have to turn in my Samsung 49″ work monitor midway through the review but found a deal on a Samsung 34″ and at 3440×1440 resolution I got 100Hz refresh rate which is the highest this monitor is capable of.
To keep it nice and compact the GPU is an integrated Intel UHD. Memory is an onboard 12GB LPDDR5X-4800MHz so unfortunately it is not upgradeable. The included 512GB M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x 4 NVMe SSD is easy to upgrade if desired. The Vesa mount allows mounting options but I ended up just placing it on my monitor stand.
The MINIX NEO Z97 costs $199.99 and comes with Win 11 Pro pre-installed. Considering Win 11 Pro alone costs $199.99 to download, the NEO Z97 is quite a deal especially if you are in a similar situation as I am with an older computer that will soon lose Win 10 support. Booting the MINIX NEO Z97 up the first time required a lengthy update process as is to be expected now with Win 11. I let it run while I caught up on some chores. It took about an hour to finally get to the desktop screen.
Once the MINIX NEO Z97 was updated I downloaded Maxon Cinebench to test the mini PCs hardware capabilities. With only a 4 core 4 thread Intel N97 processor I wasn’t expecting huge performance and the score of 154 confirmed that but it is decent for such a small PC. The MINIX NEO Z97 may not be the best choice for running AI or ChatGPT queries but it is more than capable of typical computing requirements.
Watching YouTube while typing this review was no problem for the NEO Z97. I also downloaded an old game I had never gotten around to playing. Starcraft II Heart of the Swarm was released in 2013 and played just fine since the system requirements are not particularly demanding. The MINIX NEO Z97 is not a gaming PC but it’s nice that it can handle some light gaming. And again at this price I was very impressed with how it performed.
Last year a few mini-PCs that were reviewed by the Gadgeteer had malware installed. With this in mind, I ran a couple of malware scans using Malwarebytes and AVG Free on the MINIX NEO Z97, and they came back clean.
With all my testing the only disappointing thing I encountered was WiFi speed. The Intel WiFi 6 AX101 adapter only has a 1×1 antenna capable of 600Mbps max speed however, I noticed when connected via WiFi, YouTube videos would pause or drop resolution once in a while. Doing a speedtest I was only getting high 20’s to 30’s Mbps from the NEO Z97 despite being within 25 ft of my router with clear line of sight. Plugged directly into my router with my laptop I got 456 Mbps so I know it was working fine. When plugged in to the NEO Z97 via Ethernet I was getting 90 Mbps. Running the speedtest in the same spot with my laptop I was getting 40-50 Mbps. Not a big deal if you can connect via Ethernet or place it relatively close to your router. A better WiFi 6 adapter with 2×2 antenna’s shouldn’t cost more than $25 and would be an easy upgrade. The MINIX NEO Z97 also lacks Type-C ports which again is to be expected for such a low cost and compact mini PC but would have been nice to have.
Final thoughts
The $199.99 the MINI NEO Z97 is a very capable mini PC but with a few compromises but overall I was surprised how well it handled daily browsing and productivity tasks. The only gripe I had was the WiFi adapter performance, but hard wiring or keeping your router close can mitigate that. Light offline gaming was handled with aplomb and the graphics were smooth. The other limitation is not having a USB-C port so I can’t utilize a USB-C hub or my newer external SSDs but again the MINIX NEO Z97 costs as much as Win 11 Pro just by itself so if you have an aging Win 10 PC or laptop or have limited desk space you should definitely see what MINIX has to offer.
What I like about the MINIX NEO Z97 mini pc
- Super small but capable
- Quiet when running
- Plenty of computer for the price
What needs to be improved?
- Add a Type-C port
- Better WiFi adapter
Price: $199.00
Where to buy: MINIX Website (save $10 off with code: MINIXZ97 expires 8/17/25) or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by MINIX. They did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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I got the Blackview mini PC as a result of a previous recommendation on The Gadgeteer to replace a Lenovo desktop, and I have zero regrets. I’m not a gamer, so I can’t say how this would work for someone who is. But it handles everything I throw at it without a hiccup.
https://the-gadgeteer.com/2024/08/26/deal-alert-blackview-mp80-mini-pc-puts-a-computer-in-your-pocket-at-a-discount/
I’ve got this one:
aoostar-n1-pro-intel-twin-lake-n150-mini-pc-with
It’s almost the same as your Minix, but cheaper, with better CPU and usb-c with power delivery (can be powered using a powerbank). The wifi adapter is outdated too but I replaced it with Intel AX210 with Wifi 6E and BT5.3.