REVIEW – Has anyone paid attention to the public school systems lately? It seems that there is no end to the variety of complaints from parents across the US. Some of the complaints include bullying, lack of an adequate number of skilled teachers, lack of resources, violence, etc. You might ask what this all has to do with testing and reviewing. Well, for me, since my wife and I are about to transition our 2 kids from the public school system to homeschooling, this ACEMAGIC S1 Intel 12th Alder Laker N95 Mini PC could be on the desk of one our kids if its performance can keep up with the online homeschooling requirements and demands.
What is it?
The ACEMAGIC S1 Intel 12th Alder Laker N95 Mini PC is a vertical mini-computer with an LCD Screen and RGB light. It features Intel Alder Lake-N95 (up to 3.4GHz), 16GB DDR4 1024GB M.2 SSD, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, 4K UHD, and dual ethernet ports.
What’s in the box?
- 1 x ACEMAGIC S1 Intel 12th Alder Laker N95 Mini PC
- 1 x AC Adapter
- 1 x HDMI Cable
- 1 x User Manual
- 1X Base Bracket
Hardware specs
- Screen Resolution: 4096 x 2304
- Processor: 3.4 GHz core_duo
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- Memory Speed: 3.4 GHz
- Hard Drive: 1024 GB SSD
- Graphics Coprocessor: Intel UHD Graphics 1.20 GHz
- Chipset Brand: Intel
- Card Description: Integrated
- Graphics Card Ram Size: 16
- Wireless Type: Bluetooth, 802.11ac
- Number of USB 2.0 Ports: 2
- Number of USB 3.0 Ports: 2
Design and features
- Unique LCD and RGB lights: Experience something truly unique with the ACEMAGIC S1 Mini PC. This small but mighty machine features LCD and RGB lighting, making it a stylish addition to any workspace or living area. With its magnetic design, memory replacement is made incredibly easy! Plus, the LCD allows you to easily monitor the operating status, time, temperature, and more.
- Newly Upgraded CPU Performance: ACEMAGIC S1 Mini Computer Powered by a 12th Gen Intel Alder Lake-N95 processor (up to 3.4 GHz, 6 MB Level 3 cache), this mini PC is equipped to handle all your daily tasks with speed and efficiency. Whether it’s office work, online training, or 4K video playback, the S1 small PC has got you covered.
- 16GB RAM + 1024GB ROM, upgrade friendly: ACEMAGIC S1 RGB mini pc with 16GB DDR4 2666 MHz, 1024GB M.2 NVMe SSD (two M.2 slots, one accepts SATA SSD, the other is PCIE/SATA adaptive), max 2TB. More memory, less latency: This mini-computer gives you enough storage space and speed to switch between apps and save all your files. Unique magnetic design, memory expansion in one second. (2.5 inch HHD/SSD is not supported)
- Faster WiFi 5 Network & Dual Gigabit LAN: ACEMAGIC S1 Micro Computer Stay connected with the built-in 802.11ac, 2.4G + 5G dual-band WiFi 5. You’ll be able to surf the web, stream video content, and engage in light gaming faster than ever before. The dual LAN port design offers versatile options for network construction, while Bluetooth 4.2 allows you to easily connect wireless peripherals.
The ACEMAGIC S1 Intel 12th Alder Laker N95 Mini PC measures approximately 12.4 cm x 12.8 cm x 4 cm and weighs 0.38 kg. It is lightweight and compact and features a configurable LCD on the top of the front and an RGB light strip below. The left side of the case is connected magnetically and is easy to open. The connectivity ports are on the top and back of the device. A magnetic base is included to position the mini PC vertically.
Setup
Setting up the ACEMAGIC S1 Intel 12th Alder Laker N95 Mini PC follows the same straightforward process that every Windows OS PC does. However, I encountered the same error screen several times (shown below) and had to go through several restarts and safe mode before I could get it up and running.
Performance
IMHO, The ACEMAGIC S1 Intel 12th Alder Laker N95 Mini PC performs well for daily routine tasks like using the MS Office suite, browsing the internet, and watching videos. It is not the most powerful PC I have tested and is somewhat less powerful than most that I have tested. Starting at the front, the RGB light is a nice feature especially since it is somewhat muted to provide a nice accent instead of being obnoxiously bright. The left side of the case is connected magnetically, and makes it easy to access the mini PC for upgrades, etc. All of the ports are on the back and top if you use this mini PC vertically. There is the option to place the mini PC on its side, but I found using it vertically with the included magnetic stand to be the best option for me. While the PC has adequate USB-A ports, it has no USB-C ports, which is a huge miss for me in today’s techie world. Making me use adapters to connect to any of a large number of USB-C accessories available today is quite unacceptable.
In terms of processes that demand more performance power, the ACEMAGIC S1 does seem to struggle when I try to multitask with applications like Adobe Adobe Premiere and Adobe Audition which I use almost daily. Since I am not a gamer, I cannot provide any gaming performance details, but I suspect that there would be a challenge with the more resource-demanding games.
In terms of connectivity, all of the ports work, but when I tried 2 monitors, the connection to the 2nd monitor was quite unstable and kept losing the signal and would go into sleep mode. This has not been my experience when I use that monitor with other mini PCs. To avoid frustration, I decided to keep it at one monitor. My last complaint is regarding the Bluetooth connectivity. While this may also have to do with a software issue, I had nothing but difficulty connecting to and maintaining the connection with 3 different headsets that I tried. The headsets work with my other mini PCs with no issue.
Here are some screenshots from diagnosis and benchmark apps that I usually use, starting with the CPUID application:
Next are screenshots from the free version of the Novabench application:
Last but not least, I tested the benchmark ranking using Cinebench. As you can see from the results below, this mini PC scored somewhat low:
What I like
- The beautiful design
- It is lightweight, compact and the build quality is good
- The very nice LCD
- The Magnetic side case for easy access
- The magnetic vertical stand
What I’d change
- Must add at least one USB-C port
Final thoughts
The ACEMAGIC S1 Intel 12th Alder Laker N95 Mini PC is a good mini PC for what I would call regular daily use. Things like working with the Microsoft Office suite or other office-type software work well. It also handles watching movies and YouTube videos without any issues without any issues. For me, the issues start when I am working on editing videos and similar tasks that demand more power and resources. This is when it becomes evident that this mini PC is underpowered. Regardless, if you need a nice-looking mini PC to perform “regular” daily tasks, you will be ok with this one.
Price: $199.00
Where to buy: Acemagic website (Price is $169 with code: ACES1XMAS expires 12/26/23)
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Acemagic.
