Beelink SEi12 mini PC review

REVIEW – Here we go again!! And yes, I am just as excited as ever to get to test and review this Beelink SEi12 mini PC that boats specs that promise to provide a relative powerhouse experience. My kids are now well into homeschooling, and I am still very much involved in my quest to expand my home network to provide all of the desired convenience to support the surge in content creation in my household. Let’s see if I can add this mini PC to my daily workflow or if I will use it as a paperweight.

What is it?

The Beelink SEi12 is a mini PC that features an i7-12650H processor, 32GB DDR4 RAM, a 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD harddrive. Also includes dual display output (HDMI & DisplayPort), WiFi6, and Bluetooth 5.2.

What’s in the box?

• 1 x Beelink SEi12 mini PC
• 1 x AC Power Adapter
• 2 x HDMI Cable (1 short & 1 long)
• 1 x Vesa Mounting Hardware Kit
• 1 x User ManualItem

Hardware specs

• 10 cores and 16 Hyper-Threading enable better multi-tasking.
• HDMI+DP ports allow you Dual Displaying to enhance your work efficiency.
• Fully capable of browsing the Internet, Office applications, Zoom meetings, streaming, videos, photo editing, and games.
• CPU: i7 Processors i7-12650H Max Turbo Frequency 4.7Ghz (10C/16T) 24 MB Intel Smart Cache
• GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 1.4GHz
• OS: Pre-installed with W- 11 Pro
• Ram Memory Installed: 32GB Dual channel (Supports expansion up to 2*32GB)
• Connections: HDMI+DP Ports, 1*Type-C Port, 2*USB3.2, 2*USB2.0 1*Gigabit Ethernet port(RJ45 1000M),1*DC Jack,1*Audio Jack(HP&MIC)
• Internet: WiFi 6 (802.11ax) RJ45 1000M, Bluetooth 5.2
• Additional Function: WOL, Wake on power, RTC.

Design and features

• Tower Performance & Powerful Processor: The i7-12650H is a mobile processor with 10 cores and 12 threads. i7-12650H up to 4.7 GHz. With a TDP of 45 W, i7-12650H consumes only a little energy. The Beelink SEI12 PRO mini PC can be used for video and photo editing, Office tasks, 4K video viewing, high-end games, virtualization work, and other heavy applications.
• Compact & Rich Interface: Easy to set up and small in size. Beelink SEI12 PRO mini computer is equipped with 1x HDMI, 1*DP, 2*USB3.2 Gen2, 2*USB2.0, 1x type-C(data), 1 x1000M Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm Audio Jack, WiFi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.2.
• Dual Display Output: Dual Display output via HDMI and DP enables you to multitask easily. Fully capable of browsing the internet, using Microsoft Office, designing applications, watching UHD videos, and playing games. They can Do-it-all desktop into another dimension.
• Large Storage & Expandable Capacity: Installed with dual channel DDR4 32GB(2*16GB) RAM, 2 accessible memory slots upgradable to 64 GB( 2 x 32 GB). 500GB M.2 PCIE4 NVME 2280 SSD(up to 2T). You can expand the storage via a 2.5-inch HDD.

The Beelink SEi12 mini PC is a well-built compact mini PC, that features a variety of ports on the front and back that includes 1 x DC Jack, 2 x USB 3.2, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x RJ45 1000M, 1 x HDMI+1 x DP Port, 1 x Audio Jack(HP&MIC), 1 x USB-C Port( Data).

There are vents on the two other sides of the case. On the top of the case, there is a fabric-type embedded cover as a part of the design. The bottom of the case features a cover that can be removed to add storage.

Performance

The Beelink SEi12 mini PC has performed the best out of all of the mini PCs that I have tested thus far. Starting with the basics, it performs well for daily routine tasks like using the MS Office suite, browsing the internet, and watching videos. In terms of processes that demand more performance power, it has no issues handling applications like DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Adobe Premiere, Adobe Lightroom, and Adobe Audition, which I use almost daily. While I am not a gamer, I would think that with its i7 Processor and 32GB DDR4 RAM, it would be a great mini PC for gamers.

Regarding connectivity, it handles dual monitors with ease and its WiFi and Bluetooth connections are rock solid. The only negative from my perspective is that the USB-C port does not offer the Power Delivery feature. As usual, I compare the performance of all of the mini PCs that I test using Novabench and Cinebench. I use CPUID to confirm basic specs.

Here are some screenshots from the performance comparison 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 4th on the list, supporting my feelings about its performance:

Photo:

What I like

• It is well-built
• There is a good variety of ports
• Easy to add storage
• Compact and portable
• Good performance

What I’d change

• The USB-C port lacks Power Delivery

Final thoughts

The Beelink SEi12 mini PC is one of the most powerful and better-performing mini PCs that I have tested. It is a huge plus that this model comes with 32GB of RAM which supports great performance when handling everything I tested. I am pretty sure that Gamers will like this for a mini PC. Well done.

Price: $549 – ($100 coupon) = $449
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Beelink.