The Velocity Micro Edge Mini is a tiny desktop computer with an Intel Core i3 processor, Intel HD 4000 graphics, and a solid state disk. It measures just 4.3″ x 4.3′ x 1.5″, but offers enough power to serve as a full desktop PC or a home media center.
Velocity Micro plans to sell the Edge Mini for $499 and up, with the base model featuring 4GB of RAM and a 64GB mSATA solid state disk.
The company confirmed to me that the Edge Mini is based on Intel’s NUC (Next Unit of Computing), and while Intel is offering a white box barebones version, Velocity Micro is one of the first companies to sell a model configured with memory, storage, and an operating system. It’s available with Windows 7 and Windows 8.
The Edge Mini also has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, dual HDMI outputs, Ethernet, and 3 USB ports.
I’ve spent a lot of time tinkering with mini PCs over the past year, but most have been low power systems with ARM-based processors. It’s nice to see a tiny computer capable of doing just about anything a full-sized PC could do… although the $499 starting price is a bit higher than the cost of an Android TV stick.
That $499 price covers a model without an operating system. You’ll have to pay $599 and up if you want a model with Windows pre-loaded.
For maybe half the price, could get a Zotac box with one of the AMD E350, or E450, or the newer E2-1800 chips in it. I have one with the E350 and it is good enough for everything I do every day. Not a powerhouse by and stretch, but way better than the Atom anything. And the ZBox, or some of them, are around the same size and they now come with the i3 inside. Better price, worth the look.
It’s not an Atom in the NUC – it’s an i3-3217 so it’s far more powerful than then puny AMD CPU:s you mentioned.
Not really seeing the value here.
499 for a $299 barebones Intel NUC + 64GB SSD (~$50) + 4GB Ram (~20) + Wifi card (~$30)+Windows (~$40 – $50)
The point of buying a whole computer instead of buying components to put together yourself is to get it cheaper
Not worth it at all.
Thanks for the DIY idea. I’m going to look into that.
So if goes on sale for about 450, it may be worth it?
probably, but depends on when the sale is, as prices keep falling on components.
Is it fanless? Can RAM be upgraded by the user? I really want something like that … but really, their Cruz line worries me about the quality of it.
RAM can be upgraded by the user fairly easily.
And no, it’s not fanless.
Not fanless? Damn.