Swiss PC maker Prime Computer’s latest mini PC is a fanless desktop computer that measures 177 x 114 x 55mm (7″ x 4.5″ x 2.2″) and which has no moving parts, allowing it to run silently. But with support for up to an Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor, the new PrimeMini 5 should offer performance on par with what you’d expect from a pretty good 2021-2022 era laptop computer.
The little computer isn’t cheap though: it’s available now in Europe with prices starting at around €945 for a model with an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and 250GB of storage (although there’s also an option to basically rent one for around €15 per month.
The new PrimeMini5 looks virtually identical to the model we covered a few years ago, but at the time it shipped with 8th-gen Intel Core processors based on “Whiskey Lake” architecture. The move to 11th-gen “Tiger Lake” chips should bring a significant boost in CPU performance and even bigger gains in graphics performance.
Prime Computers outfits the little computer in a black aluminum chassis that’s rated IP51 for dust resistance. Under the hood, there are two SODIMM slots for up to 64GB of DDR4-3200 memory, an M.2 slot for a PCIe NVMe SSD and a 2.5 inch bay for an SSD (or hard drive if you don’t mind adding one component that does have moving parts).
Wireless options include a choice of Intel AC9560 or AX210 cards with support for WiFi 5/BT 5.1 or Wifi 6E/BT 5.2, respectively.
Ports include:
- 2 x HDMI 2.0b
- 2 x Thunderbolt 4
- 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
- 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A
- 1 x 2.5 Gbps Ethernet
There’s also optional support for an RS-232 serial port or a second RJ45/Ethernet plus two extra USB 2.0 ports.
Processor options include Intel Core i3-1115G4, Core i5-1135G7, Core i5-1145G7 (vPro optional), Core i7-1165G7, or Core i7-1185G7 (vPro optional)
via FanlessTech
I can’t find that rental pricing of €9 per month anywhere on their website. When you follow that link, the cheapest model they offer is an i5/8gb/250gb model for €153.30 per month for 48 months, for a total cost of €7,358.40.
Wow that is awful value.
That’s for 10 units. Move the slider to 1 unit and the price goes down tenfold. But they do seem to have removed the €9 option I saw when I first wrote this article, so I’ll update the post to reflect that €15.
Oh geez, haha. I thought that was as far left as the slider went, and I assumed that the pricing section was per unit.