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One Netbook is expanding its ONEXPLAYER Mini line of handheld gaming PCs with a new entry-level model sporting an Intel Pentium 8505 Gold processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
It’s available now for $599, making it the most affordable member of the ONEXPLAYER family.
The new model appears to feature the same basic design as other ONEXPLAYER Mini systems with Intel or AMD chips. But while One Netbook currently charges $1019 and up for a model with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U processor or $1249 and up for one with an Intel Core i7-1260P chip, the new Pentium model starts at around half the price.
Of course, it also offers significantly less performance.
The Pentium Gold 8505 processor is based on Intel’s 12th-gen Alder Lake architecture, but the 15-55W chip is a 5-core, 6-thread processor with only a single performance core and four efficiency cores. When it comes to CPU performance, the Core i7 and Ryzen 7 chips are around 3 times faster.
It features Intel UHD graphics with top speeds up to 1.1 GHz and 48 execution units, which is half the number you’d get from a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 chip with Iris Xe graphics.
Here’s a more detailed rundown of key specs for the ONEXPLAYER Mini with Intel Pentium Gold 8505:
| ONEXPLAYER Mini (Pentium 8505) | |
| Display | 7 inches 1920 x 1200 pixels 16:10 aspect ratio 323 pixels per inch 10-point multitouch IPS LCD |
| Processor | Intel Pentium Gold 8505 5 cores / 6 threads 1 x Performance core @ up to 4.4 GHz 4 x Efficiency cores @ up to 3.3 GHz 15W base power 55W max turbo power |
| Graphics | Intel UHD for 12th-gen processors Up to 1.1 GHz 48 execution units |
| RAM | 16GB LPDDR5-5200 Dual channel |
| Storage | 512GB PCIE 3.0 x4 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD |
| Ports | 1 x USB4 1 x USB 3.2 Type-C 1 x USB 3.0 Type-A 1 x 3.5mm audio |
| Wireless | WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Battery & Charging | 48 Wh 100W USB-C (GaN) |
| Audio | Stereo speakers 3.5mm audio Dual vibration motors |
| Controllers | Built-in ALPS joysticks D-Pad Action buttons Shoulder buttons Gyroscopic sensor |
| Cooling | Fan Copper cooling tube Aluminum heat sink |
| OS | Windows 11 |
| Colores | Black, white |
| Dimensions | 260 x 106 x 23mm |
| Weight | 619 grams |
| Price | $599 |
The new model fits into a weird niche in the handheld gaming space. While it’s the cheapest current-gen ONEXPLAYER mini, it’s hard to argue that it’s particularly competitive with handhelds from other companies.
For example, Valve’s Steam Deck sells for $399 and up, with a top tier model sporting 16GB of storage and 512GB of storage costing $649. That means for just a little more than the price of a ONEXPLAYER mini with Intel Pentium, you could get a handheld with a faster processor and better graphics. It comes Valve, an industry leader in the PC gaming space, which has already shown a strong commitment to providing software updates.
That said, the Steam Deck ships with the Linux-based Steam OS instead of Windows. You can install Windows on a Steam Deck, but you’ll need to supply your own Windows license, which raises the price. So maybe that’s an advantage?
But rival handheld makers including AYA and AYN have both introduced models with the same processor for less than half the price of One Netbook’s new model.
One other option to consider? At the moment you can pick up a refurbished ONEXPLAYER Mini with an Intel Core i7-1195G7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $564. It’s cheaper than the new Pentium model, but should offer much better gaming performance.
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If I were weighing my options, I’d go for the Ayaneo Air instead. A 5th gen Ryzen 7 is most likely more powerful than this.