This 3 inch computer has four 2.5 GbE ports, a Celeron N5105 processor and a $257 starting price

Chinese mini PC company XCY is taking orders for a tiny, but versatile computer with an Intel Celeron N5105 processor, 8GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage.

But there are two things that make the XCY-X66 unusual. The first is that it’s got four 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports, which could make it a good fit for DIY networking applications. The second is that it’s small… like really small, measuring just 75 x 75 x 42mm (2.95″ x 2.95″ x 2.05″). The XCY-X66 is available from AliExpress for $257 and up.

The starting price is for a model with 8GB of LPDDR4X memory and a 128GB SSD, but XCY is also offering an 8GB/256GB model for $270. Or you can upgrade the storage yourself, since the computer has an M.2 2242 slot with support for PCIe 3.0 NVMe or SATA storage. Unfortunately the RAM is soldered to the mainboard and is not user replaceable.

The X66 is actively cooled, with a fan and vents on the bottom of the case, so it won’t offer silent operation. But it’s small enough to easily mount under a desk, behind a display, or just about anywhere else. Or you can unplug it, throw it in your bag and easily take it from location to location.

XCY says the computer supports Windows 10, Windows 11, and Linux. But I suspect the four high-speed Ethernet ports are going to make this system most attractive to folks looking to run purpose-built server, firewall, or other networking operating systems.

If the X66 looks familiar, that’s because it appears to be very similar to the iKoolcore R1 we wrote about a few weeks ago. There are a few differences – like the X66, the iKoolcore R1 has an Intel Jasper Lake processor and four 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports, but it’s a little shorter (at 48mm), and offers a few performance upgrades including support for up to an Intel Pentium Silver N6005 processor and up to 16GB of RAM.

But perhaps the most important difference for many folks is that the iKoolcore R1 is currently only available in China, while the XCY-X66 can be shipped worldwide… although it’s always a good idea to think of products purchased from AliExpress as having little to no enforceable warranty or customer support, so I’d typically advise proceeding with caution when purchasing a device like this.

via AndroidPC.es