Chinese PC maker Topton is selling a compact, fanless desktop computer with an Intel Alder Lake-N processor for $107 and up at AliExpress.
While it’s not unusual to find small, cheap computers with these chips, this model is noteworthy as a passively cooled system with two Gigabit Ethernet ports, support for up to three displays, and a decent set of options for folks looking to customize the system to their needs.
For example it has a single SODIMM slot with support for up to 32GB of DDR4-32300 memory and three storage options:
- M.2 2280 slot for PCIe 3.0 NVMe or SATA storage
- 1 x mSATA port
- 1 x SATA connector for an optional 2.5″ SSD or hard drive.
The $107 starting price is for a barebones model without memory, storage, an operating system, or a wireless card. But customers who pay $126 or more will get a stick of RAM, an NVMe SSD, and a wireless card with support for WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2.
All models feature a set of ports that includes:
- 2 x HDMI
- 1 x DisplayPort
- 2 x Gigabit Ethernet (RTL8111H)
- 2 x USB 3.0 Type-A
- 2 x USB 2.0 Type-A
- 1 x 3.5mm mic input
- 1 x 3.5mm audio output
- 2 x RS232 DB9 COM
- 1 x DC power input
The COM ports should make it clear that the system is designed so that it can be used for industrial applications, but Topton’s product listing also notes that the system could be used as home theater PC or for other applications like a home server or general-purpose computer.
The computer measures 135 x 127 x 39mm (5.3″ x 5″ x 1.5″), and since the system supports VESA mounts, it can be wall mounted or attached to the back of a display, and as a fanless system it’s designed for 24/7 operation. There’s also Wake on LAN functionality.
Topton notes that customers can also pay extra for a 2.5 inch hard drive (add-on prices range from $50 for a 500GB HDD to $100 for a 2TB drive).
There are a few things that are a little confusing about the product listing though. One is that the system is described as an Intel Processor N95/N100 system, so it’s a little unclear whether customers will actually receive a computer with a 6-watt Intel N100 chip or a 15-watt Intel N95 processor.
It’s also a little unclear whether models with memory and storage come with an operating system. The computer is said to support Windows 11, Ubuntu, OPNsense, and other operating systems, but you may have to install them yourself (or at least provide your own license if you plan to run Windows).
via AndroidPC.es
What’s the total price for 32G RAM & 2TB HD?
Seriously? All they did was take an all in one PC board out and slap it in a box you could get a Raspberry PI and do the same thing only the government won’t let them simply open the ram up so they can make a pi that can have ram as high as they want , talk about being technology suppressed. Only in America it seems.
Pretty close to what I’ve been looking for in a new HTPC. Waiting (im)patiently for something with 2+ storage connectors, and an N200/N300. If I wasn’t already running an N5105, I’d consider this though. With a converter in the wifi slot, 16TB (4+4+8) of storage capacity would be within mortal consumers’ reach.
How can it have 32GB of Ram if both CPUs only support 16?
Simple use the extra ram as video, you can allocate it so it uses the excess ram as video for better performance, this is what you call being suppressed by the government.😉
The platform only officially supports 16gb, but I have 3 N95/N100 PCs that successfully use 32gb. Its not “supported” but it seems to work, kinda like how Ryzen CPUs don’t support ECC memory but can still use it, but if anything goes wrong you can’t claim it’s their fault. This is much more consumer friendly than just physically fusing off the parts that make it possible
They don’t ship anywhere
Perfect SOHO router box. Been using similar boxes from TopTon for your purpose, but this model is better if you don’t need the extra network ports. They run OpnSense great.
Thanks for the info , that should work for my smart mirror 😁
It’s $107 you clown, of course they cut corners somewhere.
Not true, they may have cut corners to increase the margin and not because the components warrant it. I have been eyeing an MSI barebone over at newegg for 120, also even though ETA demoed an N5105, the X1 is a mind boggling $99 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcbhsGfqfio
No USB C, no thanks.
Just curious, what USB-C device would you connect to a cheap mini like this?
It’s a 20w system at most, I think he’s bringing up USB-C for power instead of the barrel jack it likely has now.
Simple, buy a USB to type c adapter. so what’s your problem again ? Lol