French PC maker Bleu Jour specializes in small, stylish desktop computers. But the new limited edition Kubb Mini is one of the smallest to date.
It’s basically a 2.7″ x 2.7″ x 2.7″ cube that houses a 10-watt Intel Celeron N5105 processor, 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a 128GB SSD. While it’s not the first mini PC to measure less than 3 inches across, other models we’ve seen in the past year or two have featured active cooling. But the new Kubb Mini limited edition PC is fanless.
MiniMachines reports that Bleu Jour pulls that off by making the case out of a block of CNC aluminum that helps dissipate heat through a series of vents cut out of the metal. The result should be a tiny computer that runs silently since there are no moving parts, but which can offer performance that’s at least within striking distance of what you’d get from a similar system with a fan.
Intel’s Celeron N5105 processor is a 4-core, 4-thread chip with a base frequency of 2 GHz and support for burst speeds up to 3.3 GHz. It feature Intel UHD graphics with 24 execution units. It’s not exactly a gaming-class GPU, but it should be able to handle 4K video playback as well as basic 3D-acceleration.
While the computer’s 8GB of RAM is soldered to the motherboard, the SATA 3.0 SSD is on a user-replaceable M.2 2242 card that can be accessed by removing the bottom of the case.
Ports include:
- 4 x USB 3.0 Type-A
- 1 x USB Type-C
- 1 x HDMI
- 1 x 3.5mm audio
- 1 x microSD card reader
There are also two removable antenna to help with wireless reception.
But you know how I said these are limited edition devices? They’re very limited. Bleu Jour has only committed to making 200 at launch, because it takes four hours for the company’s manufacturing partner to produce each case from an aluminum block. For that reason, the little computer is also a little more expensive than other models in this size/performance range, at €350 ($365).
That said, if there’s enough demand, the company may decide to make more. But in the meantime folks who really want a small PC from Bleu Jour and don’t need it to be as small as the limited edition can opt for the Kubb Mini PC with a 4.7″ chassis, an 11th-gen Intel Core processor, and a €659 ($690) starting price, or a fanless model that sells for €1,000 and up.
via MiniMachines
Neat overall idea for size, but terrible ergonomics and usability.
Inserting and removing Type-A cables on the rear must be tricky, when you’re trying not to bump the Type-C DC power cable above it.
Also, I’m not getting any more impressed with this trend of Cube Mini PCs. It feels like a race to the bottom. I’m only motivated to shrink my PC to a certain point, and the compromise of M.2 2242 seems unnecessary.
Seriously…
A $200 markup for an aluminum case(that isn’t all that attractive…)? In what universe does this make sense?
I’m being generous with the $200 comment…I paid 140.00 for mine with the exact same specs.
Disappointed.
Steven B.(Liquid Cool)
I have one of the fan-full models, and even if/when the fan can be tricked to turn on, the box itself is fire hot. It only makes a lot of sense to get this cooler/case if you intend to continue to use one of these mini pc’s. If instead, you intend to cook it to death, use the stock fan/case.
The bare aluminum looks kind of ugly. Fanless is nice though. Don’t see that often in super mini x86 PCs.
In this temperature range they are leaving whole watts of TDP on the table by not designing around a chimney, and in not using black emissive coatings.