Best PC Sticks | May 2021

What is a PC Stick? A PC Stick is a miniature computer contained in a case the size of a USB stick; it connects to monitors and televisions through the HDMI input, and some models are also equipped with USB Type-A and C inputs to support various accessories.

Are these solutions worth buying? The purchase of a device depends mainly on the user's needs: those who need an "ultra-portable" PC (to be attached to the house keys), will be more than satisfied with these products. On the other hand, the performance of a PC Stick is not comparable to that of traditional products.

If you decide to buy a PC Stick, keep in mind that they are meant for basic productivity: document management (Word , Excel, etc.), browsing the web, watching videos, and little else. The good news is that the following models support Windows 10 (but Linux and Ubuntu as well), so you won't be limited by software (like on Chromebooks). frequent and must always carry documents and software with them: teachers, writers, consultants, salespeople, and so on.

The best PC Sticks

ACEPC T6 (8GB + 120GB) AWOW NJ41S MeLE PCG02

ACEPC T6 (8 + 128 GB)

ACEPC T6 is a low-end PC Stick equipped with 8 GB of LPDDR3 RAM and 120 GB of internal memory (eMMC); it costs around 180 euros and boasts a decent quality-price ratio. The product supports Windows 10 Pro (64-bit). The integrated GPU of the Intel Atom Z8350 processor is not that great, so sometimes video playback may have problems (depending on the bitrate of the content).

The device has the following ports:

1x HDMI 2.0 1x USB 3.0 1x USB 2.0 Power button Reset Micro USB port (for power supply) microSD slot (up to 128 GB)

AWOW NJ41S

AWOW NJ41S is a mid-range model equipped with 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 64 GB of eMMC Flash memory (expandable with microSD card up to 512 GB) and CPU Intel Gemini Lake J4105, a quadcore model that reaches a maximum frequency of 2.5 GHz. The product has Windows 10 (and Microsoft Office 365) pre-installed and can also run Ubuntu and Linux. Convenient Kensington security slot. Viewing multimedia content has no problems even in 4K at 60 fps.

NJ41S supports Wi-Fi 4 (Dual band) and Bluetooth 4.2, and has the following ports:

1x HDMI 2.0 2x USB 3.0 1x USB-C 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.2 Dedicated power port 1x Ethernet Power button

MeLE PCG02

MeLE PCG02 GLE is a PC High-end stick with 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 128GB of storage (expandable up to 1 TB via microSD card) and the “powerful” Intel Gemini Lake J4125 quadcore processor; it is compatible with Wi-Fi 4 (Dual Band) and Bluetooth 4.2. This model is also equipped with the Kensington security slot. The product is fanless (it is designed this way).

The device has several ports:

2x USB 3.0 1x USB-C (for power supply) 1x Ethernet 1x Jack for headphone / microphone 1x HDMI 2.0 Power button microSD slot (up to 1 TB)

PC Stick: what to look at for a good buy

Given the purpose and the use cases of PC Sticks, the parameters to consider are: processor, I / O ports and RAM.

Processor

Currently, all PC Sticks on the market have Intel CPUs ; specifically, they are low power consumption models equipped with no more than 4 cores and an integrated GPU; they are low-end chips designed to carry out basic tasks (navigation, presentations on PowerPoint, Office, Excel and the like). No gaming, no image and video rendering, just basic tasks.

RAM

As you can imagine, the more RAM, the better. Generally speaking, the low-end models have 2 GB of RAM, the mid-range ones 4, and the high-end models 6 and up. As mentioned, PC Sticks are devices meant for basic tasks, but that doesn't mean they can't keep multiple apps open at the same time. Within their limits, even these "keys" can allow multitasking (as long as you start apps that are not too heavy), and to fulfill this purpose, a lot of RAM is needed.

I / O ports

Despite their compact size, PC Sticks are equipped with numerous I / O ports. In addition to the HDMI port, these devices feature USB-A and USB-C inputs, microSD card slot, a power port, and sometimes even a secondary video input (mini DisplayPort). The greater the number of ports, the fewer peripherals you will need to carry with you. Simple.