Raspberry Pi 3 vs X86 Mini PC

I recently purchased a Raspberry Pi 3 from Taobao, but after using it for less than a month, I found that the ARM architecture couldn't meet my needs. So, I decided to sell it second-hand and buy an X86 Mini PC instead, which supports X86 architecture. This new PC is perfect for general home office use and small-scale server applications. Let me share my personal experience with you.

In terms of size, the X86 Mini PC is much larger than the Raspberry Pi, but it is still much smaller than a regular desktop computer. It doesn't have a fan, so there's no noise issue. Here are some pictures of the unboxing:

Specifications

• CPU: 3556U
• Memory: 2GB
• Hard Drive: 32GB SSD

Since my requirements are not high and I mainly use it for running Linux for web testing and Samba services, I chose a low-spec configuration that is more than capable of handling these tasks. When I received it, it came with Windows 7 installed, so I ran a benchmark test using "LuDaShi" to see the performance:

Considering the price of less than 800 yuan, I am quite satisfied with the performance. However, as you can see from the screenshots, the memory is a bit weak.

After using Windows 7 for less than 10 minutes, I formatted the hard drive and prepared to install CentOS. After some trials and tribulations, it took me over 2 hours to successfully install the CentOS system. Now, I can happily set up my web environment.

In conclusion, the overall power consumption of the system is around 20W. After setting up the environment, I leave it running 24/7 in a corner without much attention. I mainly manage it using SSH, and it's very quiet. Even when it's not running any applications, the heat generated is within normal limits. Overall, the experience is quite good. The price is affordable and the performance meets my requirements. The only downside is the unattractive black appearance. For those who are planning to buy, please consult the seller based on your specific needs, as some CPUs may not support Linux.

If you are interested in purchasing, you can find it here.