Zhanmei Mini PC Unboxing: A Compact and Practical Home Server Solution

Previously, I purchased a Raspberry Pi 3 from Taobao, but after less than a month, I found that the ARM architecture could not meet my needs. After selling it second-hand, I bought a Zhanmei mini PC supporting x86 architecture, which is perfectly sufficient for general home office work and small-scale server tasks. Here is a share of my personal experience.

In terms of size, it is several times larger than a Raspberry Pi but much smaller than a typical desktop. It has no fan, so there is no noise issue. Below are the unboxing photos.

Specific Configuration

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

Since my requirements were not high—mainly running a Linux system for web testing and Samba services—I chose a low-spec model that was fully capable. When I received it, it came with Windows 7 pre-installed. First, let's check the performance score using LuDaShi.

For something under 800 yuan, achieving this score was satisfying, although the screenshot indicates that the memory is a bit lacking.

I used Windows 7 for less than 10 minutes before formatting the hard drive to prepare for installing the CentOS system. After some troubleshooting, it took over two hours to successfully install CentOS, and I could finally set up the web environment happily.

Summary

The total power consumption of the machine is around 20W. After setting up the environment, I left it running 24/7 in a corner without further intervention. I usually manage it via SSH; it is extremely quiet, and the heat generation is normal when not running heavy applications. The overall experience is quite good, with a low price and performance that meets my requirements. However, the black appearance is a bit ugly. Additionally, if you plan to purchase one, please consult the seller based on your specific needs, as some CPUs do not support Linux systems.

Purchase Link: Zhanmei Mini PC