Mini PC "minisforum TL50" review. Simple NAS conversion for Google Photos "unlimited end" measures

　Can it be used as a storage measure for Google Photos with simple network storage?

　Minisforum provided us with a highly expandable mini PC "TL50", so we will review it.

Index

• 1 rich interface
• 2 specs
  • 2.1 Equipped with the latest 11th generation Intel Core i5
  • 2.2 Benchmark
  • 2.3 Spec table
• 3 Try using as a NAS + wireless access point
• 4 good points and bad points. Cost performance is high, but are you worried about starting?
  • 4.1 Good points
  • 4.2 Subtleties
• 5 general comments

rich interface

　The feature of the minisforum TL50 is the richness of the interface . We will look at them in order. Front side has a series of frequently used ports such as microphone input, earphone output, USB 3.2 Gen 1 x2, 20USB Type-C (Thunderbolt 4 compatible). It also has a built-in array microphone, so you can input voice by itself. 

 Power is a Type-C connection. It also supports power supply by USB-PD, but you need to be careful because the included AC adapter outputs 19V without any questions and is a non-standard product . In addition, it has wired LAN x2, USB 2.0 x2, USB 3.2 Gen1 x2, DisplayPort, HDMI, and Kensington lock. Intel I225-V installed for wired LAN is the latest rev3 with fixed problems such as instability of connection and inability to communicate normally at 2.5Gbps. You can use it with confidence. The built-in wireless LAN is also equipped with Intel AX200 and supports the latest Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax). It supports 2×2 His MIMO and can communicate up to 1.2GHz.

　The ultimate is the expandability of the storage, which is exceptional for a compact PC. While many mini PCs can only have one M.2 slot or one 2.5 inch drive, the minisforum TL50 can have two 2.5 inch drives.

spec

Equipped with the latest 11th generation Intel Core i5

　Equipped with Intel's latest CPU, 11th generation Core i5 (Tiger Lake: i5-1135G7). Unlike Rocket Lake for desktops, it uses Intel's latest process, 10nm, to achieve high performance while saving power.　The integrated GPU is also equipped with the latest Intel Xe Graphics, and has the performance to play light PC games as it is.　The memory is equipped with LPDDR4 3733MHz. Since it is soldered on the board, it cannot be added or replaced, but it has a high-speed clock and quad-channel operation, which helps improve performance.

benchmark

　Since it's a PC, let's do some benchmarking. Start with Cinebench R15.　The score is 98.91fps for OpenGL and 842cb for the CPU, which is the latest CPU, but considering that the competing AMD Ryzen 5 4500U has 50fps 843cb, it seems that the GPU is significantly higher.

　Next we will look at the Cinebench R20. The score is 2163pts. Competing AMD Ryzen 5 4500U is about 2200pts, so it's a little behind, but it's reasonably fast.　Finally, let's take a look at the internal SSD. I used CrystalDiskMark for the benchmark.

　Kingston's M.2 2280 SSD has an NVMe connection, but while the Core i5-1135G7 supports PCI Express 4.0, the SSD supports up to PCI Express 3.0, so the performance is so-so. . However, it is fast enough and I don't feel any lack of performance at all. It is replaceable, so if you feel dissatisfied with the speed, you should replace it.

Spec table

OS	Windows 10 Pro x64
CPU	Intel Core i5-1135G7 2.4GHz (28W: 4.2GHz 4cores)
GPUs	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (GT2: 1.3GHz 80EU)
RAM	Micron LPDDR4 3733MHz
Storage 1	M.2 2280 512GB KINGSTON OM8PCP3512F-A02 NVMe SSD (PCI Express 3.0 x4)
Storage 2	SATA 3.0 6Gbps (supports 7mm thick 2.5 inch SSD/HDD)
Storage 3	SATA 3.0 6Gbps (supports 7mm thick 2.5 inch SSD/HDD)
Wired LAN 1	Intel I225-V (rev3) 2.5Gbps
Wired LAN 2	Intel I225-V (rev3) 2.5Gbps
Wireless LAN	Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax 2.4GHz/5GHz

Try using it as a NAS + wireless access point

　In fact, if you've read this far, why are you introducing desktop PCs on Mahon!!? You might think that. In fact, this PC seemed to be able to play an active role as a simple home server for smart devices because of its high expandability .

　The TL50 is equipped with two 2.5Gbps wired LAN ports, and two 2.5 inch drives can be installed. In other words, it is possible to connect to a router with a wired LAN and use the wireless LAN as a wireless access point that supports 11ax and use it as a NAS .　I will actually do it. First of all, I will put a 2.5inch drive. To install, just remove the four corner screws on the back of the main unit, connect the included SATA cable, and fix the drive. It's very easy.

　Personally, I thought "Oops" is that a metal insert nut is used for the drive mounting part. You can fix it firmly without worrying about destroying the housing by overtightening the screws. Considering the selling price, it's pretty good.　The SATA cable is a special type for exclusive use. Installation is a little tricky, but it's much easier than building your own PC.　After installation is complete, build a mirroring configuration from Windows Disk Management.

　Mirroring is a method in which exactly the same data is written to two disks, enabling a redundant configuration in which data is not lost even if one disk fails. This is where the high scalability of being able to mount two units comes into play.　After that, the network sharing setting is completed and conversion to NAS is completed. If you use the app to automatically back up your photos, you can keep your smartphone photos safe. After that , you can easily keep backing up photos on your smartphone by using apps such as SMBSync2 and FolderSync　for Android , and PhotoSync  for iOS . I use her FolderSync on her Xperia 1 II.

　Wireless AP is easy, just enable mobile hotspot from settings. After that, you can use it as a Wi-Fi 6 access point just by connecting from your smartphone or tablet.　However, although it was connected with Wi-Fi 6, when I measured the speed, the speed was not as expected. It may be better to let the wireless LAN router handle the wireless access point.

　The feature of Google Photos, which has been very useful for users, "free, high quality, unlimited storage" will end in June, and it seems that many users will switch to other means, but as a countermeasure, such a small trick Is it possible to use it?

Good points bad points. Cost performance is high, but are you worried about starting up?

good point

• Affordable price for 11th generation Core i5
• Abundant interfaces and high extensibility
• Compact and sophisticated design

Subtlety

• 12 GB and middling memory capacity
• Attached AC adapter that violates the USB standard
• Unstable start-up?

　This may be only my individual, but the behavior at startup is somewhat suspicious. When I received it, it didn't start at all, so when I asked him about it, he asked me to press the reset button for about 30 seconds, and it actually started properly. However, since then, the same phenomenon has occurred several times, and it is honestly troublesome. Is there something wrong with the CMOS battery? As expected, I don't think it will be sold in this state, so I would like to believe that it has been fixed in the product version.

　Also, the included AC adapter is dangerous. Since it outputs 19V without question, if you connect it to a product other than this PC, the connected product may be damaged. I would like to see improvements here as soon as possible. Dangerous.

Overall review

　As a general comment, I felt that it was a high cost performance item with the impression that it was packed so far at this price. Above all, I am amazed by the rich interfaces and extensibility that can be used as a server.