Todd C Blake
This Beelink SER8 Mini PC is an incredible little computer. I actually purchased this mini computer to use to run my XTOOL D1 Pro 20 watt laser engraver/cutter, and to host Lightburn and other graphics production software. This computer works incredibly well for both of those purposes. This little computer also allowed me to free up my laptop for other purposes. I have been a Network Administrator for over 25 years, and I have been building my own (and many other peoples') custom computers during this time. However, my last 3 prebuilt personal computers have been Mini PCs from different companies. So far this Beelink SER8 is the best of the bunch, by far.
This Beelink SER8 Mini PC has been built with all top of the line name brand hardware. No generic stuff here. The CPU is an AMD Ryzen 7, 8 series. The motherboard is an AZW brand (as are most all Chinese owned and manufactured mini PCs in this category). The 1 Terabyte M.2 NVME SSD is made by Crucial (Micron). The 32 gigabytes (2 x 16 GB modules) of RAM are also Crucial (Micron). The Blutooth and WiFi controllers are both made by Intel. The OS software is Microsoft Windows 11 Pro (with no added bloatware or viruses, thank you!). Windows also activates with no issues at all. Windows 11 Pro even still lets you setup a local user account, instead of a forced Microsoft account, if you keep the computer off of the internet during the initial Windows setup (Yay!) Also, the external power supply is a fairly small wall-wort, and not an inline laptop style power brick, which can be good and bad depending on the available space on a standard surge protector. Overall, Beelink definitely did not skimp on the hardware or software in this little computer.
I also added a second Crucial 1 terabyte M.2 NVME SSD that is identical to the SSD that comes with this computer. I had no problem initializing and formatting the second SSD, and it is as fast as the original boot SSD that comes with the computer. The only other modification I made to the computer is attaching four 1-inch tall risers under the bottom corners of the computer in order to improve cooling and wireless network connectivity, and this modification works great in both cases.
Along with the great name brand hardware and software, this Beelink SER8 Mini PC also has an all metal case (except for the bottom cover). The bottom cover is a removable, plastic perforated grill that the cooling fan draws air through. Inside the plastic bottom cover is a removable metal mesh filter that should be cleaned occasionally for proper air flow.
Speaking of air flow, the cooling system in this Beelink SER8 Mini PC is amazingly quiet and efficient. The cooling fan is HUGE for a computer of this size, and the vapor chamber works very well to keep the CPU cool. During several long burn-in tests, this computer never got above 82 degrees Celsius with the CPU running at 4.8 gigahertz (in the default 54 watt mode). In the 65 watt performance mode (set in the BIOS), I was able to push the CPU to the advertised 5.1 gigahertz for short bursts, until the system throttled back due to heat limit constraints. Overall, this is very impressive for a mini computer of this size. However, the ambient temperature in my air conditioned shop is 78 degrees fahrenheit, so that also helps to keep this computer running cool.
This Beelink SER8 Mini PC has 6 external USB ports of various speeds (four A and two C), and two 3.5 mm speaker/microphone jacks front and rear. There are also HDMI and Display Port (1 each) monitor connections on the back. The WiFi and Bluetooth both work great, and I have not had the speed and distance issues with the wireless controller that other reviewers of this computer have complained about. However, I am sure that raising the computer case up one inch (as I previously stated) has really helped, as the WiFi antennas are internal, and the metal body of this computer most likely acts as a Faraday Cage, blocking the WiFi signal.
Just for reference and compatibility purposes, the external peripherals that are currently connected to this Beelink SER8 Mini PC are: An XTOOL D1 Pro 20 watt laser engraver. A 27 inch Acer monitor (via HDMI). Creatve Pebble 2 speakers (3.5 mm audio and USB C power). A Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse set. The computer is also connected to my home network and internet via WiFi, but I have also tested the Ethernet port and it works well. In fact all of the connected hardware devices are working great, including 2 wireless network printers.
The software applications that are currently running on this Beelink SER8 Mini PC are: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro and Office 2021 Pro Plus. Lightburn. Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Gimp and Inkscape. VLC and Chrome. Windows Defender and Malwarebytes are protecting the computer from viruses and malware. I also have a LOT of custom fonts loaded in Windows. Once again, just like the hardware, all of the software is running very well.
I have been using this little computer for several weeks now with no issues at all. Everything about this little computer has been working well. I initially put the computer through its paces with several intense burn-in tests, and I left it running for two weeks straight before turning it off. So-far so-good, but like with everything these days, only time will tell how this computer will last. However, if I can get 3 to 5 years out of it, I will be a happy camper.
I highly recommend this Beelink SER8 Mini PC to anyone looking for a FAST and QUIET computer that does not take up much space at all. The case is literally 5 inches square by 2 inches tall (not counting the short cooling air elevation bars on the bottom cover). The only caveats that I "could" complain about are the really short elevation bars on the bottom of the case that don't raise the computer enough to let much air in for cooling, and can possibly hinder the WiFi signal (I remedied that with the 1 inch risers). Also, while the AMD Radeon 780M graphics is the best integrated mobile graphics on the market (today anyway), it does not hold a candle to the NVIDIA 1650ti stand alone mobile GPU in the Acer Nitro 5 laptop that this Beelink SER8 Mini PC replaced. Then again, I am not a gamer. I just need a GPU that can render well while using Lightburn, and other graphics programs, which the Radeon 780M does do very well. All I can say is pick up one of these Beelink SER8 Mini PCs while they are still available. They are a bit pricey for a mini PC. However, they always seem to be on sale on Amazon and elsewhere. I am sure the Beelink Ser8 Mini PC will also come down in price as soon as the next "latest and greatest" mini PC hits the market.
Just a note of caution: ALWAYS scan these mini PCs (or any other mass produced computer for that matter) with a good virus/malware scanning software BEFORE connecting it to a home or business network and putting it into production. Although, this particular Beelink SER8 Mini PC was totally virus free upon delivery, it sure is better to be safe than sorry.
| Standing screen display size | 45 |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 4K |
| Max Screen Resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels |
| Processor | 4.5 ryzen_5 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR5 |
| Hard Drive | 500 GB 500GB M.2 2280 PCle4.0x4 |
| Graphics Coprocessor | AMD Ryzen 660M 6 Cores 1900MHz |
| Chipset Brand | AMD |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 4 |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ax |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 3 |
Sallie Goetsch (rhymes with sketch)
MidnightFlower