Review on 💻 Beelink GT-R Mini PC: High Performance AMD Ryzen 5 3550H, Windows 10 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, WiFi 6, BT 5.0 - Perfect Business, Office, and Gaming 4K Computer with Dual HDMI, DP, and Type-C by Jason Connolly

My last desktop PC was over 10 years ago. I travel for work and only use laptops. I switched from Windows to Mac as iOS was more work compatible. When Apple announced the removal of Fortnite from its platform, I was faced with a huge dilemma. I didn't want to buy a desktop computer as it wasn't portable and owning two laptops didn't make sense. So I decided to get a mini PC. In addition to games, it turned out to be very useful for traveling. CPU. The AMD Ryzen 5 3550H is comparable to the Intel Core i5 in my MacBook Pro. Startup was fairly quick for a Windows OS, and launching multiple Office applications while browsing the web and listening to music didn't cause any problems. The mini pc came with 1 stick of 8GB DDR4-2400MHz RAM and I instinctively added another 8GB as 16GB is usually the optimal space for general purpose computers these days. This is easily done by loosening 8 screws (4 outside and 4 inside). It is important to ensure your DDR4 speed is up to date as uneven speed will run at the lowest speed and instability can crash your computer. 2. Graphics. Radeon Vega 8 Graphics is the integrated graphics processing unit (GPU) used with Ryzen 5. Best used with fast dual channel DDR4-2400 memory (hence my 8GB + 8GB). The quality of this GPU falls between Radeon Pro 450 and Radeon Pro 555. Traditionally, integrated GPUs aren't as powerful as traditional desktop graphics cards, but they're great for laptops and mini PCs because of their low power consumption (and therefore less heat generation). I had no problem playing games like League of Legends, Fortnite, and DC Universe Online with medium graphics. At the maximum graphics level, there were rare moments of lag in games, which completely disappeared with the addition of an additional 8 GB of DDR4 memory. After more than an hour of play, the mini PC did not heat up as compared to normal use. Storage. This GTR features 256GB of SSD storage (M.2 NVME 2280) with an additional slot for additional SSD storage if required (M.2 SATA3 2280). A 1TB Western Digital Blue hard drive (2.5" SATA3) is also included for storage. As a laptop user, I've spent ten years learning how to manage storage effectively by only having the applications and data I need on it of the internal hard drive and keep the rest on external storage or flash drives.A 256GB SSD is sufficient for the operating system and most applications unless you plan to install complex software that requires more memory. I'd consider removing the 1TB hard drive if there's a heat issue, but that's not the case yet.Design The Beelink GTR is encased in a beautiful metallic blue shell.The fingerprint sensor is on the top, while the front houses the power button, 2x USB 3.0 ports (blue), 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C port and microphone Additional air vents, 4 USB 3.0 ports, 2 HDMI ports, a display port (DP), 2 LAN ports and a DC power input. The base plate has non-slip rubber pads and pre-drilled mounting holes. This mini pc is well designed with special attention to design and temperature control. Portability. For me that was the most important aspect. I travel for work and often stay in hotels. I use my laptop for work and my iPhone for gaming (mostly Fortnite). With the disappearance of Fortnite from the iOS platform, my life was in turmoil until I discovered the mini PC. Traveling without a laptop required some adjustments. I can no longer use my computer at the airport or at Starbucks, which has easily replaced my phone. With an HDMI cable, wireless keyboard, and wireless mouse (the Nano transmitter proved better than Bluetooth), I was able to connect to most hotel TVs (either by plugging them into the additional HDMI ports on the TV, or by unplugging the HDMI from your cable). box and plugged in my mini PC instead). I have been able to use/capture monitors in hotel business centers for work on several occasions when the TV was old or blocked and HDMI connectivity was not possible. It all boiled down to the convenience of having a laptop and being able to PLAY FORTNITE on a BIG SCREEN TV while traveling. Needless to say, Fortnite won. A nice bonus to having a PC again was being able to revisit my old DC Universe Online account (apparently a lot has changed, but I didn't miss much).