Review on Beelink SEI8 Desktop Mini PC: Intel 8th i5-8259U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, 4K Graphics by Robert Lee

I fell in love with the mini pc after I bought it for my kid's school work. When I needed a more powerful one for myself, video processing and some gaming, I still preferred a mini PC for its small size, low power consumption and easy movement like a laptop. After some research, I found that the i5-8000U series probably offers the best value for money at the moment due to the global chip shortage that has pushed the price up a lot. This Beelink computer is a little beast that meets all my needs and more. It comes preinstalled with Windows 10 Pro activated. The first boot of the system was quick and I was at the Windows Welcome screen in about 30 seconds. After answering the usual question about setting up a new machine, I was in a clean Windows interface within minutes. Yes, clean! other computers had no other common malware. The next step for me was to find out if they are actually extensible. After loosening the four screws on the back, the first thing I noticed were two memory slots (see attached pictures). What a pleasant surprise for me! Just one 16GB memory module, leaving the other slot open (I was expecting 2 x 8GB). So if I need to upgrade the storage to 32GB, I only need one 16GB add-on module instead of two. Opposite the storage is an M.2 SSD covered by a long metal heatsink that's also removable and upgradeable. Removing the SSD revealed an Intel AX200NGW M.2 card (see image), a Wi-Fi6 card known for its stable 2.4 Gbps speed. This leaves plenty of room for future upgrades when the wifi6e standard really becomes the norm. The manufacturer of the memory and SSD has not been positively identified, but the performance of both has been confirmed. A cable for installing a 2.5-inch hard drive was also included. I had a 2TB hard drive installed as main storage. With this powerful machine, I converted my old DVD and Blu-ray collections into a digital library on this 2TB disc. Also included is a small mount that allows me to hang my car behind the monitor via a VESA mount. I couldn't find the "Auto-On" option in the bios, so I have to reach for the back cover every time I turn on the computer. A minor inconvenience, but overall a great, powerful mini PC with a future.