Review: ASRock BeeBox N3000

by David Ross on 19 January 2016, 16:33

Tags: AsRock, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qacxwa

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Conclusion

The unit is admirably small, it makes absolutely no noise, it caters for memory and storage upgrades, and connectivity is excellent.

The ASRock BeeBox N3000 is an interesting take on the Intel NUC platform. Favouring silent operation over maximum speed, the compact mini PC employs a low-end Intel Celeron processor that is passively cooled but limited in terms of performance potential.

There are inevitable delays and you often wait a second or two for the system to catch up - this is particularly evident when carrying out multiple tasks at once - yet while you wouldn't want to be editing movies or playing games, performance is adequate for basic tasks such as document authoring or streaming video.

And while performance isn't the N3000's strong point, there's plenty to like elsewhere. The unit is admirably small, it makes absolutely no noise, it caters for memory and storage upgrades, and connectivity is excellent. If there's a catch, it's that the operating system isn't included and the addition of Windows 10 would increase cost of ownership to a not-so-comfortable £270. This is, it seems, an ideal device for Windows 10 with Bing.

Should you consider the BeeBox as is? Many HEXUS readers will deem the BeeBox N3000 too sluggish compared to their current/previous PC, but for your grandparents, or your kids, this could be an ideal computing device and it certainly has its place on the market.

The Good
  
The Bad
Makes no noise
Ultra-compact form factor
Easy memory/storage upgrades
Excellent connectivity options
Low power consumption
  
Can feel sluggish at times
OS not included in the price



ASRock BeeBox N3000

HEXUS.where2buy*

The ASRock BeeBox N3000 mini PC is available to purchase from Scan Computers.

HEXUS.right2reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.



*UK-based HEXUS community members are eligible for free delivery and priority customer service through the SCAN.care@HEXUS forum.


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Posted by cjs150 - Tue 19 Jan 2016 17:10
It is nice but an old i3 NUC using an after market fanless case will provide better performance and better thermals if you can pick it up cheap on second hand market

And yes there is a market for this as an HTPC but not at that price
Posted by LSG501 - Tue 19 Jan 2016 19:11
Could see it as a nice media pc and seeing as you'd need to install media center or plex or similar on windows anyways a nice supported ‘media focused’ linux distro could do surprisingly well on this.

Still think the price might be a tad too high for what you're getting though…when you consider that if you're using plex you'll likely need a server so you might as well look at chromecast or firetv's
Posted by nazt - Wed 20 Jan 2016 14:13
Small enough to hide behind your TV and it comes with a remote, two big ticks but cost a big fat X
Posted by whatif - Wed 20 Jan 2016 21:43
Nice review, but I find it a little expensive for what it is.

Been playing around with a i5 5257U in a fanless mini PC for a while now (similar to a NUC but a little bigger as it takes 3 storage drives - 2x msata SSD's plus a 2.5“ drive, as well as another 2x mini PCI-e slots, for a wifi and TV tuner in my case).
It only gets hot (on the top where it is finned) when kids use it to play some games.
Got it originally to mount on the back of my parents TV with a Logitech K830 (big screen, so easy to read and watch), but they prefer the normal PC set-up at a desk, hence they never used it. So I was a Indian giver and took it back for our 2nd TV.
I got a cheap foldable USB laptop cooler to turn on when it is used for intensive things like gaming and this works very well (cost less than US$5 on ebay - just stuck it on top to blow across the fins).
Otherwise it is a quick, silent machine and only cost a little over Australian $300 (about UK‎£150) for a barebones machine. The small company selling these is also very good and quick with customer service (pre and post sale - unlike some big companies like ASUS). Example - when I went to set it up at home, I upgrades the OS and forgot how to access the BIOS. They answered within a working day
OK, mine only came with a intel ”N“ wifi card and does not come with a remote sensor, but I have a old HP media center remote with USB receiver, and ”N" wifi is fast enough for the way it is used.
Posted by Mucka - Wed 20 Jan 2016 22:10
These little units are going to be popular, at the moment most of them are using celeron chips so hopefully they will start upping the spec on the next ones.