The Taiwanese ASUS presents new line of mini PCs at CES 2018. These computers have one thing in common: you can place them wherever you want. In addition, you have something for everyone: from a model with ChromeOS to a model that copies the idea of Raspberry Pi.
ASUS is one of the veterans of the sector and knows well the tastes of users. Already in his day he was ahead of the competition and launched the netbooks with the surname Eee PC, those small portable computers that marked an era; It was cheap equipment that you could take with you everywhere. The 4 models that we are going to present you are not portable, but by connecting them to an external screen, you can make them work wherever you want. It's about the ASUS Chromebox 3, ASUS PB40, ASUS PN40 and ASUS Tinker Board S. But let's see more details of all of them:
ASUS Chromebox 3: new desktop with ChromeOS as the protagonist
ChromeOS is being one of the participants in this edition of CES in Las Vegas. It seems that companies are betting on releasing a model with this operating system from Google and ASUS could not be less. The ASUS Chromebox 3 It is the next model that the company will launch on the market.
This equipment, although not many details have been revealed, it is very possible that it is intended for education or for companies. What we can tell you is that will feature the eighth generation of Intel processors and that it will have USB-C ports. In addition, it appears that it will also have a dual-band ac WiFi connection and a Gigabit Ethernet port. This will make the ASUS Chromebox 3 can play 4K content on streaming. Pricing has yet to be revealed, nor is its release date.
ASUS Tinker Board S: picking up the baton to Raspberry Pi
Development boards have been in vogue for some time. ASUS already launched its own model last season, the ASUS Tinker Board. And this year he updates it with a quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM and an internal storage space of 16 GB.
Also, this development board has WiFi connections, a Gigabit Ethernet port and Bluetooth. In addition, to be able to connect with external screens you will have available a HDMI outputAs well as to connect different peripherals it offers two USB ports. In this case, the price has not been revealed either, but it will surely follow its predecessor that cost $ 60.
ASUS PN40 - Ideal as a home multimedia center
Another of the models that the Taiwanese has shown at CES 2018 is the mini PC ASUS PB40. This model, with a fairly small size very much in the line of an external hard drive or a multimedia center, wants to be just that: the entertainment center in your home.
This mini computer, with only 700 grams of weight, has the latest generation of Intel Premium Silver and Intel Celeron processors. Also, on the front you will have several connection ports such as one USB-C port, USB-A ports, headphone audio jack, while on the back you will have the connections to connect it to a monitor or television.
ASUS PB40: the most powerful mini PC in the new range
It is also a mini PC like the previous models, but perhaps with a form factor that will not speed things up like its PN40 brother. East ASUS PB40 is the most powerful of them all: It will also have an Intel Premium Silver and Intel Celeron processor. The latter will offer quieter solutions since they will not have fans inside.
Meanwhile, in the connection part, this mini computer will offer you up to 6 USB-C ports —Almost nothing—, as well as an ultra-flexible port that will support connections such as VGA, COM, HDMI and DisplayPort. Also, this model is modular and can optionally integrate optical media. As you may have noticed, this model is very focused on business. As with the previous models, the company has not given details about the price it will start from or when we can get it in the market.