A few weeks ago Intel announced the end of the Pentium and Celeron processors, being replaced by a new name. Specifically, the company announced the Intel N-Series focused on the laptop segment. Now we have seen the first Mini P C based on these new processors, specifically the Intel N95 and we are going to see if this computer is worth it.
Currently, there is little performance information on these new processors, but there is some. Note that this range of processors is focused on laptops and compact systems, such as Mini PCs. Although they are not comparable in performance to the Intel Core, they can be an interesting solution for many users.
New generation of efficient compact computers
Let’s, first of all, see what these new processors offer us. This Intel N95 is a 4-core, 4-thread processor that can reach a Boost frequency of 3.4 GHz. Unfortunately, the base frequency is not detailed in the spec sheet. It is indicated that it makes use of an Intel UHD graphics working at 1.2 GHz.
Something interesting is that it supports up to 16 GB of DDR4/DDR5 RAM in Single Channel configuration, so they only support one RAM module. This CPU has something good and it is that it has a TDP of only 15 W.
As we can see, this processor has some important deficiencies in terms of RAM memory. It does not support Dual Channel configurations, which allow for better performance. Although it is not very important that it does not support more than 16 GB of RAM, it is important to keep it in mind.
The first Mini PC on the market that we have found that uses one of these new processors is the NiPoGi GK3PLUS-16512-N95. We are talking about a fairly important brand in the segment of these compact computers that offers many different solutions.
This system stands out for having 16 GB of DDR4 RAM (maximum supported by the CPU) and a 512 GB M.2 SSD . It has support for WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2, as well as two USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 ports. In addition, this small computer has Windows 11 Pro natively installed.
Regarding the price, as you can see below, it is priced at 400 euros, which is quite high. We are talking about a “basic” processor for office automation, studying, browsing or multimedia, we could even create a console emulator.
How good is this processor?
There are few performance or benchmark data for this Intel N95 processor. There is some leak that equates it with the AMD Ryzen 1400/1500 processors, which have 4 cores and 8 threads, as well as higher maximum working frequencies. It is not a bad fact, far from it, it is impressive.
Obviously, with this processor (and this Mini PC) we will not be able to play, since it is not designed for it. It could be accompanied by a discrete graphic on some systems with 9 PCIe 3.0 lanes, but it seems unlikely. It would, in the end, make a processor-based system more expensive for “simple” and everyday tasks.
There is no such thing as a good or bad processor, there are different solutions depending on the user’s needs. If what we want is a system to play, we will need an Intel Core (or AMD Ryzen, depending on taste) and a dedicated graphics card.
