MSI Reveals Mini PCs Based on Intel’s “Gemini Lake” SoCs

An MSI Mini-PC based on Gemini Lake.

Desktop PCs can take up a lot of space, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. However, in recent years, several solutions have appeared that allow users to enjoy the convenience of a desktop PC without having to settle for a laptop. Mini PCs are not the most popular in the world. However, they can definitely get the job done if you’re looking for an office/casual setup. MSI has just revealed its new lineup of mini-PCs, which include Intel’s Gemini Lake SoCs. The Cubi N 8 GL line comes with Celeron J4005 and Pentium Silver J500 chips, both of which can get the job done without issues.

The feature set.

A slight disappointment is that the Cubi N 8 GL only comes with a single DDR4 SO-DIMM slot. The slot can accommodate up to 8GB of RAM, which is not bad nowadays, but Gemini Lake does provide dual-channel memory support. Considering the small form factor, though, a sacrifice had to be made. When it comes to storage, you’ll get an M.2-2280 slot with SATA 6 Gbps and PCIe 2.0 x2 wiring. There’s also a version based on a 2.5-inch drive bay with SATA 6 Gbps available, by the way. Another noteworthy addition is the Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 9461 WLAN card. This solution provides 802.11ac (up to 433 Mbps), as well as Bluetooth 5.0.

Last but not least, MSI also introduced four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 2.0, D-Sub display outputs, and Gigabit Ethernet. No word on pricing at the time of writing.