MINIX NEO Z83-4 Fanless Mini PC Review: Affordable, Dead-Silent Media Streaming

The MINIX Neo Z83-4 is also a good candidate for thin-client applications, or for remote controlling other systems, or even streaming games from another PC using Steam In-Home Streaming.


Based on our experience with the Intel Compute Stick, which features similar low-power hardware, we weren't expecting any issues. But we can report that the MINIX Neo Z83-4 worked perfectly using Windows' built-in Remote Desktop tool and other remote support tools like TeamViewer 12. Accessing a higher-end system remotely from the MINIX Neo Z83-4 shouldn't be a problem at all.  In this scenario pictured above, the MINIX Neo Z83-4 is connected to a 4K display and remotely connected to another PC, which is connected to a 1440p display. This setup worked perfectly, without issues.

We also tested the MINIX Neo Z83-4 with Steam’s in-home streaming with decent results. At resolutions up to 1080P, the MINIX Neo Z83-4 had no trouble streaming games to an HDTV, while it was roughly 15-feet away from a Netgear Nighthawk X6 router, connected wirelessly via 802.11ac.  Using a wired connection improved the consistency and input lag noticeably, however. The MINIX Neo Z83-4 may not have the horsepower to natively run today's latest games, but it can stream them from a more-powerful system via via Steam's in-home streaming, if you're so inclined.


We also have some power consumption numbers to share. We monitored power consumption in a variety of scenarios and saw the MINIX Neo Z83-4 use between 2 and 6 watts of power. The low-power hardware in this device virtually sips electricity -- 6W under load is a very low number.

Normally at this stage of a system review we'd also talk about noise, but the MINIX Neo Z83-4 has no moving parts whatsoever and is completely silent, which is another huge plus for those looking for a quiet HTPC or media streamer.