At last, what seems to be a well priced Windows Mini PC with full [email protected] output and support for 10 bit and VP9 video plus HDR (not direct through Kodi just yet though).
It's certainly a step up from the Cherry Trail boxes with room for some expansion,so would seem equally at home as a general use Windows PC and Media Player/TV box.
Apollo Lake J3455 (1.5-2.3Ghz), Intel® HD Graphics 500 4G RAM LPDDR3 (1600MHz) 64GB Msata SSD SATA 3 internal port (1Tb HDD, 256Gb SSD (I believe)) Windows 10 Home Gigabit Ethernet Dual Band WiFi with AC support (2 antennas) Wake-On-Lan support (Soft Off state (S5)) HDMI 2.0 VGA Bluetooth 4.2 2 x USB 3.0 2 x USB 2.0 MicroSD card slot MIC/Audio jack port 12v/3a AC
There is an option for a Vesa mount for an extra £4 or so.
An update on the IR. Although the IR is present, at the moment it won't work with the Harmony but apparently an update is coming to resolve this.
Latest comments (80)
reddit
25 Aug 17#80
Vorke have now released an official remote control for the box for around £8
iclarke2004
7 Aug 17#78
Anyone who has one of there can you tell me how it performs
LonDealHunter to iclarke2004
15 Aug 17#79
Yes I received mine. Video through hdmi to my TV isn't as good as when I connect laptop to TV to play same content. Not sure if that's something I can change settings off but all attempts so far have failed me. That said it's just a tiny tiny bit jerky. Noise of the fan is very annoying and it seems to kick off the moment I do anything, like playing a YouTube video. Ordering wasn't an enjoyable experience - lots of miscommunication.
reddit
31 Jul 17#77
Yes I have mine and it's a new as it can be.
I know that many of the products go through a quick test before shipping but never to the point where I have noticed any use.
Customs do also often open a package to validate against the declared value, so they may not treat the contents as delicately.
Vorke also have a contact option for support, although first point of contact should be the supplier.
anyone receive this yet? mine looked previously used and i am getting no display on my screen. :disappointed: wonder what sort of hassle its going to be to get a replacement...
MSTRBKR
24 Jul 17#75
Good plan with the chat message. In the end I didn't have to as they just shipped it. I have a feeling my earlier email gave them a nudge. Don't know how it's possible, but maybe they managed to forget to ship it.
reddit
24 Jul 17#74
Their site seems to have a 24/7 live chat option, so that would surely get you some kind of reply.
No response from them when I asked what was going on. I think it's time to cancel and buy something from a UK retailer.
reddit
23 Jul 17#72
What did GB have to say when you asked them?
reddit
23 Jul 17#71
Mine arrived at Bristol RDC on Thursday, so should be here tomorrow courtesy of Royal Fail.
MSTRBKR
23 Jul 17#70
My order is still "processing" after 11 days. I'm quite close to calling my bank and having the payment reversed.
reddit
20 Jul 17#69
The easy way to resolve changing the inbuilt SSD is to use an imaging program such as Macrium Backup Free that will backup the whole machine and then restore it from a bootable USB stick to the new one.
Adding a second 2.5" SSD will not affect anything.
You can of course choose the option to re-install Windows from scratch, in which you will also need the drivers, which are available on the Vorke site, although I have extracted them in their original format and made them more accessible without having to extract lots of zip files.
If you want them then I've uploaded them to the cloud.
These boxes also tend to have the Windows activation key hard coded in hardware, so you don't need to have to remember the key for a manual installation.
MSTRBKR
20 Jul 17#68
Yes, you are changing the SSD, so you need to reinstall. But you will have a windows 10 software key printed on the PC that you can use to validate the new installation.
reddit
19 Jul 17#66
You just unplug the SSD from the board and replace.
You can also expand the storage from the SATA III port.
aarontag to reddit
20 Jul 17#67
Thanks for the reply. Does either of those options effect windows? Would I have to reinstall ect
CLEPAU676
19 Jul 17#65
Looks good
aarontag
19 Jul 17#64
Could someone explain to a novice how I can upgrade the hard drive on one of these please?
MSTRBKR
19 Jul 17#63
I went with DHL 5-7 days I believe.
reddit
19 Jul 17#62
Mine has just left the airport in China, so will hopefully be here on Friday.
You should have received a tracking number if you went for the appropriate service,starting with CUE.
MSTRBKR
19 Jul 17#61
Anyone else had a shipping notification, or even received one yet? I ordered a week ago (12th).
allen46
14 Jul 17#60
Thanks was waiting on part2 very detailed review. I hope I can get Windows running on the M.2 without any problems.
Would this be suitable as a main PC Used just for browsing and emails speed would be our main concern
morrig
10 Jul 17#56
Nice to see 2 of each usb 2 and 3,my gigabyte 1900 has only one of each a bit of a fiddle at times. Great price for the all in price and would deffo get this if needed one. Got to love its " Humanity Design Button" what would one do without one.
reddit
10 Jul 17#55
This partial review, with teardown and some performance testing stats may be of interest then.
The N4200 is a faster SOC although the difference is not that great.
It does have dual band WiFi, although no AC support and may well have just a single antenna too, so worth checking that.
Could potentially be limited with the 32Gb though as I don't think (although not 100% sure) that it is SSD, just eMMC, which could take a performance hit.
reddit
10 Jul 17#53
It will handle iTunes with ease.
allen46
10 Jul 17#52
The main reason I went for the mele is for the fanless design okay it might have a bit of thermal throttling under high loads but will hold up as a htpc nicely. I like the specs on this vorke but would really like a review on it as the mini PC's with small fan can make a high pitched buzz.
Phnarr
10 Jul 17#51
This Vorke V1 Plus looks good to me.
But, umming and aahing between it and what seems to be a slightly higher spec'd options in the Voyo VMac V1:
However, the Voyo VMac V1 doesn't have onboard wifi(!), so would presumably have to use up one of the USB ports with a dongle.
Tough call
radders112
10 Jul 17#50
How would this processor hold up for itunes as I need something to import my photos and back up my iphone?
reddit
10 Jul 17#49
You will always her tales of woe and great service from any Chinese based supplier.
Just make sure that you pay the very small amount for shipping insurance and use Paypal to cover all the bases should anything ever get lost in transit.
reddit
10 Jul 17#48
Not bad at all if you can get it for £122.
It has the N3450, which is slightly slower but not by any margin that I think anybody would notice.
TDP is 6w against 10w, so only 12v/2a ac adapter required, which makes it more energy efficient.
3 x USB 3.0 ports, one of which is USB C.
M2 SSD too, so perhaps better performance than the MSATA in the Vorke.
The only real disadvantages are the lack of an internal port for HDD/SSD expansion and BT 4.0 instead of 4.1.
Good spot as a possible alternative though.
iwantsomecheapstuff
10 Jul 17#47
never bought from geekbuying, are they any good? Trustpilot seems to rate them highly but hotukdeals forums seems to have other thoughts
q44q
10 Jul 17#46
Thanks
allen46
10 Jul 17#45
I ordered this the other day for £122 it's showing £150 now but drops to around £122 every few days.
Fanless Windows 10 Mini PC Desktop MeLE PCG03 Apo 4GB 32GB Intel Apollo Lake Celeron N3450 4K HDMI VGA USB3.0 M.2 SSD LAN WiFi m.aliexpress.com/s/i…jZP (from AliExpress Android)
reddit
10 Jul 17#44
Yes it can do both.
aarontag
10 Jul 17#39
Apologies if the answer is obvious-
Would this be a good computer for watching go pro clips and downloaded movies?
captainbeaky to aarontag
10 Jul 17#42
Ideal.Watch on a monitor, large screen TV or stream to your phone or tablet.
aarontag to captainbeaky
10 Jul 17#43
Thanks, I appreciate your help! Think I'll buy one then
dfunked
10 Jul 17#41
Very tempted to get one of these to replace a couple of different boxes in my sitting room (RPi3 running rasplex, steam link) Should be great for emulators too.
allen46
10 Jul 17#40
I don't have the item yet. Looking at feedback seems to be around 20 days for delivery. Also ordered a 256gb M2 will update you with any questions you may have when I receive the item.
reddit
10 Jul 17#38
It's worth looking at any disk performance test results for the M2 because whilst having a far greater theoretical limit, especially though PCI-e that can yield greater results, the actual implementation can result in only fractional advantage.
captainbeaky
10 Jul 17#37
The barebones Intel NUC6CAYH has the same chipset & is another (more expensive) option to consider. It's a £130 without ram, hdd or os but would make a better PC in the longer term. Might be worth considering if you have a spare ssd & a copy of Windows lying around
I been watching this for last month trying to decide. One of the best things about it for me against similar units inc. one by Op is the M2 SSD. Blistering fast boot times using 2-3k per sec read speeds. No need for slower SSD really as storage can be put on external fileserver/flash stick/USB HDD.
I was just waiting to read confirmation that HD Audio pass through works fine. The Intel NUC's have had lot of trouble due to the way the video out is implemented on Apollo chips - DVI is converted to HDMI port.
Can you verify if this is working fine ?
bouttime2
10 Jul 17#31
Why are the prices in USD? Or am I missing something obvious?
captainbeaky to bouttime2
10 Jul 17#35
Top right of the screen you can select language, currency etc
voted hot
mgk
10 Jul 17#33
Comment about Sky Go? Is this a reference to using these services as if they are through windows?
If so how is the viewing experience ...bit clunky with windows menus etc??
What do you still use as a remote?
reddit
10 Jul 17#34
You may have a point there.
I did see one tear down review stating that it was a window for an IR receiver but without specifying if one was installed.
With it not coming with a remote and bundle packages being offered that include ones that use an external dongle, the likely expectation would be that it is not built in.
But doing some more digging, it may well be that it is a receiver that conforms to Microsoft Consumer Infrared usage models (RC-6), so it is quite possible that devices such as the harmony may work by detecting the IR receiver.
gordonjwilson
10 Jul 17#32
Whats the orange/red shape on front of the box next to the sd card slot? As in reviews of the v1 (non plus) it looks the same physically and the reviews all state it has inbuilt ir receiver
Does it support h.265? As in the specs it just lists h.264. Also does it have a built in ir receiver? As looks like one in the pics, but isnt listed in the specs.
HSunny
10 Jul 17#25
Agreed, also SSD Vs eMMC makes this a better option in all honesty.
reddit
10 Jul 17#26
The GPU will muller high bitrate material.
I can run 120Mbps 4k files from a Cherry Trail 8350, so the improved GPU on this will handle it with ease.
reddit
10 Jul 17#23
I've not come across any such card that would hang off the SATA port myself and if there was one I don't know if it would support concurrent multi port access.
Would you really be using more than one port at a time for data flow though?
If you do then you would likely have to think in terms of a machine that has a PCI card expansion capability.
reddit
10 Jul 17#24
It should be. A wired ethernet connection will always be better but if you have WiFi ac on your router then the dual antennas should give a very decent performance.
Reebok.Ron
10 Jul 17#21
I was really thinking along the lines of some sort of plug in card because a hub only has one USB3 port on the PC for all the extra data to flow through so it can't be as good as some sort of USB expansion card with dedicated USB ports (I think!). Is there any sort of USB expansion card that could plug into this (maybe off the SATA 3 or ethernet connections)?
Micking
10 Jul 17#22
This has video plus+? I'm in!!
reddit
10 Jul 17#19
What you choose can depend on your usage and of course, price.
The Hibox is very good and have been using one for 6 months.
The Apollo Lake does take things to the next level from Cherry Trail but naturally, more expensive.
androo
10 Jul 17#20
Yes I would hope it would be an upgrade as it's a generation newer. However neither is a gaming CPU. You would be better off waiting for the next generation - 'Coffee Lake' to get a more noticeable performance upgrade.
Can anyone please tell me if I can use this thing for streaming 4k videos using Plex Media Server?
reddit
10 Jul 17#15
Yes it probably would work
With a 12v/3a supply it would probably work with a hub.
Yes the J3455 does support HEVC, both at 8 and 10 bit.
moob
10 Jul 17#16
I've got a Brix running a Celeron J1900 - would this be a signficant upgrade, as I often struggle to get this running some 1080p at high frame rates?
Darkraiser
10 Jul 17#13
You could use a USB hub. Fairly quick and easy fix.
allen46
10 Jul 17#14
Yes wrong move you will no doubt pay customs on it now with DHL. Using the free post option usually has a very high rate of no customs charges on mobile phones anyway not to sure about other items.
me_lee
10 Jul 17#11
Heat just for letting me know such devices exist.
I'm not upgrading the HTPC yet but this has made me put it on the horizon...
LonDealHunter
10 Jul 17#12
Thanks for sharing! What is the customs situation with this? How much extra do we have to pay? I chose DHL as ordering option - wrong move?
reddit
10 Jul 17#9
That would be a bonus but sadly can't ever see it happening.
gw3gon
10 Jul 17#10
It should be illegal to sell any sort of Windows machine with any amount of RAM less than 8GB.
tarantulas
10 Jul 17#7
Oh, nice. Now all we need is for netflix to allow people using linux to view in 4K and these would make perfect x86 HTPCs.
allen46
10 Jul 17#8
Yes more than adequate for browsing and emails.
reddit
10 Jul 17#6
I had read the same earlier on this year but there are now reports that it is supported.
You won't get 4k streaming services with this - netflix requires a Kaby Lake CPU and either IGP or Geforce GTX10 series card.
Reebok.Ron
9 Jul 17#4
Would there be any way to expand the USB3 ports to at least 6 and preferably 8? Will it play high bit rate hevc (x265) codec videos?
cecilmcroberts
9 Jul 17#1
Good deal. Many people are overlooking this style of mini pc whenever they are about the only thing around that can cover all bases for on demand/streaming. The only devices I can think off that cover all off NowTv/SkyGo/Amazon Prime 4K/Youtube 4K/Netflix 4K/Kodi/Plex. Most exclude SkyGo or not have the NowTV and Amazon Prime combo. Never mind the cheap android boxes which will not allow Prime 4K, Youtube 4K or Netflix 4K (except for the Shield or MI box)
paulday564 to cecilmcroberts
9 Jul 17#3
Completely agree, not the same pc, but i bought a Justop G-PC mini pc for £90 off Amazon a couple of years ago and it's been perfect for me as someone who basically just uses it for web-browsing, plex media server and a bit of retro gaming. It's literally been switched on for 2 years and is still going strong. I assume from the specs this one will be even better. Good stuff.
reddit
9 Jul 17#2
A good point about the streaming services, which are often seriously limited in Android because of the DRM/Widevine support issues.
![VORKE V1 Plus Intel Apollo Lake J3455 [email protected] 4G RAM 64GB, SSD/HDD expandable, Windows 10 - £132.12 @ Geekbuying](/images/topics/185933_1.jpg)
![Fresh Breakfast Meat Box (Using code) @ Campbells Meat [Haggis / Lorne Sausage / Bacon / Black Pudding & More]](/images/topics/208684_1.jpg)
![[Xbox One] Q. u. b. e: Director's Cut on Deals with Gold](/images/topics/208716_1.jpg)
Opening post
It's certainly a step up from the Cherry Trail boxes with room for some expansion,so would seem equally at home as a general use Windows PC and Media Player/TV box.
Apollo Lake J3455 (1.5-2.3Ghz), Intel® HD Graphics 500
4G RAM LPDDR3 (1600MHz)
64GB Msata SSD
SATA 3 internal port (1Tb HDD, 256Gb SSD (I believe))
Windows 10 Home
Gigabit Ethernet
Dual Band WiFi with AC support (2 antennas)
Wake-On-Lan support (Soft Off state (S5))
HDMI 2.0
VGA
Bluetooth 4.2
2 x USB 3.0
2 x USB 2.0
MicroSD card slot
MIC/Audio jack port
12v/3a AC
There is an option for a Vesa mount for an extra £4 or so.
An update on the IR. Although the IR is present, at the moment it won't work with the Harmony but apparently an update is coming to resolve this.
Latest comments (80)
I know that many of the products go through a quick test before shipping but never to the point where I have noticed any use.
Customs do also often open a package to validate against the declared value, so they may not treat the contents as delicately.
Vorke also have a contact option for support, although first point of contact should be the supplier.
Vorke
Geekbuying also have a thread regarding order problems here, which is likely to get a better quality of response than the normal CS routes.
Order Problems
wonder what sort of hassle its going to be to get a replacement...
Live Chat
Adding a second 2.5" SSD will not affect anything.
You can of course choose the option to re-install Windows from scratch, in which you will also need the drivers, which are available on the Vorke site, although I have extracted them in their original format and made them more accessible without having to extract lots of zip files.
If you want them then I've uploaded them to the cloud.
These boxes also tend to have the Windows activation key hard coded in hardware, so you don't need to have to remember the key for a manual installation.
You can also expand the storage from the SATA III port.
You should have received a tracking number if you went for the appropriate service,starting with CUE.
Review of MeLE PCG03 Apo
Thanks guys
Used just for browsing and emails
speed would be our main concern
Great price for the all in price and would deffo get this if needed one.
Got to love its " Humanity Design Button" what would one do without one.
Vorke V1 Plus partial review
It does have dual band WiFi, although no AC support and may well have just a single antenna too, so worth checking that.
Could potentially be limited with the 32Gb though as I don't think (although not 100% sure) that it is SSD, just eMMC, which could take a performance hit.
But, umming and aahing between it and what seems to be a slightly higher spec'd options in the Voyo VMac V1:
geekbuying.com/cat…tml
However, the Voyo VMac V1 doesn't have onboard wifi(!), so would presumably have to use up one of the USB ports with a dongle.
Tough call
Just make sure that you pay the very small amount for shipping insurance and use Paypal to cover all the bases should anything ever get lost in transit.
It has the N3450, which is slightly slower but not by any margin that I think anybody would notice.
TDP is 6w against 10w, so only 12v/2a ac adapter required, which makes it more energy efficient.
3 x USB 3.0 ports, one of which is USB C.
M2 SSD too, so perhaps better performance than the MSATA in the Vorke.
The only real disadvantages are the lack of an internal port for HDD/SSD expansion and BT 4.0 instead of 4.1.
Good spot as a possible alternative though.
Fanless Windows 10 Mini PC Desktop MeLE PCG03 Apo 4GB 32GB Intel Apollo Lake Celeron N3450 4K HDMI VGA USB3.0 M.2 SSD LAN WiFi
m.aliexpress.com/s/i…jZP
(from AliExpress Android)
Would this be a good computer for watching go pro clips and downloaded movies?
Should be great for emulators too.
ebuyer.com/767…ayh
I was just waiting to read confirmation that HD Audio pass through works fine. The Intel NUC's have had lot of trouble due to the way the video out is implemented on Apollo chips - DVI is converted to HDMI port.
Can you verify if this is working fine ?
voted hot
If so how is the viewing experience ...bit clunky with windows menus etc??
What do you still use as a remote?
I did see one tear down review stating that it was a window for an IR receiver but without specifying if one was installed.
With it not coming with a remote and bundle packages being offered that include ones that use an external dongle, the likely expectation would be that it is not built in.
But doing some more digging, it may well be that it is a receiver that conforms to Microsoft Consumer Infrared usage models (RC-6), so it is quite possible that devices such as the harmony may work by detecting the IR receiver.
cpubenchmark.net/cpu…GHz
No there is no inbuilt IR receiver, so you will need to utilise one of the USB ports for keyboard/mouse operation.
BIOS Tour
I can run 120Mbps 4k files from a Cherry Trail 8350, so the improved GPU on this will handle it with ease.
Would you really be using more than one port at a time for data flow though?
If you do then you would likely have to think in terms of a machine that has a PCI card expansion capability.
I'm in!!
The Hibox is very good and have been using one for 6 months.
The Apollo Lake does take things to the next level from Cherry Trail but naturally, more expensive.
m.geekbuying.com/ite…tml
With a 12v/3a supply it would probably work with a hub.
Yes the J3455 does support HEVC, both at 8 and 10 bit.
I'm not upgrading the HTPC yet but this has made me put it on the horizon...
Linky
Will it play high bit rate hevc (x265) codec videos?