November 1, 2014 at 11:10Overview of the compact silent mini-computer LXBOX 3
In the modern world of hardware, a lot of things are decided by compactness and noiselessness. If the device is not visible and inaudible, but at the same time it is working properly, then the situation is close to ideal. Once again, I remind you that the division into generators and consumers of content is becoming more and more obvious. For consumers, the power of the device should be sufficient to view audio and video information. Intel began marketing ultra-compact solutions, but they are not alone. A new generation of fanless compact computer (that's what its manufacturer calls it) based on an AMD processor has got into my tenacious paws. The device is called LXBOX 3 and, as it should be an alternative option, runs on the free Linux Mint operating system. It is produced by the Russian manufacturer TONK together with the German company GSN.
Externally, the LXBOX 3 looks like a brutal industrial computer (IPC - inspires reliability).
The black aluminum radiator case hides the entire filling inside, at the same time cooling it. The machine can stand on the table, or it can be screwed to the back of the monitor or TV using the VESA mount (included).
Scope of delivery:
- Device
- 36 watt power supply
- remote control for controlling the media center
- HDMI cable for connecting to a TV or monitor
- VESA mount
- cool warranty in the form of a plastic card, which entitles you to a three-year warranty after registering the product on the site
- brief instruction manual with technical specifications and useful website addresses
At the front: logo, two USB 2.0 ports, IR receiver, headphone jack, microphone jack, power button
On the tail: two more USB 2.0 (no USB 3.0), VGA port, HDMI port, DisplayPort port, Wi-Fi antenna , two network ports (why two? Apparently, for work in heterogeneous environments), a socket for connecting a power supply and eSATA port.
Inside:
Processor: AMD G-T56N, 1.6 GHz dual-core processor (18 watts heat dissipation, Bobcat architecture, announced in January 2011, single-channel memory controller)
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD6310 integrated into the processor
RAM: 4 GB DDR3
Hard disk: 16 GB SSD (DOM installed) - initially about 6.5 GB is available to the user (considering all installed software, therefore, an external hard drive is required for it in any case)
Sound card: Realtek Azalia ALC662
The autopsy operation showed the following things:
Inside there are two boards: a black motherboard and a green expansion board, with which the Display Port and the second Ethernet port are implemented.
The microscopic APU and the larger chipset compared to it are covered by a single aluminum radiator, which, in turn, is glued to the top cover of a compact computer.
Samsung’s usual DDR3L memory module with a frequency of 1600 MHz is installed in a single slot.
The WiFi module without identification marks (according to the manufacturer’s specifications - 802.11n standard) is installed in the miniPCI-E slot with an adapter.
Of particular interest is the SATA drive - this is the DOM from Hyperdisk.
It uses the Silicon Motion SM2244LT controller (which only supports SATA2), the read / write speed of disks on such a controller is usually about 210/80 Mb / s, that is, at present it is not an outrageous indicator, but it is quite able to provide average user tasks.
The miracle of technology weighs a little - only 700 grams.
As mentioned above, Linux Mint is installed on the LXBOX. After switching on, the MATE shell starts automatically and the default user with the password 111111 logs in automatically (as indicated in the manual). Immediately after loading the desktop, a huge green light comes on in the center of the screen - this is a link to the electronic version of the user guide included in the package - the same 4 pages and nothing specific about the Linux system.
What to use:
For audio-video: Audacious, Audacity, Avidemux, Brasero, Cheese, EasyTAG, GNOME ALSA Mixer, GNOME Mplayer, Handbrake, Minitube, OpenShot VideoEditor, RecordMyDesktop, SMPlayer, SMPlayer YouTubeBrowser, XBMC Media Player, stock video player Pitivi, VLC media player.
For working with graphics: Blender, Darktable, Dia, DjView4, gscan2pdf, gThumb, Image Viewer, Inkscape, LibreCAD, Pinta, Scribus, Shotwell, XSane Image Scanning, GIMP
Games: Swell Foop, Quadruple, Klotsky, Mahjong, Aysleriot Solitaire, Solitaire Free cell, Robots, Minesweeper, Sudoku, Tali, Tetravex, Carcass light, Colored lines, Worm, Four-in-a-row, Chess, Yagno
Internet: Citrix receiver, GNOME PPP (program for modem connection? Apparently, the manufacturer forgot to cut it out of its assembly), GNOME PPPon, Linphone, LinuxDC ++, Midori, Opera, ponoff, Remmina, Skype, Transmission, VMWare View Client, vpnpptp, Xchat IRC, Chromium, Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird.
Educational programs: Klavaro
Office programs: FBReader and the full LibreOffice package
Everything else applies to the Standard, System, and Administration folders.
A large set of software is certainly pleasant, but some programs are clearly duplicated, for example, several players and browsers.
Of course, XBMC is installed on the device. Where without him, beloved. In order to get into it, you need to do a non-trivial procedure. Log out first, then select an XBMC session, then enter the user name user, then the password, and only then get into the shell.
Talking about the advantages of the shell itself is probably not worth it, all lovers of free software are well aware of its capabilities.
In addition to XBMC and MATE, LXBOX 3 has several other shells, the user can download any of them.
What and how to test ?!
Honestly, I absolutely did not want to roll Windows, and there was no need.
Therefore, I evaluated the performance, so to speak, “by eye”. It was important for me: comfortable work with large (really large) Excel spreadsheets, playback of BDRemux video files and the ability to play Assassin`s Creed IV: Black Flag.
For those who thought I was joking about games: Steam’s home broadcast mode allows you to do this. Of course, this is not about processing graphics on the device, but about comfortable playback of the Internet broadcast and an acceptable response when managing.
As a result: a table of 49659 rows and 450 columns is processed and opened very slowly, which indicates the need to choose a different device for such non-child tasks. However, hardly anyone can consider LXBOX as the main device for serious office tasks, and most importantly, for advanced Excel users, in any case, its analogue in the form of LibreOffice Calc is not suitable due to the lack of compatibility with pivot tables.
Steam was installed after dancing with a tambourine, with settings aimed at optimizing the broadcast speed, the game started and you could even play: the reaction to mouse movements came with a very small lag, everything else was fine.
Video playback leaves a double impression. The LXBOX 3 plays the BDRemux 1080p over WiFi quite hard. The video noticeably slowed down. The BDRip 720p plays without any difficulty.
I talked with manufacturers regarding the braking of video and the collective mind suggested the following solution:
1 You should definitely use a player that supports hardware decoding: for example, the pre-installed XBMC shell (I worked with it).
p.2, you should carefully consider your Wi-Fi network (I used the ASUS RT-AC66U router and there were no bandwidth problems on any other device in my network)
p.3 If you still cannot connect via WiFi, connect via Ethernet - and all problems will disappear.
The final impressions of LXBOX 3 are quite mixed: I adequately understand that this compact computer with passive cooling and a free operating system is quite suitable for home use and working with simple tasks. For example, as a student’s workplace in a small apartment, it will be much more practical than even a laptop, which occupies almost the entire table, makes noise, heats up and becomes clogged. If you mount the LXBOX on a monitor, the entire table is free, the wireless keyboard and mouse are easy to clean. And Linux will give freedom from viruses and ample opportunities for experimenting with the OS.
On the other hand, the small volume of the storage system and the inability to play high-quality 1080p video do not allow us to talk about it as an ideal home media player for advanced lovers of high-quality pictures.
The retail price for the device is 13,470 rubles, which cannot be called a super offer, most likely most habrayuzers already have a more powerful configuration in their heads, albeit with fans (I am silent about software, it is free and easy to install). LXBOX in the end seems like a niche product designed for users who understand very well why they need just that - a compact, quiet, medium-power Linux computer. For those who attach more importance to security and freedom from viruses than to games and comfortable working at Microsoft Office and who can spend money on an unusual form factor of a “compact computer”.
Externally, the LXBOX 3 looks like a brutal industrial computer (IPC - inspires reliability).
The black aluminum radiator case hides the entire filling inside, at the same time cooling it. The machine can stand on the table, or it can be screwed to the back of the monitor or TV using the VESA mount (included).
Scope of delivery:
- Device
- 36 watt power supply
- remote control for controlling the media center
- HDMI cable for connecting to a TV or monitor
- VESA mount
- cool warranty in the form of a plastic card, which entitles you to a three-year warranty after registering the product on the site
- brief instruction manual with technical specifications and useful website addresses
At the front: logo, two USB 2.0 ports, IR receiver, headphone jack, microphone jack, power button
On the tail: two more USB 2.0 (no USB 3.0), VGA port, HDMI port, DisplayPort port, Wi-Fi antenna , two network ports (why two? Apparently, for work in heterogeneous environments), a socket for connecting a power supply and eSATA port.
Inside:
Processor: AMD G-T56N, 1.6 GHz dual-core processor (18 watts heat dissipation, Bobcat architecture, announced in January 2011, single-channel memory controller)
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD6310 integrated into the processor
RAM: 4 GB DDR3
Hard disk: 16 GB SSD (DOM installed) - initially about 6.5 GB is available to the user (considering all installed software, therefore, an external hard drive is required for it in any case)
Sound card: Realtek Azalia ALC662
The autopsy operation showed the following things:
Inside there are two boards: a black motherboard and a green expansion board, with which the Display Port and the second Ethernet port are implemented.
The microscopic APU and the larger chipset compared to it are covered by a single aluminum radiator, which, in turn, is glued to the top cover of a compact computer.
Samsung’s usual DDR3L memory module with a frequency of 1600 MHz is installed in a single slot.
The WiFi module without identification marks (according to the manufacturer’s specifications - 802.11n standard) is installed in the miniPCI-E slot with an adapter.
Of particular interest is the SATA drive - this is the DOM from Hyperdisk.
It uses the Silicon Motion SM2244LT controller (which only supports SATA2), the read / write speed of disks on such a controller is usually about 210/80 Mb / s, that is, at present it is not an outrageous indicator, but it is quite able to provide average user tasks.
The miracle of technology weighs a little - only 700 grams.
As mentioned above, Linux Mint is installed on the LXBOX. After switching on, the MATE shell starts automatically and the default user with the password 111111 logs in automatically (as indicated in the manual). Immediately after loading the desktop, a huge green light comes on in the center of the screen - this is a link to the electronic version of the user guide included in the package - the same 4 pages and nothing specific about the Linux system.
What to use:
For audio-video: Audacious, Audacity, Avidemux, Brasero, Cheese, EasyTAG, GNOME ALSA Mixer, GNOME Mplayer, Handbrake, Minitube, OpenShot VideoEditor, RecordMyDesktop, SMPlayer, SMPlayer YouTubeBrowser, XBMC Media Player, stock video player Pitivi, VLC media player.
For working with graphics: Blender, Darktable, Dia, DjView4, gscan2pdf, gThumb, Image Viewer, Inkscape, LibreCAD, Pinta, Scribus, Shotwell, XSane Image Scanning, GIMP
Games: Swell Foop, Quadruple, Klotsky, Mahjong, Aysleriot Solitaire, Solitaire Free cell, Robots, Minesweeper, Sudoku, Tali, Tetravex, Carcass light, Colored lines, Worm, Four-in-a-row, Chess, Yagno
Internet: Citrix receiver, GNOME PPP (program for modem connection? Apparently, the manufacturer forgot to cut it out of its assembly), GNOME PPPon, Linphone, LinuxDC ++, Midori, Opera, ponoff, Remmina, Skype, Transmission, VMWare View Client, vpnpptp, Xchat IRC, Chromium, Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird.
Educational programs: Klavaro
Office programs: FBReader and the full LibreOffice package
Everything else applies to the Standard, System, and Administration folders.
A large set of software is certainly pleasant, but some programs are clearly duplicated, for example, several players and browsers.
Of course, XBMC is installed on the device. Where without him, beloved. In order to get into it, you need to do a non-trivial procedure. Log out first, then select an XBMC session, then enter the user name user, then the password, and only then get into the shell.
Talking about the advantages of the shell itself is probably not worth it, all lovers of free software are well aware of its capabilities.
In addition to XBMC and MATE, LXBOX 3 has several other shells, the user can download any of them.
What and how to test ?!
Honestly, I absolutely did not want to roll Windows, and there was no need.
Therefore, I evaluated the performance, so to speak, “by eye”. It was important for me: comfortable work with large (really large) Excel spreadsheets, playback of BDRemux video files and the ability to play Assassin`s Creed IV: Black Flag.
For those who thought I was joking about games: Steam’s home broadcast mode allows you to do this. Of course, this is not about processing graphics on the device, but about comfortable playback of the Internet broadcast and an acceptable response when managing.
As a result: a table of 49659 rows and 450 columns is processed and opened very slowly, which indicates the need to choose a different device for such non-child tasks. However, hardly anyone can consider LXBOX as the main device for serious office tasks, and most importantly, for advanced Excel users, in any case, its analogue in the form of LibreOffice Calc is not suitable due to the lack of compatibility with pivot tables.
Steam was installed after dancing with a tambourine, with settings aimed at optimizing the broadcast speed, the game started and you could even play: the reaction to mouse movements came with a very small lag, everything else was fine.
Video playback leaves a double impression. The LXBOX 3 plays the BDRemux 1080p over WiFi quite hard. The video noticeably slowed down. The BDRip 720p plays without any difficulty.
I talked with manufacturers regarding the braking of video and the collective mind suggested the following solution:
1 You should definitely use a player that supports hardware decoding: for example, the pre-installed XBMC shell (I worked with it).
p.2, you should carefully consider your Wi-Fi network (I used the ASUS RT-AC66U router and there were no bandwidth problems on any other device in my network)
p.3 If you still cannot connect via WiFi, connect via Ethernet - and all problems will disappear.
The final impressions of LXBOX 3 are quite mixed: I adequately understand that this compact computer with passive cooling and a free operating system is quite suitable for home use and working with simple tasks. For example, as a student’s workplace in a small apartment, it will be much more practical than even a laptop, which occupies almost the entire table, makes noise, heats up and becomes clogged. If you mount the LXBOX on a monitor, the entire table is free, the wireless keyboard and mouse are easy to clean. And Linux will give freedom from viruses and ample opportunities for experimenting with the OS.
On the other hand, the small volume of the storage system and the inability to play high-quality 1080p video do not allow us to talk about it as an ideal home media player for advanced lovers of high-quality pictures.
The retail price for the device is 13,470 rubles, which cannot be called a super offer, most likely most habrayuzers already have a more powerful configuration in their heads, albeit with fans (I am silent about software, it is free and easy to install). LXBOX in the end seems like a niche product designed for users who understand very well why they need just that - a compact, quiet, medium-power Linux computer. For those who attach more importance to security and freedom from viruses than to games and comfortable working at Microsoft Office and who can spend money on an unusual form factor of a “compact computer”.