As the year comes to a close I have found my computer of the year.
I was looking for the sweet spot for an inexpensive computer with the power to meet my modest but almost unreasonable expectations. So far, this MeLe PCG02 Pro has made me very happy.
My first test criteria is playing YouTube videos and that it does. Better than any other sub $200 mini PC computer I have. The MeLe plays hi-def 2160p@30 video without hardly losing a frame. I would have been happy with 1080p so to have this machine play these and far more is just plain wonderful. I also wanted and got the more recent version of Bluetooth. And though the fine print on the box it arrived in said BT 4.2 a check of the Windows 11 device manager confirmed it had the promised 5.2 version of Bluetooth. Super. The Bluetooth 5 iteration promises a significant boost in power, range and signal quality. I am very very happy to find the machine has the Intel AX201. Also WIFI 6. Super.
The Windows setup went fast and easy into Windows 11 and I almost feel bad that I am probably going to switch to my favorite Linux distro. But so far, out of the box, this has been a very pleasing experience with this computer. Plug it in and this machine just works. And works very very well. I think this computer has everything I wished. A decent 4 core processor; and this it has. At least 4 gig of RAM and this has a full 8. Enough to keep me more than happy. Again Super.
This machine runs hot to the touch at about 60 degrees Celsius. But it may not be a problem if the promised innovative space age conducting material this computer is encased in does its job. And it just might as I have not felt a material like this before. It is almost rubbery but not quite and plasticky but not really. I have hopes this may be even better than aluminum case. The CPU seems to run comfortably at 72 degrees Celsius under load and so far, NO throttling, even when I push it kinda hard at my normal long term semi-heavy daily use, ie, several tabs open and hi def videos playing all the time, and while downloading and copying files between drives. I am happy, happy and more happy every hour I have used this machine without discovering a flaw. And it is so small. Much smaller than my other mini PCs. Though not as small as the thumb drive size PCs that plug directly into an HDMI it is a great size that does not have the compromises that limit that type of computer. This has easy access to TWO, count 'em, TWO HDMI outputs, and a micro SD (or TF) slot, a 3.5 audio/mic port, USB C and two USB 3 ports. As of this writing I do not know if the USB C supports video as MeLe only provided a Quick Start guide about as complex and informative as one that might arrive with a $10 AM radio. The quick start guide did however, provide an address to download a Windows image if ever necessary to re-install the OS. Nice.
I have no regrets buying a computer this small and this inexpensive for my day to day use. I am both happy and amazed at what you get for the money paid. Thanks MeLe.
| Max Screen Resolution | 4096x2160 |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2.7 GHz celeron |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR4 |
| Hard Drive | 128 GB SSD |
| Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ax |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 3 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 5 years |
