The plastic PC faces doubts

"I found a way to reduce the CPU temperature of about 25 degres (tested at room ambiant temperature of 23 degrees), but I expect the difference can be even more when used at a higher ambiant temperature. The test were conducted by running a Perf software that is testing CPU performance.

Without cooling: CPU reaches more than 68 degrees

With cooling: CPU reaches 42 degrees and I get more than 33%  perf for the benchmark test: PerformanceTest app gave 3000 before cooling and 4300 with fan + coolers.

The Noctua 80mm USB only is placed in extraction mode. To improve the cooling, we can put some Black Shark Funcooler Pro (coolers for phones)..."

Source: Cloudy Nights 

MeLE Quieter 4C SE Grade launched

Following the Business grade Quieter 4C featuring DDR5 and premium SSD, MeLE launches a more affordable Standard / Essential grade version featuring DDR4 and "good-enough" storage. If you don't absolutely need high-endurance storage built for intense 24/7 commercial write loads, the Quieter 4C SE Grade delivers the exact same performance and triple-display hardware for $309.99. Same old plastic case, though.

Shuttle's NE10N disappoints

"The NE10N is a huge performance step up from the old Asrock Celeron CPU. No problem using the web browsers and stream video in Full HD / 1080p 1920 x 1080 (that is the highest our old TV can handle).

I started to measure the CPU core temps with HWMonitor in different configurations. Each ”setup” was used at least 24 hours with the same room temp. I never got an idle temp below 67C… Also note the max temp numbers at 95C…

I had a Noctua NF-P12 Redux-1300 fan at home. It is a 120 mm 12 volt fan that will run from 5 volt USB at a low RPM. It is impossible to hear any fan noise from this fan at 5v. What a difference! The idle temp drops to 49C and high load to 74C. That is -20C from normal use!"

Source: Lars Thunberg 

The power of copper

Source: reddit (2)

Building with a slim 1U fanless case

Learn more about the Akasa Galileo TU2 Plus MKII here.

Kubb available in Germany

The tiny yet powerful Kubb Fanless is now shipping from MediaMarkt. Three colors are available: graphite, bronze, and blue. The units are sold as Windows 11 Pro machines featuring 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The Core Ultra 5 225H versions are priced at €1689 while the Core Ultra X7 358H Kubbs are €2229.

https://www.mediamarkt.de/kubb fanless

NUC 16 Pro Review

"Performance was very good, especially once I started comparing the NUC 16 Pro with larger and more performance-focused systems. Its 10,137 PCMark score was second only to the ASUS GR70 in my comparison, while the Productivity result reached 17,528 and also finished near the top. Geekbench multicore, 7-Zip compression, Blender, and HandBrake followed the same pattern, with the Core Ultra X7 358H regularly finishing ahead of many newer Core Ultra and Ryzen AI Mini-PCs.

Gaming was one of the more surprising aspects of the Arc B390, particularly against the other integrated GPUs in my charts. Cyberpunk 2077 reached 94.57 FPS at 1080p Medium and 76.92 FPS at 1080p High with XeSS Quality, while Counter-Strike 2 reached 119.1 FPS at 1080p High. In both games, the NUC finished well ahead of the Radeon 890M and Arc 140T systems I tested."

Source: TechPowerUp 

CNC machining wizards

Tranquil IT is now 2CRSi Edge (part of the 2CRSi Group) but the Tranquil brand lives on, including for their in-house studio. From prototyping to CNC machining, from raw aluminium billets to a shining finished casing, Tranquil Studio designs and manufactures everything, with no minimum order quantity.

https://www.2crsiedge.com/tranquil-studio

Retro Woodgrain Glowbox

Built as a modest 1080p APU gaming/emulation machine (RetroArch, legacy systems, and lighter modern titles at 720p/1080p low/medium settings) this beautiful machine by WaffleProtagonist was built in 2021 around an AMD Ryzen 7 5700G APU. It prioritizes retro aesthetics and silence over high-end performance. Thermals are excellent, idling between 42 and 46°C and reaching 70°C after long gaming sessions.

Introduction to Terminal Block Power

"In rugged operating environments, standard consumer power connectors like fragile barrel jacks or bulky ATX cables simply won’t cut it. That’s where the industrial alternative comes in: terminal blocks. Terminal blocks are heavy-duty components that act as the critical junction point where power supply lines seamlessly integrate with hardware through direct wire-to-board or wire-to-wire connections. In the world of industrial automation, terminal blocks are the unsung heroes of safe, organized, and reliable power distribution. But how exactly do they work, and how do you choose the right one for your system? Let's dive into the basics.

A terminal block power connector is a modular, insulated electrical interface used to secure and terminate bare or ferruled wires to safely deliver power (typically DC power) to a device. If you have ever looked at control panels, you have probably seen terminal blocks.

Terminal blocks are encased in plastic that provides essential electrical insulation, prevents short circuits, and protects people from electrical shocks. Inside the plastic shell are small, conductive metal bars (commonly made from copper alloy). The wires are tightly clamped firmly onto one of these bars."

Learn more from OnLogic