This tiny PC weighs more than it weighs, and it’s cheaper than you’d think

Nano PCs are a very important piece of the technology puzzle. You may have a desk with very limited space. Or maybe you want to build a kiosk where you have to keep the computer out of sight. You might want to have a “community” PC in your home (or maybe your Airbnb) where guests can come online and do what they need to do.

Too: Best all-in-one computers: Mac, HP, and more compared

No matter, these tiny PCs are here to serve. I’ve used many small form factor PCs and most of what I’ve used pale in comparison Zulu XR1 Pro, This device is not only the smallest of the tiny PCs I’ve tried, but it’s also one of the most powerful.

The device measures a scant 3.5 x 3.5 inches and is only 2.5 inches tall, making it the smallest AMD Ryzen 7-powered PC ever built. Yes it is short. But it also offers six USB ports, one USB Type-C port, two HDMI ports, and a headphone jack.

specifications

Of course, you’re probably wondering what the full specifications are. Here is the list:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 8 Core/16 Thread.
• GPU: Radeon 8.
• Speak/Mic jack combo with built-in dual mic.
• RAM: Up to 64 GB (I have 16 GB), which can be upgraded.
• Storage: Up to 2TB M.2 SSD (mine is 512GB), which is also upgradeable.
• Large volume turbine fan.
• OLED status display.
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6e, Gigabit Ethernet, and Bluetooth 5.2.
• HDMI cable and power cable are included.

My Xulu XR1 shipped with Windows 7, but the hardware also supports Linux, so you can install any distribution you want. My normal inclination would be to install Linux right away, but I opted to see how well the machine would power a resource hog like Windows 11.

I was pleasantly surprised. I expected the Xulu XR1 Pro to struggle under the load of Windows 11, but it turns out the machine has enough power to do just that. Although I am not a fan of Windows OS, I was impressed with how well the OS performed on such a small unit. I’m used to how well Linux runs on small form factor PCs, but my Windows experience with these machines has been disappointing.

Too: This mini PC for under $400 is powerful enough to hook up 3 monitors

So, imagine how well the XR1 would perform with Ubuntu or Linux Mint. My goal was to test that theory, so I inserted a USB drive with Ubuntu Budgie on it, entered the boot menu, selected the USB drive as the primary boot device, and booted into Ubuntu Budgie. The result was that the Xulu XR1 Pro performed just as well as my regular desktop PC, the System76 Thelio. My primary desktop had the advantage of 32GB of RAM, so it wasn’t exactly an apples-to-apples comparison. Still, the XR1 Pro did a remarkable job running a live version of Linux.

This little machine is ideal for work, entertainment, school or even some gaming. The best thing about these small form factor PCs is that they can be installed anywhere. And even though the XR1 Pro has a massive fan, I never heard it running. I could feel it spinning and moving the air, but the sound was so low that I had to get very close to hear the fan whirring.

Too: Best computers: Comparing laptops, PCs and more

As far as the price is concerned, the Xulu XR1 Pro will start from around $299 and will max out at around $399. So not only does this little machine punch above its weight, but its pricing makes it even more attractive. Having an AMD Ryzen 7 desktop machine at that price is a bargain… regardless of size.

Although I don’t expect small form factor PCs to ever replace the standard desktop or laptop market, these tiny devices certainly serve many purposes and do so very well.