Review : CHUWI Herobox Pro, an efficient and inexpensive mini PC [2022]

In 2021, CHUWI unveiled the Herobox. This mini PC was then equipped with the Celeron Gemini Lake N4100. Today, the Chinese manufacturer is back on the scene with a new model. Called Herobox Pro , this mini PC this time features an Intel Celeron Jasper Lake N4500 processor. But then what is this Chuwi Herobox Pro mini PC worth? What can we do with it? To know everything about the Herobox Pro mini PC, it’s in this article!

Summary

1. Notable changes
2. What about connectivity?
3. A mini PC with various uses
4. Packaging
5. Test the mini PC CHUWI Herobox Pro
   1. Startup
   2. Working
6. Conclusion

Notable changes

CHUWI has decided to make several changes to the Herobox Pro . For starters, he swapped the Celeron Gemini Lake N4100 CPU for a Jasper Lake N4500 . It therefore goes from a quadruple heart from 1.1 to 2.4 GHz engraved in 14 nanometers to a double heart from 1.1 to 2.8 GHz engraved in 10 nanometers .

Regarding the graphics, the Herobox Pro is quite similar to the Herobox. It comes with an Intel UHD 600 Graphics Gen11 16 EU GPU compared to 12 EU for the first generation.

This mini PC is compatible with Windows 10 and Linux. On the other hand, the Herobox Pro has 8 GB of LPDDR4 RAM as well as a 256 GB SSD in M2 format from the Netac brand . Note that it has an expandable memory thanks to a slot available under the machine to accommodate a SATA drive in 2.5″ format .

We also learn that unlike its predecessor, the Herobox Pro is equipped with a fan for better cooling. And finally, we note that this mini PC is average from a measurement point of view. Its dimensions are 188 × 138 × 37 mm for a weight of 590 grams.

CHUWI Herobox Pro Mini Pc Computer Desk …

• ✔ [Small and portable mini pc]: CHUWI Herobox pro is light and mini, it carries Intel Jasper Lake N4500 processor, the frequency from max 1.1GHz to 2.8GHz, Dual core Dual…
• ✔ [Storage Expansion]: CHUWI mini pc is equipped with 8GB LPDDR4 RAM + 256GB SSD, you can expand the memory with micro SD card up to 128GB and…

See the offer

What about connectivity?

Regarding its connectivity, the Herobox Pro has the same characteristics as the Herobox. Thus, we find Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 for wireless connection. It also consists of a Gigabit Ethernet port , two USB 3.0 ports , two USB 2.0, a USB Type-C, a micro-SD port, a VGA connector, and an HDMI output 2.0 . The whole is completed by a 3.5 mm audio jack port for sound.

A mini PC with various uses

Like its predecessor, the Herobox Pro is designed for a variety of uses. For example, you can use it as a desktop machine . It can also act as a media server . Finally, the Herobrox Pro will also do the trick as a client for cloud gaming . This mini PC is not designed to run games directly. In any case, the Herobox Pro is an interesting device with a good quality/price ratio.

Packaging

I’m not going to dwell on the packaging of this mini PC because how can I tell you… Well, you have a cardboard box with the Herobox Pro mini PC inside, the charger, a mounting bracket (to fix the mini PC behind a PC or TV screen) as well as the famous user manual.

• ✔ [Small and portable mini pc]: CHUWI Herobox pro is light and mini, it carries Intel Jasper Lake N4500 processor, the frequency from max 1.1GHz to 2.8GHz, Dual core Dual…
• ✔ [Storage Expansion]: CHUWI mini pc is equipped with 8GB LPDDR4 RAM + 256GB SSD, you can expand the memory with micro SD card up to 128GB and…

Test the mini PC CHUWI Herobox Pro

Startup

Let’s start at the beginning: the first start! When you start the Herobox Pro mini PC for the first time, you come directly to the Windows 10 setup wizard. You are therefore asked to choose a username, a password, and finally to answer the countless questions Privacy Policy before it hit the Windows 10 Home (64-bit) desktop.

The good news is that you won’t need to buy a product key to activate Windows 10. The mini PC comes with a valid license. You can therefore use it indefinitely. The only downside is that you will not have the latest Windows 10 update, namely version 21H1. You will therefore have to go to Windows Update to download and install the latest updates. And if I can give you any advice, plan a few hours of free time.

Indeed, when I installed the update to Windows 10 21H1 on the Herobox Pro mini PC, well, I had time to take my shower, drink a coffee, eat my full meal (starter, main course, cheese and dessert), mowing the lawn, gardening, and when I checked the progress it was at 98% 🙃 So I might as well tell you that it was long, very long…

Working

Well, otherwise, on the operating side, well it purrs! The Herobox Pro mini PC works very well 😎 I didn’t notice any slowdown while working on software such as Office 2019 (Word, Excel, etc.) or Photoshop. Web browsing is also very smooth. Likewise for video playback with VLC, it works very well. In short, the mini PC Herobox Pro is doing very well in office automation.

Then, as I’m a gamer in my spare time, I wanted to test the mini PC in game. So, of course, since the Herobox Pro doesn’t have a graphics card, I didn’t even bother to try to install a game. Instead, I signed up for a small Xbox Cloud Gaming subscription .

I tested the mini PC on several games like Forza Motorsport 7, Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, Need for Speed ​​Heat, Dirt 5, Batman Arkham City or Banjo-Kazooie. And again, I was pleasantly surprised with the result, it turns out great! Note, however, that I have 1 Gb/s fiber and I played on an MSI Optix 24″ 120Hz screen. I don’t know if that counts, but in any case, it’s clean.

Well, what more can I say… I also did a little test of the SSD with CrystalDiskMark and also a little benchmark with the app from the UserBenchmark site. I put the screenshots below:

• ✔ [Small and portable mini pc]: CHUWI Herobox pro is light and mini, it carries Intel Jasper Lake N4500 processor, the frequency from max 1.1GHz to 2.8GHz, Dual core Dual…
• ✔ [Storage Expansion]: CHUWI mini pc is equipped with 8GB LPDDR4 RAM + 256GB SSD, you can expand the memory with micro SD card up to 128GB and…

Conclusion

For a PC under 200 euros , well, I’m generally satisfied. If you are looking for a mini PC to do office work and browse the Internet, the Herobox Pro could be perfect for you. Especially since you can very easily add a small hard drive or SSD to it to expand its storage.

On the other hand, if you were planning to play with it, forget it! Unless of course you go through a cloud gaming service as I did during my test, and in this case, I say ” Yes “!

Personally, the only downside I find is its fan. I would have preferred a fanless case, but since I installed the mini PC in a small closet, the background noise of the fan does not bother me that much.