It just recently came out, the Pipo W8. It’s another media / mini TV PC, but with a difference. It’s a dual boot, its got 4 x USB 2 ports and a bit of an oddball look. Looks like tablet screen and a TV media box in one. Powered by an Atom Z3736F, with 2GB of ram and a 32GB eMMC, pretty standard dual boot tablet specs. The screen is a 8″ 1280 x 800 one, set at a fixed angle within the housing.
So it’s more set up as a TV media station than rather a tablet. It’s quite cheap to, only $104 at GearBest.com http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box/pp_184150.html Can’t say I’ll be reviewing this one, it sure an interesting and different concept to the normal screenless mini pc.
Edit: There is now a 64GB version listed on gearbest.com for $117 http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_203363.html
Jon Reid
Arrgh – just saw you comment on the 64GB one – wish that was available a couple of weeks ago when I ordered, never mind.
Jon Reid
The X8 already has a thermal transfer pad between the PCB and the bottom chassis plate – so at least they have done something !
Jon Reid
Mine turned up in 4 days from time of order from GearBest (DHL). Runs nicely – I am using as a instrument player for Propellerhead Reason, I was not sure if Baytrail would keep up but seems fine. There is a thread over on Freaktab about improving the thermal relief which I may do if it becomes an issue.
Chris G
Thats good to hear, I decided to get get this one for reviewing. But it something different which is good. Most of these tablets just have a copper thermal tape over the SoC, ram and eMMC. But if you have space you can add a small copper heat sink that will do wonders to help it turbo higher and for longer.
SkOrPn
Where do you find these small copper heat sinks at?
Chris G
I sourced them from a local PC shop in town, shouldn’t be hard to find. Or make them copper and an adhesive thermal tape solution. What I had before was like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/5PCS-Heat-sink-15x15x0-8MM-Copper-Cooling-Fin-15-15-0-8MM-IC-Heat-sink-/400953478308?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d5ab08ca4 but cut smaller. If the Pipo W8 has room which I think it does, a north bridge heat sink would be good. (Normal tablets don’t have room for this)
What I did to my first X98 Air was use some thermal transfer pads and made it have contact with the hold back of the metal casing. This way the backing metal acted as a huge heat transfer for the Atom SoC.
Finally there is copper tape like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Copper-Heat-Sink-Tape-for-Kindle-Fire-HD-repair-32-/291478222072?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43dd74b4f8
Jon Reid
I have just ordered one of these as it actually the ideal form factor for my application. Will let you know how it goes.
SkOrPn
OK I just have to lmao at this one Chris. THIS would have been real awesome if only it was using a true 4K GPU, with H265 decoding, HDMI 2.0, etc etc. But this looks like a great affordable 1080p TV box, and maybe even a wired lap-tablet in a pinch. Interesting find….