Pocket-size PC doesn't need a power plug — Minisforum S100 rocks Alder Lake-N CPU, 2.5GbE networking, and PoE support

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The Minisforum S100 draws power over the Ethernet cable.

S100
S100 (Image credit: Minisforum)

Minisforum has finally launched the S100, a pocket-size mini-PC that the company unveiled at CES this year. The S100 is a lightweight and portable computing device that you can take around with you everywhere.

With dimensions of 5.98 x 2.28 x 0.77 inches (152 x 58 x 19.5mm), the S100 is similar in size to your iPhone — it's a mini-PC that you can comfortably put inside your pocket for easy transportation. As for specs, Intel's N100 (Alder Lake-N) processor powers the S100. The N100 is a 6W quad-core chip without HyperThreading that features a boost clock speed up to 3.4 GHz. Minisforum pairs the N100 with 8GB of LPDDR5-4800 memory in a single-channel design. The cooling system comprises a small fan attached to a corresponding heatsink. According to the vendor, the noise level at idle is around 24dB, but will peak at 43dB under full load.

Due to the S100's compact size, there isn't an upgradeable storage option. You'll have to settle for 256GB of UFS 2.1 storage. UFS 2.1 is rated with maximum sequential read and write speeds up to 850 MB/s and 260 MB/s, respectively. While it's certainly faster than your standard hard drive, it's nowhere near a PCIe 3.0 SSD. That's the compromise of having a tiny device, as there is no room for an NVMe drive.

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S100
S100(Image credit: Minisforum)

There are two ways you can power the S100. The USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port is available, or you can use the 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port, which supports power over Ethernet (PoE), so the S100 can draw power over the network cable. That way, you can use a single cable for power and data. The S100's other ports include one HDMI 2.0 and two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports. A tiny clear CMOS button also conveniently brings your device back to factory defaults.

If you prefer wireless connectivity, the S100 also offers Wi-Fi 6 bundled with Bluetooth 5.2. In terms of displays, the S100 supports up to two 4K screens at 60 Hz simultaneously through the HDMI 2.0 and the USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports. The latter can also power your USB-C monitors, as it provides up to 65W.

The S100's scope of delivery includes a power adapter, a power cable, an HDMI cable, and the instruction manual. The mini-PC comes with a pre-installed copy of Windows 11 Home, so you don't have to spend extra for an operating system.

Minisforum hasn't listed the S100 on the company's global website yet. However, the vendor is selling the S100 for ¥29,980 (~$192.79) in Japan, or ¥7,000 (~$45.01) off its regular price (excluding taxes and shipping costs).

Zhiye Liu
Zhiye Liu
News Editor and Memory Reviewer

Zhiye Liu is a news editor and memory reviewer at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.

26 Comments Comment from the forums
  • King_V
    Not gonna lie, I really like the idea of this.
    Reply
  • TechLurker
    For one shining moment, I thought this was a micro-PC bolted to a battery bank, enabling it to be a compact workstation if paired with a small USB-C screen, keyboard, and mouse. The fact it's not has dampened my enthusiasm, although I still like the fact it's very compact.
    Reply
  • thisisaname
    Could plug some more storage into one of the USB ports.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    The article said:
    The N100 is a 6W quad-core chip without HyperThreading that features a boost clock speed up to 3.4 GHz.
    The default PL2 of the N100 is 25 W, and that's just SoC package power. PoE+ maxes out at 30 W, so its wings would have to be clipped a fair bit.

    In my experience, there's a big discrepancy between the reported package power and the wall power. On my N97, I've noticed power at the wall going as high as 54 W, in iGPU-heavy benchmarks, yet the reported package power doesn't go above 17 W! That's not touching storage, and it's got a SK Hynix P31 Gold, which is very efficient and has a low idle draw. Nothing else plugged in, except HDMI (1080p60 monitor) and gigabit Ethernet + mouse & keyboard. The PSU is an 89% efficient 60W Seasonic 12V unit. It has one fan that's rated at < 1 W. Idle power is 8W at the wall, 2W reported package power.

    The article said:
    The cooling system comprises a small fan attached to a corresponding heatsink. According to the vendor, the noise level at idle is around 24dB, but will peak at 43dB under full load.
    Maybe, but the noise profile on that fan is going to be very whiny.

    The article said:
    Due to the S100's compact size, there isn't an upgradeable storage option. You'll have to settle for 256GB of UFS 2.1 storage. UFS 2.1 is rated with maximum sequential read and write speeds up to 850 MB/s and 260 MB/s, respectively. While it's certainly faster than your standard hard drive, it's nowhere near a PCIe 3.0 SSD. That's the compromise of having a tiny device, as there is no room for an NVMe drive.
    You mean there's no room for a M.2 drive. You can have NVMe storage that's soldered down! They just went the cheap route and used eMMC, I gather.

    The article said:
    The latter can also power your USB-C monitors, as it provides up to 65W
    I guess PoE++ could get you up to 100 W, total. As I said above, PoE+ only gets you up to 30 W.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    TechLurker said:
    For one shining moment, I thought this was a micro-PC bolted to a battery bank, enabling it to be a compact workstation if paired with a small USB-C screen, keyboard, and mouse.
    Just get a Chromebook-class laptop and hook it up to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. They're available with the same SoCs, have the battery pack you want, and most should have a better-engineered cooling solution. Probably faster storage, as well.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    King_V said:
    Not gonna lie, I really like the idea of this.
    It's clearly made for commercial applications, where someone already has PoE installed (e.g. for point-of-sale terminals or surveillance cameras). I'm betting a fair number will get installed in drop ceilings, in spite of probably not being plenum-rated.
    Reply
  • funguseater
    "Pocket Sized PC doesn't need power plug"..... The S100's scope of delivery includes a power adapter, a power cable, an HDMI cable, and the instruction manual. LOL
    Reply
  • bit_user
    funguseater said:
    "Pocket Sized PC doesn't need power plug"..... The S100's scope of delivery includes a power adapter, a power cable, an HDMI cable, and the instruction manual. LOL
    Well-spotted.

    I've seen other PoE-powered stuff that includes a power adapter, for good measure. I guess they assume it's compelling even to people who don't require the PoE feature.

    If you're purchasing in bulk, I'd assume you can negotiate for them to leave out the power adapter.
    Reply
  • TechLurker
    bit_user said:
    Just get a Chromebook-class laptop and hook it up to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. They're available with the same SoCs, have the battery pack you want, and most should have a better-engineered cooling solution. Probably faster storage, as well.
    Eh, that still increases the real-estate vs the rather typical powerbank footprint. I was imagining something more like those tiny PC boxes used either for workstations, PoS, or atypical on-the-go setups where one could have it wired to a tablet operating in monitor mode (or just a portable monitor), and a wireless KB on one's lap or in a better position other than in front of the screen, for whatever task such a unit was needed for.

    But I see your point; the best option is still a regular laptop and just living with the minor inconveniences.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    I've liked the idea of something small like this for HTPC type usage, but at the end of the day PC UHD disc playback was killed so there's no need for one anymore. I'd also be far more tempted if the case was slightly larger and they'd opted for heatpipes sunk into the case for cooling.

    Perhaps when LNL gets superceded we'll see some creative small builds come. Something that was balanced and could play some games as well as media playback is something I could trick myself into.
    Reply