BMAX Mini PC B2S
This is the cheapest option that we have found and that can offer us this function. The BMAX solution is more than enough to move games from the NeoGeo and other platforms of the time. But we wouldn’t recommend it for other tasks, due to RAM and storage limitations. Specifically, the BMAX Mini PC B2S costs 116 euros.
makes use of a Intel Celeron N4020 processor, which is characterized by being highly efficient. Said processor has only 2 cores and 2 threads, more than enough to emulate retro games. It works at a base frequency of 1.1 GHz and reaches 2.8 GHz in Boost mode. It has a discrete Intel UHD 600 graphics card that reaches up to 600 MHz.
On the other hand, this system has 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM soldered on the motherboard. It also integrates a chip 128GB storage, which is also welded. The capacity can be expanded thanks to an M.2 port that supports SSDs of up to 1 TB or through microSD cards of up to 512 GB.
The connectivity is not bad, it is quite complete. It has four USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI, a VGA and a Gigabit Ethernet port. In addition, it offers support for WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity.
A very basic and inexpensive solution to emulate retro consoles that will do the trick.
CHUWI Herobox
We are going with a much more powerful solution that will give us much more play and capabilities. This CHUWI system uses a more modern and powerful processor, so we can use this system for more things. In addition, the rest of the components, as well as the connectivity, are much better than previously seen.
We start with the processor, which is a Intel Celeron N5100. Said processor has 4 cores and 4 threads working at a base frequency of 1.1 GHz and that reaches 2.8 GHz in Boost mode. It integrates a discrete Intel UHD graphics that works up to 800 MHz. It can run games from the mythical NeoGeo and other platforms of the time without major problems.
It has a total of 8GB LPDDR4, which are soldered on the motherboard. Being an acceptable amount, we will be able to use the system for office automation and multimedia, but we will not be able to expand it. It also has a 256GB M.2 SSD capacity, which is somewhat fair. The good thing is that we can change it for a unit of up to 1 TB.
It has quite good connectivity, counting two USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 and one USB-C. It integrates a microSD card reader, an HDMI 2.0, a VGA and a Gigabit Ethernet port. In addition, it offers Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 5 connectivity, which is not bad at all.
It would be the system that we would choose to turn our television into a recreational machine. It is quite powerful and can be easily installed behind the television thanks to the VESA mount. You can buy the CHUWI Heroboox for 188 euros.
