Building on over last year’s Compute Stick that could turn any TV into a potential PC, Intel has announced three new variants with varying price tags for this year’s line-up.
How Intel Compute Sticks Have Improved This Time Around?
The Sticks have gotten considerably more potent and pack more power options under the hood. The three new Compute Sticks give you choice for three processor options: a top-of-the-range Core M5, mid-range Core M3 and a low-end second-generation Atom x5. (That last model alone is almost twice as fast as before.)
The former two, being more considerably more high-end also pack 4 GB worth memory, as well as 64 GB of storage, expandable via microSD card slot. For connectivity you get a single USB 3.0 port. The Atom variant makes do with 2 GB RAM and 32 GB of storage, while also retaining a single USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports each for connectivity.
The top-end model features Intel’s vPro security and management features. The M3 version itself is capable of playing 4K video at 30Hz. You also get Wi-Fi 802.11ac standard and Bluetooth 4.1 combo adapters for wireless connectivity. For proper connections with a television, you have HDMI 1.4b.
Pricing is set at a higher standard than before. The starting Atom model costs $160 and comes with Windows 10 free. The Core M3 version sets you back by $300 and will charge $100 separately for Windows, while the top-end M5 model will cost $500 and comes without an OS.
