British Linux PC vendor Star Labs has announced a new system. The Bytes Mk2 is a compact mini PC that measures 12.7 x 12.7 x 4.3 cm. However, the PC is not only relatively small, but also optimized for use with a Linux operating system. Normally such systems are pre-installed with Windows. The Byte Mk2 is said to support various distributions, including Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, Linux Mint 21, Manjaro 21.3.7 or Elementary OS 6.1.
The system is powered by an Intel N200 without a fan. The SoC is designed for energy efficiency and requires a TDP of around 6 watts. The four cores of the 12th generation Alder Lake clock at a maximum of 3.7 GHz. So no peaks in performance should be expected. Instead, the system is being developed with a combined power consumption of 25 watts.
Plugged-in RAM and two Ethernet ports
Two SO-DIMM RAM bars that conform to the DDR4 standard fit into the chassis. According to Intel, the SoC only supports 16 GB of RAM. 8 or 16 GB DDR4 RAM can be configured accordingly. In addition, an NVMe SSD of up to 2 TB can be installed in the M.2 2280 slot. This is also plugged in and can therefore be replaced by users themselves. In addition, the chassis has space for a 2.5-inch drive, such as an HDD or SATA SSD.
A total of four USB-A ports (3.2 Gen1) and one USB-C port can be found on the case. Displayport and HDMI are available for external screens, and there are also two RJ45 ports for wired Ethernet. Optionally, the system can also communicate via Wi-Fi 5.
The manufacturer is already offering the Byte Mk2 in a pre-order campaign. The starting price is 450 euros, an additional 8 GB of RAM costs 36 euros more. the 480 GB SSD can be upgraded to 960 GB for 63 euros and to 1,920 GB for 205 euros. Star Labs also preinstalls one of the Linux distributions mentioned. However, the device will only be delivered in about eight to nine weeks.