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Introduction
Tronsmart is a well known brand specialized in TV Boxes/Sticks, and this time they decided to release an Intel Cherry Trail (x5-z8300) based Mini PC (or TV Box/HTPC, choose the word that you prefer). Precisely this is an upgrade of their previous, and now discontinued, device named Tronsmart Ara X5, which shares almost the same hardware except WiFi Adapter & Antenna, Sound Card, and some minor components.
This is the Tronsmart Ara X5 Plus Mini PC
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Unboxing
Packaging comes with an HDMI Cable, a Power Supply (5V/3A), a Wi-Fi Antenna (pretty nice design), an English Quick Start Guide and the Mini PC (of course).
No Air Mouse/Keyboard is included, neither the device has an IR Receiver so it can be only powered on using the physical power button, located on the front side.
Device
Tronsmart has focused its attention on the design. Its chassis is plastic made (good quality) but if you are worried about heat dissipation, just take a look at my tests in the next paragraph.
It is just 11.5x11.0x2.5cm, pretty compact and it is also lightweight enough (probably because it is made of plastic).
There is a Matte Surface on the upper side where the Brand Logo and the White Power LED are located while all the rest is black-grey. This makes the device look Premium, and I find it pretty nice.
There are 2x Plastic Films already applied.
As you can see, there is a second Plastic Film. It is a fingerprint magnet so I recommend to remove it.
This is the Matte Surface without any Plastic Film applied.
It attracts dust pretty easily but it seems to have some kind of Oleophobic coating so, if you prefer dust (or if you live in a dust-free room) then remove both films, if you prefer fingerprints then remove only the first plastic film.
On the front side there are 2x Standard USB 2.0 ports, 1x Headphone/Microphone Jack (just like smartphones) and a physical Power Button.
USB Ports doesn’t have too much space between each other, so you might experience issues (like me) with the usage of not-so-small USB Stick or Accessories. Compact USB Sticks fit just fine.
On the left, there is just 1x Wi-Fi Antenna Connector because the Wi-Fi card is only 1x1 (TX/RX). The right side is completely clean.
The rear features 1x 5.5mm DC in, 1x LAN 10/100 port, 1x HDMI port, 1x Standard USB 3.0 port and 1x micro SD card slot.
Unfortunately also the rear USB Port doesn’t have too much available space, so I recommend you to use an HDMI Cable that has compact plugs or use an USB Extension.
On the lower side there is just a Reset Button that has been added to this upgraded version.
Testing
First of all, it boots pretty fast (ready in ~ 20 sec) considering that it doesn’t have a SSD but just an eMMC, usually just a bit faster than conventional HDDs. This is something that I have really appreciated because it means that the BIOS has been properly optimized.
On first boot, you’ll be asked to configure the OS with your own language, keyboard layout, Microsoft Account settings...similar to a clean installation of Windows 10.
After the whole configuration process, the desktop will be completely empty, without any third-party software installed except one (THD Controller) probably made to be used with Tronsmart’s Air Mouse/Keyboard (not included).
It comes with Windows 10 Home, properly Activated (no KMS or any other hack used). If yours isn’t activated, just reboot and be sure that it is connected to the internet otherwise it won’t be able to verify activation.
Unlike previous version, this one comes with a decent Wi-Fi card (Intel Dual Band AC-3160) that supports 2.4/5GHz Networks at a maximum speed of 433 Mbps.
Also, instead of the standard Realtek Sound Card that isn’t compatible yet with Linux, there is a C-Media HS-100B Sound Card that doesn’t create any kind of compatibility issue.
Intel VM-x has been enabled by default, useful if you plan to use any kind of Virtual Machine.
Benchmarks
Comparing some other Intel x5-z8300 devices, it seems that this is one of the fastest ones.
I have used Passmark PerformanceTest, FutureMark 3DMark (Sky Diver) & PCMark 8 (Home, Creative & Work), GeekBench 3 Pro (64-bit) and CrystalDiskMark x64 to stress the device in the most complete way. I won’t test Games or Video Playback because there are already some related tests included in these Benchmark suites.
CrystalDiskMark - Internal eMMC is fast enough for daily tasks, better than HDDs, but worse than SSDs.
PassMark’s average score is pretty low, in every single test except Storage so this benchmark is probably poorly optimized to work on Atom CPUs.
GeekBench - CPU performance seems to be mediocre, but in line with other x5-z8300 CPUs. Focusing on temperatures, you can see that it doesn’t overheat at all under heavy usage. This means that Tronsmart did a good job regarding heat dissipation.
https://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/6011299
I managed to get the highest MultiCore score with this CPU. Well done Tronsmart!
Nothing to say about 3DMark Sky Diver test.
PCMark 8
Home: http://www.3dmark.com/pcm8/11585069
Creative: http://www.3dmark.com/pcm8/11592443
Work: http://www.3dmark.com/pcm8/11593416
PCMark tests are the most complete ones, and their score is pretty high. Especially the “Work” test score left me impressed. This means that this device can be used for daily tasks without any issue at all.
Summarazing all Benchmark Results, I can say that this is one of the fastest Intel Atom x5-z8300 Mini PC available on the market.
About Wi-Fi/LAN Networks tests, it highly depends on your router and internet connection so I can just say that i’m able to obtain the same performance that I get using my Workstation. No lags at all neither I have noticed any kind of performance drop.
Compatibility
Linux doesn’t like a lot Cherry Trail CPUs, especially because their additional hardware is usually poorly designed or unsupported by the Linux Kernel. Tronsmart, on this upgraded version, decided to avoid all issues by introducing a different Wi-Fi card, that is now connected to the PCI-Ex bus (instead of the slow SDIO bus) and a different Sound Card, that is connected to the USB bus and is well supported by the Linux Kernel.
This is the Result
Everything is working on Linux. I have tested BBQLinux with Linux Kernel 4.1.6. I find it much faster than Windows, even if used from a USB Stick, so I really recommend it if you are familiar with the Linux Environment.
About Android, (Android-x86 6.0 Testing) it is a whole different story. It doesn’t support Intel Wi-Fi cards, neither it supports this Sound Card, so you’ll need to wait a new update if you plan to use Android on this device.
Conclusions
Thanks to its well choosen hardware, this Mini PC makes every single task possible. This is a great upgrade to the previous Ara X5, I just don’t like that it can’t be turned on with a Remote Control. In my opinion, almost eveything else is perfect. LAN is limited to 100MBps, all USB Ports aren’t well designed and CPU isn’t extremely powerful, but it can be used without any issue as a Media Center or even as an Office Mini PC.
So, if you need a complete Mini PC that is able to handle basic daily tasks and that can be used without any issue for Multimedia stuff, then this is the right choice.
Official Specs
Rating: 8.8
Packaging and Accessories: 7.5
Design and Materials: 9
Performance and Heat Dissipation: 8.5
Software: 10
Price: 9 (based on Amazon.com price)
You can find full-res images (I know, Quality isn't excellent) here: http://imgur.com/a/SPuNq
Official Website: http://www.tronsmart.com/products/tronsmart-ara-x5-plus
You can buy it on many online shops.
Reserved
Thanks for you detailed review, very cool!
I got a Tronsmart X5 plus too, perform well. And I also had Tronsmart Android TV box MXIII plus and S95 telos, all good quality.
Added Official Website & Store links.
Updated Driver Packs coming soon.
Full-Working Android-x86 WIP.
v UPDATES about Android-x86 v
It seems that there is a conflict with the USB Audio Card. The Kernel recognizes it, but also recognizes (of course this is a bug) the standard Intel SST Sound Card with Realtek Chip, i don't know why. This is probably something standard that has been enabled on Atom CPUs. Also, the WiFi Driver gets loaded correctly (support is here), but it doesn't work. This is another bug that needs to be fixed. Everything else is working.
I'll keep you updated.
Android-x86 - Issues:
- Sound Card recognized but in conflict with the Intel SST Driver
- WiFi (unknown issue for now)
- Power Button doesn't work at all
Android x86 (Lollipop): http://www.fosshub.com/Android-x86.html/android-x86_64-5.1-rc1.img
All is working except Sound Card and Power Button.
Do not try Marshmallow build yet because it is more buggy than this one.
+5,super job.i must doe sothing with tablet arxhos 97 b titanium,sugestens?danks for rewiuv
Hi Alberto,
First of all thanks for these informations. I have also one Transmart Ara X5 Plus device. And I would like to install android firmware on it. And I downloded Android-x86 64-bit ISO file 8.1-R2 version from your link. I think i could load this firmware from a different PC via USB cable. Am I right? Do I find an installation manual from somewhere? And I think I should use a USB flashing tool software for PC. Could I use MXIII Android TV Box USB flashing Tool software and installation instruction? Is it same prosedure?
Thanks for your support by now.
digiman22003 said:
Hi Alberto,
First of all thanks for these informations. I have also one Transmart Ara X5 Plus device. And I would like to install android firmware on it. And I downloded Android-x86 64-bit ISO file 8.1-R2 version from your link. I think i could load this firmware from a different PC via USB cable. Am I right? Do I find an installation manual from somewhere? And I think I should use a USB flashing tool software for PC. Could I use MXIII Android TV Box USB flashing Tool software and installation instruction? Is it same prosedure?
Thanks for your support by now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, Android-x86 is treated like Windows Installation Disks, you can use "Rufus" on Windows, or an image writer like "dd" on Linux, to create a bootable USB stick to install the OS.
Alberto96 said:
No, Android-x86 is treated like Windows Installation Disks, you can use "Rufus" on Windows, or an image writer like "dd" on Linux, to create a bootable USB stick to install the OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything works? Is there a guide on how to do it?
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The GS1 is the latest release of Beelink, a brand well-known for making quality TV Boxes and mini PCs. Equipped with an Allwinner H6 SoC., it is also Beelink’s first product that supports 6K video decoding. But how does it really perform in our daily life and how does it fare against the more hyped Beelink A1 and Jide Remix IO? We will try to answer these two questions in this review.
Main Specs of the Beelink GS1
Operating System: Android 7.1
Processor: Allwinner Quad-Core Processor (4*[email protected], Mali-720MP2 GPU)
RAM: 4GB DDR3
Storage: 16GB eMMc Internal Storage, TF Card support (up to 128GB)
HDMI: HDMI 2.0a output up to [email protected] + HDMI 3D video formats
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1
Internet Access: dual-band WiFi 2.4G / 5.8G, 1000M Gigabit Ethernet
Ports: Ethernet port*1, SPDIF Port*1, DC port*1, Micro SD card slot*1, USB 3.0 Port*1, USB 2.0 Port*1, HDMI*1.
Dimension: 96mm*96mm*16mm (L x W x H)
Weight: 190g
Chassis: Black, ABS Plastic
Retail Package: TV box*1, Remote control*1, HDMI cable*1, Power adapter*1, User manual*1
Retail Package
The GS1 arrives with very beautiful and compact packaging which also feels very high-tech.
Inside the packaging you will find a GS1 TV box, a remote, an HDMI cable, a power adapter and an English user manual.
Design
Measured at 96mm*96mm*16mm, the GS1 isn’t the smallest TV Box we have ever reviewed, that crown still belongs to the Beelink A1 (77mm*77mm*17mm).
However it still has a much smaller footprint than the likes of Jide Remix IO and the Zidoo X9s (187mm*127mm*27mm).
While lacking in size, this device still offers a slew of ports and slots. On the back side of the box you will find a SPDIF audio port, an RJ45 Ethernet jack, an HDMI 2.0 port, a USB 2.0 Port and a DC port.
On the left side of the device, you will find a USB 3.0 port, and a Micro SD card slot which supports cards up to 128GB.
An IR receiver and an LED indicator are hosted on the front side, but they are almost invisible, only when you boot the device you will see the LED light up in blue. The tiny casing is made of white ABS plastic, which gives the device an elegant and premium look. A huge “6” (which indicates 6K video decoding) and a “Beelink logo” sit comfortably on the top side of the device.
There are some vents on the bottom side to keep the box from overheating. The 4 rubber feet are short, but still do a very good job at protecting the box from scratches.
The build quality of the GS1 is extremely good, even though the device is thin and with a plastic shell, it still feels quite sturdy.
The supplied remote is the same as the one that comes with the A1. Although with a predictably lightweight, plastic finish and limited mouse pointer functionality, it feels very well-built, and the box responds quickly to its commands and the infra-red range are acceptably long and broad.
Setting it up
Setting up the Beelink GS1 is extremely easy. Connecting it to a TV set (or projector) via HDMI, plugging in the charger and you are good to go.
System & Apps
The Beelink GS1 ships with Android 7.1 Nougat, with a tailor-made Beelink skin on top. The launcher has everything laid out beautifully and is very easy to navigate. The date and time is located at the top left with the temperature widget below. In the center of the screen you have a link to the media center, internet browser and Google Play Store, There are also shortcuts to “clear memory”, app drawer, and settings laying below. To the right is an area where users can pin their most commonly used apps. Finally at the bottom left you have shortcuts to power, volume, at the bottom right you have shortcuts to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.
The navigation bar at the very bottom is defaulted to be hidden, but you can bring it up with a mouse. It has many virtual keys, including a back key, a home key, a recent apps key, a screenshot key, a volume- key, a volume+ key, a hide-bar key and a power key.
The GS1 doesn’t come loaded with bloatware, but there are some preinstalled apps. Besides the stock Google Play Store, Android Web Browser, Calculator and Gallery, you can also find Beelink’s very own App Store, Bee Files Explorer, Media Center and Bee Music in the app drawer.
As a TV box, the GS1 is designed mainly for media consumption, and you can find a great number of media playback apps in Google Play, including YouTube, Netflix, Kodi and Hulu. The GS1 has no problem streaming 4K videos smoothly on YouTube, and I rarely notice any hiccups playing local videos with the stock video player.
I complained about Beelink’s stock video player while reviewing the A1, but the one preinstalled on the GS1 works really fine, not only is it loaded with useful features, it is also very responsive to the remote control.
The PiP (Picture in Picture) function allows you to watch a video and do other things at the same time, but it did take me a while to figure out how to return to full-screen mode.
Running on Android 7.1 Nougat means the GS1 can also handle tasks such as E-Mails, Web-browsing, social networking and even gaming.
Like the A1 and other high-end Android-based TV boxes, the GS1 supports OTA (Over-the-Air) firmware upgrades. Beelink is known for its excellent support for its products, the A1 I had reviewed received 5 updates within just 1 month, and I am expecting nothing less from my GS1.
Performance
The Beelink GS1 is powered by an Allwinner H6 processor, which contains 4 cores of Cortex-A53 CPU and two cores of Mali-720MP GPU. There’s also 2GB RAM under the hood to handle multi-tasking. You’d probably think that the GS1 is no match for the A1 in terms of performance as the latter comes with 4GB RAM, but the benchmarks tell a different story.
In Antutu V6 benchmark test, the GS1 scored 44,207, putting it in front of the A1 (33,992) and other competitions such as the Jide Remix IO (32,981), the Zidoo X9s (33,990) and Jide Remix Mini (23,919).
In Geekbench 4 CPU test, the GS1 notched 681 in single-core, 1,703 in multi-core, and 1,247 in computing.
In the PCMark 8 Work 2.0 test, the GS1 snatched 3,393, which is on par with the scores of many entry-level smartphones. The GS1 may not be able to compete with flagship Android smartphones and tablets, but it is quite powerful by the TV box standard.
As for the real-world performance, like many other Android-based TV boxes, the GS1 is pretty smooth when we set the HDMI output at 1080P resolution. In fact it handled most tasks faster than the A1. At 4K, the GS1 was still generally smooth and responsive, but there could be stutters every now and then. The slowdown in speed became the most noticeable while opening image-heavy webpages in the stock browser, as my unit failed to finish loading a few webpages in 4K.
The GS1 is also better at decoding videos than RK33X8 powered TV boxes such as the A1 and Jide Remix IO. In the Antutu Video Tester Benchmark, the GS1 scored 952 , compatible with almost all of the video formats included in the test. The GS1 also naturally supports 6K H.265 video decoding. Although it doesn’t make much sense to play 6K videos on a device which only supports 4K output, 6K playback is a useful feature whenever you are faced with 6K clips and no other options.
Limited by the 2GB RAM, multi-tasking was challenging for the GS1. There was normally slightly more than 1GB available RAM after startup. Not many apps could stay in the background simultaneously (the OS will kill apps automatically to free memories for apps running on the screen). Also, the box became slow and less responsive when playing videos in PiP mode. For example, it took a lot longer to launch new applications. I found myself clicking the memory cleanup shortcut on the homescreen quite often, which I never felt that much compelled to do when using the Beelink A1.
Generally speaking, the Beelink GS1 performs quite well as a media playback device. In fact it is faster than the A1 when handling most tasks. The RAM is somewhat a letdown, and prevents the box from reaching its full potential as an HTPC, but it is not really a deal-breaker, as most people wouldn’t need their TV boxes to run too many applications in the background.
Connectivity
The GS1 offers a slew of connectivity options. It supports 2.4GHz/5GHz dual band Wi-Fi. Although without an exposed antenna, the GS1 still has very solid reception, it could pick up more Wi-Fi hotspots than the Remix Mini and Remix IO when the three boxes were placed right next to one another. The RJ-45 Ethernet jack can also come in handy when you want more stable connection via a network cable. There’s also Bluetooth 4.1 on board to take care of local data transfer and connecting with audio and input devices. I connected the GS1 with a pair of Bang & Olufsen Beoplay S3 speakers and they worked fine together. If Bluetooth audio transfer doesn’t offer satisfying sound, the SPDIF port supports direct wired connection with most soundbars and speakers designed for TV.
The HDMI 2.0 port on the GS1 can output videos up to [email protected], and should support most TV sets, monitors and projectors. The 2 USB ports support external USB storages of up to 4TB. The Micro SD card slot had no problem reading my 128GB Transcend card.
Verdict
I loved my experience with the Beelink GS1, although slightly let down by Beelink’s choice of putting only 2GB RAM inside of the box. Still, it has found itself as a permanent resident of my living room. It’s also great to be able to carry around a cheap and small device that can be plugged into any HDMI monitor and play all of my favorite movies and TV shows. I am certainly looking forward to what Beelink has to offer in its future products.
real life experience
Hi,
Because of your review, which I liked, I bought this GS1.
And though the looks of it are good, performance and user experience are weak.
Installing Netflix through Google Playstore is not possible. And when you succeed to install it through Beelinks own Appmarket or sideloading it, you could not scroll through the movie list, at least, not up or down. After latest firmware update of 2018-01-12, the scrolling problem is solved. Its still not possible to install or update through Google Playstore though.
Also installing other apps in Goole Playstore fails. When searching for a app it just keeps searching.... I only managed to install apps by using my app library or scrolling through suggested apps. Apptoide just works fine by the way but is not the appstore I prefer, I just want to us Playstore.
The interface is a bit laggy and it is hard to see where you are - which is the active part on your screen. You have to use both cursor keys on your remote as well as the mouse function on it to be able to fully navigate.
I think the GS1 has a lot of potential but at the moment the firmware is just not good enough.
get playstore working after updating the firmware
redbrickbernie said:
Hi,
Because of your review, which I liked, I bought this GS1.
And though the looks of it are good, performance and user experience are weak.
Installing Netflix through Google Playstore is not possible. And when you succeed to install it through Beelinks own Appmarket or sideloading it, you could not scroll through the movie list, at least, not up or down. After latest firmware update of 2018-01-12, the scrolling problem is solved. Its still not possible to install or update through Google Playstore though.
Also installing other apps in Goole Playstore fails. When searching for a app it just keeps searching.... I only managed to install apps by using my app library or scrolling through suggested apps. Apptoide just works fine by the way but is not the appstore I prefer, I just want to us Playstore.
The interface is a bit laggy and it is hard to see where you are - which is the active part on your screen. You have to use both cursor keys on your remote as well as the mouse function on it to be able to fully navigate.
I think the GS1 has a lot of potential but at the moment the firmware is just not good enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just to report that to solve the google playstore issue after incremental update it is necessary to reset the box. once you do that, google playstore will work again. That was my experience.
GS1 very low quality netflix - DRM L1
I'm very disappointed! I bought and will not use because of this TVBOX (of 6k) not to run Netflix in FullHD. The quality is poor, especially on big TV. My intention was to use with Netflix on my old
52".
Only SD...480p max!!!
It would need to have DRM level 1 to Rum FullHD, but it only has level 3, ie, Netflix / Amazon only in SD
I'm already with the latest FW 106N0...
I hope Beelink solves this fast or I'll buy from another brand with DRM L1.
I was hoping to be able to use this device for powering a smart infoboard, however there's a huge flaw in the device and that is that screen rotation is completely disabled making it impractical for the use with portrait orientationed infoboards.
Found the explaination in the build.prop, "ro.sf.disablerotation=1". Too bad there's no root method available for this box as I can't change it without root or twrp/cwm recovery.
pitrus- said:
I was hoping to be able to use this device for powering a smart infoboard, however there's a huge flaw in the device and that is that screen rotation is completely disabled making it impractical for the use with portrait orientationed infoboards.
Found the explaination in the build.prop, "ro.sf.disablerotation=1". Too bad there's no root method available for this box as I can't change it without root or twrp/cwm recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This box should be pre rooted if I'm not mistaken.
Mine wasn't pre-rooted. However I contacted Bee-link about the problem, and they were kind enough to offer me a special version of the latest rom with support for portrait mode and it worked flawless using Kiosk Browser Lockdown-app from play-store. Must say I'm quite impressed by their respons. [emoji4]
Skickat från min ONEPLUS A3003 via Tapatalk
Hi,can you puth the link,I haw to, gs1 issue? Thanks
Can anyone post link to ACTUAL support for this box?
Beelink might as well be a criminal enterprise. My box now can't connect to google to sign in to play store.
Someone here should have warned wat a POS this box was.
Ratteler said:
Can anyone post link to ACTUAL support for this box?
Beelink might as well be a criminal enterprise. My box now can't connect to google to sign in to play store.
Someone here should have warned wat a POS this box was.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try contacting them directly, they do have a working website.
And from my experience excellent support. I actually got them to send me a special rom with vertical screen support for this box, this was however about one year ago so thins might have changed.
Skickat från min GM1913 via Tapatalk
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The good:
Beautiful, neat and compact design.
Excellent build quality.
Licensed Windows 10 Home and Microsoft Office Home.
Decent performance.
Big and fast SSD storage.
Lots of connectivity options.
The bad:
A relatively old Intel Broadwell processor.
Old DDR3L RAM.
HDMI 1.4 port only supports up to 4K/30FPS.
No SD or MicroSD card slot.
Beelink has put out many budget mini PCs in the past, most of them are Atom and Celeron based systems designed for only basic computing tasks. The newly released L55 is a different device, with a much more capable Core-i3 processor and 8GB RAM inside, it is definitely more marketed as a full-fledged PC rather than an HTPC that only sits in your living room for media playback purposes.
Specifications
Brand: Beelink
Model: L55
Type: Mini PC
System: Windows 10 Home
CPU: Intel Broadwell i3 5005U (Dual Core CPU, 4 logical processors)
GPU: Intel HD 5500
RAM: 8GB DDR3L
Storage: 256GB/320GB/512GB
Internet Access: Dual Band Wi-Fi, LAN
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
Ports: 4*USB 3.0, 2*USB 2.0, 1*3.5mm audio jack, 1*HDMI 1.4, 1*DP, 2*1000M Ethernet Jack, 1* DC-in port , 1*SATA HDD port, 1*M2.SSD port
Accessories: 2*HDMI cable, 1*SATA HDD cable, 1*DC adapter, 1* bracket, some screws
Size: 128*126*47mm
Retail Package
Like always, the L55 comes with the typical simple and neat packaging by Beelink.
There are lots of things in the L55’s relatively small packaging. You can find a 12V-3A DC power adapter, two HDMI cables (different in length), a SATA HDD expansion cable, a bracket and some screws which can mount the mini PC to the back of a monitor.
Design and Build
The overall design of the L55 doesn’t stray too far from previous Beelink Mini PC models, in fact it looks almost identical to the U55, the only difference you will notice at first glance is the color. The chassis is made of high-quality plastic. The matte dark blue finish looks nice. The Beelink branding on the top side is quite stylish, there’s also the famous “Intel inside” marking on the bottom right, reminding you that it’s a device powered by Intel chips.
Being as small as it is, the L55 has almost as many ports as a desktop PC does. The front of the L55 is home to a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, a red power button, and an activity LED (not lit in the photo) and an RTC hole. One of the USB 3.0 ports supports fast charging (up to 7.5W), and there is a green lightning marking above to distinguish it from the other.
There are lots of vents on the left and right side to prevent the L55 from overheating. The L55 doesn’t apply the fanless design used for many entry-level mini PCs, instead it has a high-speed fan inside the shell to cool the internals down when they are stressed.
The back side sports another pair of USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, a DP port, two RJ45 1000M Ethernet jacks, a DC-in port and some more vents.
Four small rubber feet are hosted on the bottom side, preventing the shell from scratches.
The L55 measures 128*126*47mm, even smaller than the Android-based Remix IO. The build quality is excellent, as the device looks extremely refined, with no ugly mold lines. It also feels extremely robust and sturdy, you won’t break it without some serious force. Also, the matte dark blue coating on the surface is very resistant to scratches. After 2 weeks of reviewing the device and moving it around constantly, I still haven’t found any marks on its surface of the L55.
Setting up
As small as it is, the L55 is a PC and needs to be connected with a display, a keyboard and a mouse to work, and that’s how you should set it up. There’s no conventional mouse and keyboard ports, so you need to get by with USB-mounted or Bluetooth input devices.
During first-time start-up, you will need to go through some of the Microsoft Windows initialization protocols, which is easy but will take some time. After that, you are good to go.
System & Apps
The Beelink L55 ships with a clean version of licensed Windows 10 Home OS, we found no pre-installed 3rd party applications and bloatware at all.
The local disk is a single volume (only Disk C) by default, but it is relatively easy to do disk partitioning on Windows 10.
You won’t need any 3rd party application, the “Disk Management” feature in “Computer Management” can take care of that or you, after less than a minute, we got two local disk volumes.
There are thousands of apps available in the Microsoft Store, if they are not enough, you can also install traditional PC apps. The Microsoft Office Student & Home Edition can be automatically activated once it is installed on the L55, we know a lot of people will welcome that.
We don’t feel like digging into all the main features of Windows 10. For those who is still unfamiliar and curious with this dominant PC operating system, we highly recommend you to watch some tutorial videos on YouTube.
Performance
The L55 is powered by a relatively old 5th generation Intel Broadwell Core-i3 5005 dual core CPU (2.0GHz), not the latest Coffee Lake (8th and 9th generation) chipset. This chip won’t match the latest Intel i5 and i7 chips found in mainstream laptops and desktops PCs when it comes to horsepower, but it is still very capable of handling normal everyday tasks. Like always, we ran some benchmarks on the device to see how much horsepower it was to generate.
In the Cinebench R10 test, the L55 scored in 3,023 Single core, 6,553 in multi-core, and 3999CB in OpenGL. These scores were significantly higher than the Beelink AP34 (single core: 1846, multi-core: 5470, OpenGL: 2782CB), which is powered by an Intel Celeron N3450 processor.
In the more complex Cinebench R15 test, the L55 was returned in 150cb CPU performance and 14.78fps in OpenGL.
The Fritz Chess benchmark returned a score of 3,878, which beats the scores of Atom and Celeron based PCs. But it is definitely not impressive, as the i3-8145U powered Huawei Matebook 13 scored 7190, and even the Core-M powered Xiaomi Laptop managed to score 4,691 in the same test.
In the PCMark 8 Home Accelerated test, the L55 scored 2451, handily beating those Celeron-powered mini PCs and laptops, of which the scores are normally below 2000. But it is still nowhere near the scores of mainstream PCs.
The SSD in the L55 is undoubtedly faster than the eMMc found in entry-level mini PCs and convertible Windows tablets, as the device scored 754 in AS SSD benchmark. The sequential read and write speeds are almost as fast as that of my Surface Pro 3 (539MB/s & 484MB/s), but still significantly slower than the SSD inside my Huawei Matebook 13 (2155MB/s & 1485MB/s). There are 3 variants of L55, which have different built-in storage. The one that we received has 512GB M2. SSD inside. The storage of the L55 is upgradable with SATA HDD up to 2TB. If that’s not enough, you can even replace the stock M2. SSD with a 1TB drive.
Although the L55 is capable of outputting 4K resolution (3840*2160px), we won’t recommend people to set this resolution as default. As there is no discrete graphics card under the hood, 4K will be too much for the integrated Intel HD5500 during some productivity tasks, 1080P is still a far more reliable choice on most occasions.
The L55 was capable of playing all the media files we threw at it, including various 4k video clips, the playback was smooth in Windows Media Player and Thunder Video Player all the time, but there were stutters while playing 4K videos of webm formats in Windows 10’s Movies & TV app.
We also had no problem streaming full HD and 4K YouTube videos in Chrome. But playing 8K videos in YouTube was an extremely laggy experience we won’t recommend anybody to try.
The device was also smooth with most of the productivity tasks. We didn’t notice any lags editing our image-heavy presentation in PowerPoint. Editing photos in Photoshop is also a generally smooth experience, but some of the renderings did take a noticeable longer period of time than they did on my i7-powered Surface Laptop.
The Beelink has 8GB of DDR3L RAM on board, so it is also able to handle some serious multi-tasking. We did hear the fan inside the L55 making some noise when the device was under heavy loads, but it never got unbearably loud. Fortunately, the CPU temperature never got too high to trigger a warning from Ludashi (a Chinese PC monitoring app).
The HD5500 GPU is powerful enough for all games installed from the Microsoft Store, including Forza Horizon 4 and Modern Warfare. All of them ran smooth and remained responsive even at the highest settings. We actually enjoyed playing Asphalt 9 Legend on the L55 quite a lot, it was easy to control, the visuals were stunning, too. Lightweight desktop games such as Plant vs Zombies, Chicken Shoot and Stealth Bastard also ran smoothly on the L55, older versions of big titles such as SEGA Virtua Tennis and Asphalt 5 ran without hiccups as well. However, the L55 doesn’t come with a discrete graphics card, so it is definitely not built for the most graphic-intense titles such as the Metro 2033, GTA 4 and StarCraft. The games took a long time to load, and the frame rates were sometimes unacceptable during gameplay.
To sum it up, the L55 can deliver decent computing performance while running the types of software applications that average consumers use on a daily basis, but it is not designed as a workhorse for multimedia editors or other professional designers, nor is it the right PC for gaming enthusiasts.
Connectivity
The L55 supports dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz & 5GHz). Wi-Fi connection was pretty solid as well. We put the L55 on the TV cabinet in the living room (the WiFi router was placed in another room), it was still able to download files at the same top speed.
The L55 can be connected to input devices and sound systems (headphones or speakers) wirelessly via Bluetooth, which saves you from the messy wires on your desktop, and frees the USB ports for other devices. We connected the L55 with our pair of Bang & Olufsen S3 speakers and enjoyed a lot of music and movies, the audio transmission remained uninterrupted.
There are 6 USB Type A ports (4*USB 3.0 and 2* USB 2.0) on the L55, you can mount lots of external devices at the same time. We mounted a 4TB Seagate mobile drive, a 128GB Samsung mobile SSD drive, and two 128GB flash disks, the L55 has no problem supporting them all at the same time.
The transfer speed through the USB 3.0 port is pleasantly fast. It normally takes only seconds to copy an HD movie from a flash disk.
The DP and HDMI ports will support most of the monitors, projectors and TV sets, but if you are using an old monitor with only VGA or DVI port, you will have to get by with an adapter. Unfortunately, the HDMI port on the L55 is HDMI v1.4 standard, which can only output resolution up to 2K/60fps or 4K/30fps. If you connect the L55 with a 4K TV via an HDMI cable, you won’t be able to get the highest image quality. The DP port on the device does support 4K/60fps output, but very few monitors do, and HDTVs don’t usually come with a DP port.
The Beelink L55 has two 1000M RJ45 Ethernet jacks, allowing you to connect to two network broadband services at the same time. This could be useful if you use the L55 in a workplace, as employees may need to connect both to the internet and the company intranet. Also, for higher-level users, they can combine the broadband width of two network services to achieve higher download and upload speed.
Verdict
Beelink has made a few choices which seem odd to us reviewers. Besides equipping the L55 with a relatively old 5th generation processor in a year when all new releases come with more advanced 8th and 9th generation i-series processors, they have also chosen to feature an old HDMI 1.4 port. Even more, the Micro SD card slot found on the U55 disappeared on the L55, we really wonder if it’s a choice made merely to save cost or for other reasons.
Besides a few puzzling choices, the L55 is still a solid device which has a lot going for it. With a Core-i3 5005U processor and 8GB DDR3L RAM inside, it is definitely not only designed for media consumption. Instead, it is able to get a lot of things done without a hitch. If you don’t use your PC for intensive gaming or complex designer work, the horsepower of the L55 will simply be more than enough for you.
The prices of L55 starts from $269 (256GB version), and the 512GB version costs $299. These prices are definitely higher than the prices of Atom and Celeron powered mini PCs. But we do believe the features, performance and functionalities of the L55 justify the price tag. If you want an inexpensive desktop computer which is small, stylish and compact, but is still powerful enough for everyday computing tasks, the L55 is worthy of your consideration.
Really a lovely piece of tech. I am using it now on a daily basis.
Hope more people could see this review, it took me a long time to test the device.
I don't think this processor is future-proof, it may not be smooth in 2-3 years.
Twitch007 said:
I don't think this processor is future-proof, it may not be smooth in 2-3 years.
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It really depends on what you use it for.
Lower benchmark scores than I expected.
And that monitor really looks oooooooooooold!
GadgetSino said:
And that monitor really looks oooooooooooold!
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:cyclops:
jupiter2012 said:
It really depends on what you use it for.
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Not really, the system will be slowed down by Microsoft on purpose, which is not related to how u use it.
Twitch007 said:
Not really, the system will be slowed down by Microsoft on purpose, which is not related to how u use it.
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My PC has served for 5 years without slowing down.
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For:
Nice design and solid build.
High-end hardware and impeccable performance.
Lots of connectivity options.
Dual ES9018 Hi-Fi DAC.
7.1-channel audio certified by DTS and Dolby.
Bays for dual HDD with capacity of up to 32TB.
Against:
Operating system is not optimized to match the hardware.
LED cannot be turned off.
The NAS app is not user-friendly.
NAS service is expensive.
Range of Bluetooth is very limited.
Last year’s Beelink GT-King Pro has drawn lots of eyeballs since its release. Not only was it the first TV box to run on Amologic’s powerful S922X-H processor, it also introduced fancy features such as Dolby Audio, DTS Listen, and dual ESS ES9018 Hi-Fi DAC that could drive headphones with an impedance of up to 600Ω. But have you ever imagined a TV box which can also work as a NAS device? Well, Beelink is certainly thinking ahead of most of us. The recently released GS-King X comes with the hardware which made us fall in love with the GT-King Pro, but also supports dual HDD NAS of up to 32TB!
Main Specs
Operating System: Android 9.0
Processor: Amlogic S922X-H chipset
CPU: big.LITTLE Hexa-core CPU (4*[email protected], 2*Cortex-A53*1.8GHz)
GPU: Arm Mali-G52MP6
RAM: 4GB LPDDR4
Internal Storage: 64GB eMMc
Storage Expansion: two 3.5’’ hard drives of up to 32TB. 1 MicroSD card.
HDMI: HDMI 2.1 Output up to 3840*[email protected]
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1
Audio: DTS Listen and Dolby Audio
DAC: Dual ESS ES9018 32bit Hi-Fi Audio DAC
Internet Access: Dual-band WiFi 2.4GHz/5GHz, Gigabit Ethernet
Ports: Ethernet port*1, DC-in port*1, BAL port*2，RCA port*2, MicroSD card slot*1, USB 3.0 port*3, USB 2.0 port*1, HDMI 2.1*1, SPDIF*1, 3.5mm audio jack*1, HDD bay*2.
Dimension: 165*118*106mm
Power Supply: 19V DC/3A
Weight: 1070g (without hard drives)
Chassis: dark blue, aluminum
Retail Package: GS-King X media center*1, remote controller*1, HDMI cable*1, power adapter*1, user manual*1, service card*1, HDD bracket*4.
Retail Packaging
The Beelink GS-King X comes with beautiful retail packaging. “Storage” and “DTS & Dolby Audio” are highlighted on the cover of the package, meaning these are the major selling points of this device.
In addition to the GS-King X media center itself, inside the package you’ll also find a DC Adapter, an HDMI cable, a remote, four hard drive brackets, a user manual, a dual-os guide card, and an HDD installation guidebook. The user manual offers instructions in many different languages, including English, German, Russian, Spanish, French, Italian and Japanese.
The DC adapter is rated 57 watts (19V-3A), which is a huge leap from last year’s GT-King Pro (24W), mainly because the GS-King X needs more power to keep an active cooling system and two 3.5’’ hard drives working at the same time.
Design and build
With a premium metal case and matte dark blue finish, the GS-King X doesn't look like a conventional TV box. It has the form factor more of a high-end mini PC. The front of the device displays a skull identical to the one found on Intel NUC Skull Canyon. The eyes of the skull will light up in green when the media center is connected to power, and turn blue when the device is booted.
Audio performance is a major selling point of the GS-King X, that’s why you will find “DTS Listen” & “Dolby Audio” licenses on the front side, along with a MicroSD card slot, two USB 3.0 ports and a nice-looking power button.
A slew of interfaces can be found on the rear side of the GS-King X. The Hi-Fi sound section plays host to a 3.5mm audio jack, two RCA ports, and two Balanced audio ports. The TV box section hosts a DC-in port, an AV port, one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port with OTG, an HDMI 2.1 port, an optical SPDIF port, and an RJ45 Ethernet jack.
The top side displays the brand logo, as well as small ventilation dots which group into two capital letters: “GS”, citing that this device belongs to the new “GS” series.
Vents can also be found on the left, right and rear side of the GS-King X. Unlike average TV boxes, the GS-King X has an active cooling system inside, which prevents it from overheating.
The device measures 165mm x 118mm x 106mm and weighs 1070g (without hard drives). The build quality is excellent. Not only does the box look extremely polished, but it also feels quite sturdy, thanks to the premium metal build.
But one thing that constantly annoys me and many other testers is that the green LED lighting of the eyes cannot be turned off in the settings or by pressing any button on the box, the only way to make them go out is by unplugging.
The GS-King X is not just another TV box, with NAS being a big part of its identity. But 64GB internal storage is obviously not enough to make NAS out of it, that’s why the box comes with not only one, but two 3.5’’ HDD slots, and supports storage of up to 32TB.
Installing the hard drives is as simple as it can get. The provided brackets also serve as guiderails of the hard drive, all you need to do is to push the HDD into the slot after fixing the brackets on it. The process only takes a few minutes if you follow the instructions of the guidebook and do everything right.
The supplied remote is a little bit plasticky, but still feels fairly well-built. The GS-King X responds quickly to its commands and the infra-red range are acceptably long and broad. The remote also comes with a 2.4GHz USB receiver, which can turn the remote into an air mouse once plugged in. When you run apps not specifically optimized for Smart TV or TV boxes, this feature will be extremely helpful.
The remote also supports voice control, and allows you to ask Google Assistant to launch apps, play videos, mount web searches simply by saying “OK Google” followed by your command. For me, this saves a lot time when I am searching for certain videos in the YouTube app, as typing is not always convenient using the virtual key board on the screen.
Setting it up
The Beelink GS-King X doesn’t need much setting-up. Connecting it to a TV set (or projector) via HDMI, plugging in the DC power adapter and you are good to go. After being powered on, the capital letters “GS” will show up on the TV screen, with some animation going on around it. The startup is quite fast, as the familiar Beelink homescreen will appear only seconds later.
System & Apps
The Beelink GS-King X ships with Android 9.0 Pie, with the very familiar Beelink TV box skin on top. While the operating system may seem dated, considering that the latest smartphones are running either Android 10 or Android R now. But for TV boxes, this is arguably as up-to-date as you can get. Many smart TV and TV boxes on the market are still running Android 6 or Android 7.
The launcher has everything laid out beautifully and is very easy to navigate. The date and time are located at the top left with the temperature widget below. In the center of the screen you have a link to the media center, internet browser and Google Play Store. There are also shortcuts to “clear memory”, app drawer, and settings laying below. To the right is an area where users can pin their favorite apps. Finally, at the bottom left you have shortcuts to power, volume, at the bottom right you have shortcuts to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB Mounted storage and Network Storage. The navigation bar at the very bottom is defaulted to be hidden, but you can bring it up with a mouse. It has many virtual keys, including a power button, a back button, a home button, a recent apps button, a screenshot key, a volume- button, a volume+ button and a hide-bar button.
Like all Beelink products, the GS-King X doesn’t come loaded with bloatware, but there are some preinstalled apps. Besides the stock Google Play Store, Chrome and Gallery, you can also find Beelink’s very own App Store, Bee Files Explorer, Media Center, and Movie Player in the app drawer.
The Google Play Store is the normal phone and tablet variant instead of the TV version found on many other Google certified TV boxes. Although there are more apps in the tablet-version Play Store, you won’t get most of your favorite TV apps here.
Still, you can install the TV version of YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video from Beelink’s very own App Store, those apps work better with a remote. If these are not enough, there’s always an option to directly install .apk files of the apps you want.
Inside the retail package you can also find a MicroSD card which can be used for booting CoreELEC. The CoreELEC operating system provides TV/IPTV entertainment content available through Kodi. Switching from Android 9 to CoreELEC is very simple, you only need to press the power button on the front of the box, and click the virtual “System Switch” button on the screen.
NAS and SAMBA
NAS (Network Attached Storage) is the main difference between the GS-King X and last year’s GT-King Pro. Beelink is working with WeLine to provide NAS service to its users. The WeLine app allows users to access content stored in the HDD anywhere via WiFi or mobile data. We can also upload photos and videos to GS-King X for backup right after we took them. However, the WeLine App isn’t very easy to use, there are a lot of settings you need to get right before using the service.
Everyone who adds the GS-King X to their device list (by scanning the QR code on the bottom of the device) gets 50 credits, which will translate into data rates for you to visit the GS-King X’s storage with a different device. Once you use up these credits, you will need to purchase additional credits to keep the service alive, but they are not cheap. I would personally prefer a monthly or annual plan with unlimited data rate, but that’s not available at the moment. Beelink promises to offer free and better alternatives in the near future, but for now, WeLine seems to be the only answer, and it’s not that ideal.
In comparison, NAS with Linux-based operating system still offers much better user experience. But Android has limitless possibilities, and we have reason to believe that it might be the future of NAS solutions.
Fortunately, we can always use a SAMBA server instead, which allows us to visit the GS-King X storage with other devices (smartphones, PCs, tablets) in the same network. I am using the CX Explorer at the moment, and there are also many other alternatives you can find in Play Store. Beelink is going to integrate a native server into the GS-King X’s operating system, which will surely improve the convenience.
Performance
The Beelink GS-King X is powered by the Amlogic S922X-H SoC., the same processor found on last year’s GT-King Pro. It contains 4 cores of Cortex A73 clocked at 2.21GHz, 2 cores of Cortex-A53 clocked at 1.8GHz, and a beefy Mali-G52MP6 GPU clocked at 846MHz. There’s also 4GB LPDDR4 RAM under the hood to take care of multi-tasking.
Having tested the GT-King Pro, I was returned with predictable results in the benchmarks I threw at the GS-King X. While these numbers might not seem impressive to you, especially when compared to modern flagship smartphones and tablets. In the world of TV boxes, probably the only device beating the GS-King X in terms of horsepower is the Nvidia Shield TV.
The GS-King X is extremely smooth. Even with the HDMI output set at [email protected], I rarely experienced any hiccups, lags or delays when navigating through homescreens and settings, launching and switching between apps, loading image-heavy webpages.
As a pure media streamer, the GS-King X does as well as, if not better than, most competitions, thanks to the Advanced Video Engine Gen10 VPU integrated into the Amlogic S922X-H processor. In the Antutu video tester benchmark, the GS-King X scored 1072, out of the 30 tested items, only two video codecs were not supported.
I also played many videos of different formats in Kodi and MX Player, the GS-King X rarely struggled with anything I threw at it. Like last year’s GT-King Pro, the GS-King X supports Advanced HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and PRIME HDR, with the right videos and a nice HDTV, it is capable of delivering satisfying video playback experiences.
I haven’t encountered even the slightest of problems streaming 4K videos in the YouTube TV app or in Chrome. Only when I switched the resolution to 8K (in Chrome) did I notice serious lags and delays. Since the GS-King X can only output resolution up to 4K, there’s no point streaming 8K anyway.
Unfortunately, although the GS-King X supports the highest Widevine L1 DRM, you won’t be able to stream high-definition videos in Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, probably due to license issues. This might potentially be a deal-breaker for many devoted Netflix fans, and really a shame given how capable the hardware is.
The GS-King X is not designed to be just a streaming box. The mali-G51MP6 has enough power for most games you can find in Play Store. In the 3DMark app, the device notched 1608 and 1187 respectively in Slingshot and Slingshot Extreme tests.
I tried many games, including some of the most demanding titles on the GS-King X, most of them ran smoothly at moderate settings. But if you want the highest level of visual effects, you should expect some frameskip and even serious delays. A joystick is necessary if you intend to use the device as a gaming console.
Audio
The GS-King X also features dual ESS ES9018 HiFi DAC, which offers DNR up to 135dB, –120dB THD+N, and enables the box to drive headphones with high impedance (up to 600Ω). I plugged in my HiFiMan HE300 headphones and listened to a lot of music during the three weeks of testing, the sound coming from the GS-King X was significantly better than the that from my computer or smartphone. The GS-King X offers a 3.5mm headphone jack, RCA ports, and BAL ports for users to enjoy audio enhanced by the HiFi DAC.
The S922X-H processor has DTS Listen and Dolby Audio licenses, and the box itself is compatible with 7.1 audio systems. If you happen to have speakers certified by Dolby or DTS, you will be able to enjoy discrete surround sound from movies encoded with Dolby and DTS audio. The box features an optical SPDIF port for transmitting 7.1-channel audio,
Connectivity
The GS-King X offers lots of connectivity options. It supports 2.4GHz/5.8GHz dual-band Wi-Fi, but not the latest WiFi 6 or Wi-Fi 6+. Fortunately, the box has solid reception and is able to pick up more Wi-Fi hotspots than most of my older TV boxes and mini PCs. The 1000M Ethernet jack also comes in handy whenever I want enhanced stability and even higher bandwidth. There’s also Bluetooth 4.1 on board to take care of local file transfer and pairing with audio and input devices, saving u from all kinds of annoying wires. When connected with speakers and headphones, the supported codecs are SBC and AAC, you won’t get superior codecs like aptX or LDAC.
The HDMI 2.1 port on the GS-King X can output videos up to [email protected], and should support most TV sets, monitors and projectors. In comparison, the Nvidia Shield TV and many other TV boxes are still using HDMI 2.0 or HDMI 1.4 ports.
Verdict
The GS-King X is an interesting device with many fancy features and a ton of potential. But Beelink needs to work hard to improve the NAS service and make it more affordable to its users.
At $289, the Beelink GS-King X is a lot pricier than last year’s GT-King Pro ($145), which runs on the same processor and serves identical TV box functionalities. But the GS-King X does have its advantages. Besides dual HDD NAS, it also offers more ports, and has an active cooling system to prevent overheating. But are these features worth digging deeper into your pocket? Different people will surely have different answers.
For average consumers who just want a top-of-the-line TV box for video streaming and occasional gaming, I would still recommend the GT-King and GT-King Pro, both of which can handle TV box tasks as well as the GS-King X. Even if storage is important to you, please do not forget that these boxes are also able to mount mobile drives of up to 4TB, only that you won’t be able to use them as NAS devices.
This article should be read b6 more people
Jupit3r said:
This article should be read b6 more people
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Hello and thank you for the article.
I have slow speeds for accessing the Beelink GS-King X with the WeeLine app from outside the network (away from home). What maximum speed did you have? Do you know an alternative for that?
Thank you.
I love the design of the logo.
inrainbows said:
I love the design of the logo.
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A copy of Skull Canyon, lol
Great review -the best I have seen yet on the beelink gs king x
On the NAS front I find WeLink hard to use. You helpfully suggested CX Explorer, but is there any file explorer or preferably NAS s/w that also works on Windows to allow you to transfer data from both Windows and Android or iOS devices to the beelink gs king x hard drives? Even better if it allows you to backup from all devices to the King X
Very good review! kudos
hi,
Is there no way to restrict NAS folder access by app ?!
Beelink GS King X Android 9.0
Hello, can someone please send me the settings.apk system app for android 9.0?
But not the one with the white background, but the black one with the sidebar on the right. Please, I'm going insane and can't find it. Unfortunately I uninstalled it and didn't back it up.
1000 thanks to you.
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The good:
Attractive design and nice build quality.
Top of the line hardware and impeccable performance.
Lots of connectivity options.
Google Play for Android TV.
Android 11.
The bad:
No Netflix or Amazon Prime Video in HD.
Beelink, a Chinese brand famous for making mini PCs and TV boxes, recently released a new streaming device called the GT-King II. This TV box comes with the new Amlogic A311D2 AoC, 8GB LPDDR4 RAM, 64GB eMMc 5.1 storage, and Android 11 operating system.
Main Specs
Operating System: Android 11
Processor: Amlogic A311D2 chipset
CPU: big.LITTLE Hexa-core CPU (4*[email protected], 4*Cortex-A53*2.1GHz)
GPU: Mali-G52MP8
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4 @4266Mbps
Storage: 64GB eMMc 5.1 Internal Storage, MicroSD Card Support
HDMI: HDMI 2.1 Output up to 3840*[email protected]
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.2
Internet Access: WiFi 6 IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4G 5.8G, Gigabit Ethernet
Ports: Ethernet jack*1, DC-in*1, MicroSD card slot*1, USB 3.0*2, USB2.0*1, HDMI 2.1*1, SPDIF*1, 3.5mm audio jack*1
Dimension: 108 x 108 x 15mm (L x W x H)
Power Supply: 12V DC/1.5A
Weight: 190g
Chassis: black, plastic
Retail Package: TV box*1, remote controller*1, HDMI cable*1, power adapter*1, user manual*1
What’s inside the box
The retail packaging of the Beelink GT-King II is simple but attractive, you can find half of a skull on the top side, along with the roman numeral II. This TV box also supports WiFi6, which is highlighted with a red logo. Inside the package you will find a TV box, a Bluetooth remote, an HDMI cable, a power adapter, a user guide, and a manual for the remote.
Design
The GT-King II employs the same shape and size of the original GT-King. The matte black finish of the chassis looks pretty nice, while the skull on the top side looks identical to the one on the famous Intel NUC Skull Canyon mini PC. The eyes of the skull will light up in green when the mini PC is booted, but the LED is a little dimmer than I would have liked.
As small as the GT-King II is, it still packs plenty of I/O, including two USB3.0 ports, 1 USB2.0 port, a MicroSD card slot, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, an HDMI2.1 port, a Toslink SPDIF port as well as a DC input.
The GT-King II measures 108 x 108 x 15mm and weighs 190g, compact even by TV box standards. The build quality is quite solid, not only does the box look extremely polished, with no ugly mold lines on the surface, but it also feels reasonably sturdy in my hands.
Setting it up
Setting up the Beelink GT-King II is as easy as setting up any TV box. Connecting it to a TV set (or projector) via HDMI, plugging in the DC power adapter and you are good to go. After being powered on, a skull will show up on the middle of the TV screen, with its eyes blinking in different colors.
The startup is quite fast, as the familiar Beelink homescreen will show up only seconds afterwards.
The included remote connects with the TV box via Bluetooth, and pairing them up is quite simple. Compared to the 2.4G remote of older Beelink TV boxes, this new remote is not only more responsive, but also less prone to the interference by other wireless signals.
System & Apps
The GT-King II ships with Android 11 Velvet Cake, with the very familiar Beelink skin on top. The launcher has everything laid out beautifully and is very easy to navigate. The date and time are located at the top left with the temperature widget below. In the center of the homescreen you have a link to the media center, internet browser and Google Play Store, There are also shortcuts to “clear memory”, app drawer, and settings laying below. To the right is an area where users can pin their favorite apps. Finally, at the bottom left you have shortcuts to power, volume, at the bottom right you have shortcuts to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.
The navigation bar at the very bottom is defaulted to be hidden, but you can bring it up with a mouse. There are several virtual keys, including a power button, a back button, a home button, a recent apps button, a screenshot key, a volume rocker and a hide-bar button.
The GT-King doesn’t come with any bloatware, but there are some preinstalled apps. Besides the stock Google Play Store, Chrome, Calculator and Gallery, you can also find Beelink’s very own App Store, Bee Files Explorer, Media Center, Movie Player and Bee Music in the app drawer.
Unlike the first generation GT-King, which comes with the phone and tablet version of Google Play Store, the GT-King II comes with the Play Store for Android TV. If you want to install apps designed for phones and tablets, you will have to find them on 3rd-party app stores, or download .apk files from websites such as APK Mirror and APK Pure. Also, because the GT-King II is running on 64-bit version Android OS, I didn’t encounter any compatibility issues like I did with the original GT-King.
Besides Android, the GT-King II is also compatible with many ARM64-based Linux distributions, including Manjaro, Ubuntu and Debian. You can even run emulators of old and modern gaming consoles on this TV box. Its beefy processor should enable it to run most retro gaming titles smoothly.
Performance
The Beelink GT-King is powered by the new Amlogic A311D2 chipset, which contains 4 cores of Cortex A73 clocked at 2.2GHz, 4 cores of Cortex-A53 clocked at 2.0GHz, and a beefy Mali-G52MP8 GPU. There’s also 8GB LPDDR4x4266 RAM under the hood to handle multi-tasking.
In Antutu V9 benchmark test, the GT-King II scored an impressive 276,082, putting it way ahead of almost all the other TV boxes we have tested. It even outpaced the mighty Nvidia Shield TV (134,341).
In Geekbench 5 CPU test, the GT-King II notched 332 in single-core, and 1,444 in multi-core.
In the PCMark Work 3.0 test, the GT-King II snatched 6,974, which is on par with the scores of many mid-range smartphones, easily blowing most of the other TV boxes out of the water.
In the more graphics-focused 3DMark test, the GT-King II scored in 2,663 Slingshot, still falling short of the Nvidia Shield TV, which notched an incredible 3,897 in the same test.
When it comes to video decoding, the GT-King II really shines. It excelled all 30 subtests in the Antutu Video Tester Benchmark.
As for the real-world performance, the GT-King was more than capable of handling normal day-to-day TV box tasks. Even when the HDMI output was set at 4K, I still experienced no hiccups, lags or delays while navigating the user interface and settings, loading multiple image-heavy webpages in chrome, or lauching big streaming applications.
Streaming 4K/60fps videos in the YouTube TV app was extremely smooth, so was playing movies and TV shows in Tubi and many other streaming services. Unfortunately, even though GT-King does support Widevine L1, you won’t be able to play content in HD on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. I consulted Beelink’s technical team and was told that these streaming services required TV box makers to purchase their extremely expensive licenses, which Beelink doesn’t consider worthy investments at the moment.
The GT-King II is by no means just a video streaming device. It packs more than enough power for the all the titles you will find in Google Play Store. Once the GT-King II is paired up with a gamepad, you can enjoy graphics-intensive games such as Snowboard Party, Asphalt 8, and Bomber Friends. Genshin Impact, which is demanding even for midrange smartphones, could run smoothly on this TV box in 1080P and the lowest quality settings.
The GT-King II can also be turned into an Android PC by connecting to a mouse and a keyboard. Browsing image-heavy webpages in Chrome, editing photos in Snapseed, and working on your document in WPS Office will feel almost as smooth as using a midrange smartphone or tablet. However, I would not advise using the GT-King II as your main PC, unless your computing needs are very basic.
Connectivity
The GT-King II supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. Although the TV box doesn’t have an exposed antenna like some other streaming devices do, its connection to the wireless network is still more than solid, as long as you have a good enough router. You can stream PC games with the GT-King II wirelessly, without noticing any latency. The Gigabit Ethernet jack also comes in handy if you want to connect the TV box to the router via a cable for even faster data transfer.
The HDMI 2.1 port on the GT-King II can output videos up to [email protected], and should support most TV sets, monitors, and projectors. In comparison, the Nvidia Shield TV and many other TV boxes are mostly using older HDMI 2.0 or older HDMI ports.
The TV box comes with 64GB built-in storage, which is plenty of space for apps, games and media files. If that’s not enough, the microSD card slot had no problem reading my 128GB TF card, and the reading and writing speeds were decent, too. In addition, there are 3 USB ports to host multiple external storage devices. Data transmission through the 2 USB3.0 ports was quite fast, as I was able to play high bite rate 8K videos from my portable SSD smoothly. In comparison, most TV boxes only feature 16GB/32GB built-in storage, one or two USB ports, and no storage card slot.
Verdict
Priced at $189, the Beelink GT-King II is obviously not cheap, but its beautiful design, impeccable performance and superb networking capabilities still make it one of the most attractive TV boxes out there. For consumers who want a video streamer, a light gaming console, as well as an Android PC, the GT-King II is probably the best investment you can make right now.
Sorry, there is a way to have the play store app working for phones, because everything is almost impossible to install. or does it exist in custom firmware? thank you
Recently purchased this after connecting to the wifi I am now currently getting a black screen on boot up. No idea what the problem is. Anyone have any ideas?
davidetri said:
Sorry, there is a way to have the play store app working for phones, because everything is almost impossible to install. or does it exist in custom firmware? thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you can try to download the play store app on apkmirror and install it directly.
davidetri said:
there is a way to have the play store app working for phones,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could use lucky patcher to install play store but you will need Magisk module for full support.
davidetri said:
because everything is almost impossible to install
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you should enable install from unknown sources in the settings menu and check the development options...
There are many complaints actually about the firmware on this box, hope there will be an update soon..
okwhateverok said:
You could use lucky patcher to install play store but you will need Magisk module for full support.
Maybe you should enable install from unknown sources in the settings menu and check the development options...
There are many complaints actually about the firmware on this box, hope there will be an update soon..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your input.
Does anyone know if a pro version will come out this time?
Hi I have the GT-King II like in this post, it is still stuck on Android 9, which find a shame, as I love the Box, and Have been on Bee Link site I cannot find any Firmware updates past 2022, if any has a link for Android 11, could they please post it for me, and a Guide how to update Firmware, Many Thanks to those who chose to reply...
The GT-King II ships with Android 11 Velvet Cake, "has anybody got a link to this", as i cannot find
it on Bee Link Site, I would love to flash mine with Android 11
Can Linux be installed on this box at moment stuck on Android 9, and no firmware updates, from manufacturer ??
huey45 said:
The GT-King II ships with Android 11 Velvet Cake, "has anybody got a link to this", as i cannot find
it on Bee Link Site, I would love to flash mine with Android 11
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure it is GT-King II that you got? The original GT-King ships with Android 9.
huey45 said:
Can Linux be installed on this box at moment stuck on Android 9, and no firmware updates, from manufacturer ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you can check Beelink's official forum
omniajet13 said:
Does anyone know if a pro version will come out this time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This one won't have a pro variant.