New passive mini PC under the name of ASUS ExpertCenter PN42 is upgraded with Intel 12th Generation low-power processors.
Mini PCs with Intel N100 processors are very popular these days in the economic range. The ASUS brand also offers us a small passive computer based on this 12th Generation Intel, in it we find the popularIntel N100 and the not so well known Intel N200. Two solutions with a consumption of only 6 W TPD that allows us to use it without problems without the need for active ventilation.
A mini PC that allows us to use it in any environment without annoying ventilation noises, also allows us to run any office and multimedia app without problems. It also includes a large number of ports, some of them configurable.
ASUS ExpertCenter PN42 Specifications
The engine of the ASUS ExpertCenter PN42 we have several processor options, the most interesting ones are part of the Generation 12 with Intel Alder Lake-N technology, the manufacturing process is 10 nm (Intel 7).
- Intel N100 with 4 cores and 4 threads, 2.9/3.4GHz. Intel HD Graphics 750MHz GPU. TPD 6W.
- Intel N200 with 4 cores and 4 threads, 3.2G/3.7GHz. Intel HD Graphics 750MHz GPU. TPD 6W.
For RAM we have a DDR4 3200 MHz SO-DIMM slot supporting up to 16 GB. On the storage side we have a NVMe M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3x4 SSD socket which by default seems to come with 128 GB of storage, something we can expand.
Other features
Network connectivity offers a Wifi 6 or Wifi6E module with Bluetooth 5 and a 2.5G Ethernet port (other optional). As connectors we have on the front we have two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, two 3.5 mm audio connectors and power button with RGB light. On the back we have one HDMI 2.0 port, one DisplayPort 1.4, three USB-A 2.0, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 and another optional port that we can choose between USB-C, HDMI, DisplayPort 1.2, COM or VGA.
The power supply of the ASUS ExpertCenter PN42 is external, weighs 1 kg and measures 127.5 x 132 x 57.6 mm. In addition, it can be mounted on a VESA bracket behind the monitor. It is compatible with Windows 11 and Linux operating systems.
Price and availability
- The ASUS ExpertCenter PN42 mini PC can be purchased on Amazon only for $220, barebone version.
- We have other passive options available if we want to compare.
