REVIEW: Beelink Kaby G7 a powerful miniPC with Intel Core i7-8709G and Radeon RX Vega GPU

Beelink Kaby G7 is a powerful mini PC made by the Beelink brand of which we present today in his review. A computer of small dimensions and great power, both at the CPU and GPU level, a similar model to the Intel Hades Canyon NUC that we saw a while ago. The Kaby G7 mounts the powerful Intel Core i7-8709G Quad core processor with eight threads that with its integrated Radeon RX Vega M GH GPU offers us enough power for any task and also allows us to play any modern AAA title. Let’s see how this device behaves in our usual review.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Unboxing

The Beelink Kaby G7 comes in a black cardboard box with the logo of the device, inside we found the Mini PC, HDMI and DP cables, Manual, DC 19V 9.47A adapter and his power cable.

Description

The Beelink Kaby G7 mini PC has a very compact design and has vents on the sides and bottom. On the front we have a status LED, audio jack and power button, while in the rear area we have the rest of the connectors where its quadruple video output with two HDMI 2.0b and two DP 1.4 stands out. The lights of the upper skull are changing to jumps in different colors and can only be deactivated by disconnecting a cable as explained.

On the motherboard of this mini PC we find the Wifi aC + BT 4.2 (Intel 3165) adapter with two internal antennas, on it we have the NVMe 2280 disk and on top a 2.5″ SATA disk holder. To cool the set we have a blower fan with heatpipes in contact with the processor and two small extraction sides. This mini PC does not have VESA support.

• Networks: Wifi ac + BT 4.2 (Intel 3165) with two internal antennas / Intel Ethernet Gigabit.
• Expansions: We can moun one NVMe and a SATA 2,5″.
• Extras: No.
• Lighting: Skull lights can be deactivated by disconnecting the white wire over the SODIMM modules.

SYSTEM AND PERFORMANCE

Environment and user experience

We boot the Beelink Kaby G7 by pressing the front button of the box, as indicated by the specifications we have Windows 10 Home 64bit correctly activated and the list of devices has all its drivers installed by default. The environment moves extremely fluid thanks to its powerful CPU in combination with the 16GB of RAM, this allows us to load a large number of navigation tabs or editing projects. A valid computer for office suites, multimedia and high level editing programs.

• OS Version installed: Windows 10 Home 64bit v1903.
• Software pre-installed: None.
• Tutorials mini PC: Control the mini PC with your Smartphone / Install Windows 10 / Migrate Windows to SSD

Networks, Storage, RAM and Ports

As for network adapters in the Beelink Kaby G7 mini PC, we have an integrated wireless Wifi aC + BT 4.2 adapter (Intel 3165) integrated and Gigabit Ethernet port. We also tested the 16GB of DDR4 2667MHz RAM that comes standard in Single Channel configuration and if we mount another SODIMM we can activate the Dual Channel improving the performance. We pass NVMe storage speed tests with our own PNY XLR8 CS3030 disk and observe that it behaves normally reaching its maximum speed.

• USB ports: We have five USB 3.0 ports.
• Network performance: Good speed with two internal Wifi antennas. / Range 41 dBm, OK. / Bluetooth OK.
• Tutorials mini PC:  Install Windows 10 / Migrate Windows to a SSD / Tutorial SAMBA on Android networks

Processor, performance and thermal

In the Beelink Kaby G7 mini PC we have an Intel Core i7-8709G Quad core processor with Eight wires that moves at 3.1 GHz and in turbo mode it reaches up to 4.1 GHz, this 14nm processor has a Intel HD Graphics 630 integrated GPU that seems not to be used at all since all video connectors go directly to the Radeon RX Vega M GH GPU. In the AMD Radeon Polaris 22 GPU we have 24EU, 32 ROP, 96 TMU and 1536 Unified Shaders, this GPU uses the 4GB of HBM2 memory that is in the same encapsulation which gives us a performance similar to a dedicated GPU. A mini PC that works perfectly for browsing, multimedia playback with KODI or high-level image / video editing.

• If you want to know some of the models in this comparative you can read their detailed reviews on this link.

• Power Consumption: Off 1.8W / Idle 22W / Basic use 38W / Max. 140W.
• Thermals: Idle 20ºC / Basic use 30ºC / Max. 76ºC / Maintains performance up to 99%
• Game performance: PUBG 75ºC / CPU 3 GHz average.
• Noise: 41/51db in the cooling fan / Not annoying but audible.
• Overclock: Available but we do not recommend touching the BIOS.

Games

We pass several benchmarks with games in the Beelink Kaby G7 this model thanks to the power of the Intel Kaby Lake-G processor and the Radeon RX Vega M GH GPU allows us to play some games without much demand in 4K resolution and allows us to move all current AAA titles satisfactorily with medium/high settings at 1080p smoothly. As we see in the test videos we can play GTA V, Fortnite or Overwatch without problems with high settings. We have this model in graphics at 1080p resolution because the performance is similar to a discrete GPU.

• GTA V / Overwatch / Fortnite / PUBG Lite: low settings, 720p* resolution and No VSync./ PUBG Lite configuration tutorial.
• LOL / CS:GO: low settings, 1080p resolution and No VSync.
  *On models with powerful discrete GPU settings in medium and 1080p resolution

VIDEO AND AUDIO TESTS

Playback test

If we check the video playback aspect the Beelink Kaby G7 makes exclusive use of its Radeon RX Vega M GH GPU that has hardware support for the HVEC codec and for VP9, in this processor we have support for 10bit color video, we also have HDR support although on our screen we have had You have to try several settings until you reach the appropriate screen mode to activate this function in Windows. Performance with advanced video formats may vary between KODI and the Windows serial player, usually

• Video output: Quadruple HDMI 2.0b + DP 1.4 / Max 4K@60fps / Adjust image quality in our TV.
• Audio output: HDMI with Intel HD audio up to 7.1 / Audio jack stereo / Without integrated microphone.
• Tutorials: Playback 4K videos with HEVC and VP9 seamlessly / Install KODI with add-ons / Judder effect (auto refresh rate)
• Configuration tutorial: Basic concepts and configuration for multichannel audio on Windows and Android

Video test

• * The maximum bitrate depends on the internal storage, usb port, Ethernet adapter or the limitations with our SAMBA Network.
• SW = does not have hardware acceleration and may have have some frameskip in very heavy files.

Audio test

• PCM – Stereo only doing downmix from DD or DTS
• Core – Only the core of the format is played back with what we passed to the Dolby / DTS base system
  * Our AV receiver does not support these native formats but we verify that it is played back to 7.1

Streaming services

In the streaming aspect the Beelink Kaby G7 mini PC with the most popular streaming services we pass some test for Youtube, Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime Video and others with their native apps or using the most compatible browser. You can consult our guides where we explain in detail all the best known streaming services, how to configure them and what requirements are necessary to see content in HD or 4K quality.

• Performance: Has hardware acceleration for VP9 4K codec on Youtube.
• Tutorial: Install Addons in KODI in a simple way / LibreELEC for PC

CONCLUSIONS AND BUY LINKS

Score

Beelink Kaby G7

0.00

7.8

Design

7.5/10

Hardware

9.0/10

Conectividad

7.5/10

Support

8.5/10

Price

6.5/10

Pros

• Powerful CPU and GPU
• AAA Gaming and 4K HDR Video
• NVMe and 2,5" disks
• Wifi ac and Ethernet Gigabit
• Compact

Cons

• High Price

Opinion

After analyzing the Beelink Kaby G7 it is possible to ensure that we are facing one of the most powerful mini PCs we have seen. The Intel Core i7-8709G processor and its integrated Radeon RX Vega M GH GPU makes any software we load not a problem at any kind of work. This small computer can be valid both for playing at a good level with AAA titles and for video or image editing with powerful projects.

The Beelink Kaby G7 mini PC keeps the temperatures low thanks to its fans, of course we have some noise especially when playing but it is bearable. At the level of network use the Wifi aC adapter behaves normally and we also have a Gigabit Ethernet adapter. The system BIOS is quite complete and is also compatible with other OS. We also have several USB 3.0 ports although we are missing at least one Type-C 3.1. At the video level we have four-way HDMI 2.0b + DP 1.4 output to connect up to four monitors, with support up to 4K resolutions at 60fps and HDR.

The Beelink Kaby G7 as we has see is a high power computer for work and gaming, a good mini PC model for desktop use, video/image editing and AAA games up to 1080p or even 4K in certain cases.

Where to buy

• As an alternative you can compare this product with our recommended models.

Beelink Kaby G7

0.00

7.8

Design

7.5/10

Hardware

9.0/10

Conectividad

7.5/10

Support

8.5/10

Price

6.5/10

Pros

• Powerful CPU and GPU
• AAA Gaming and 4K HDR Video
• NVMe and 2,5" disks
• Wifi ac and Ethernet Gigabit
• Compact

Cons

• High Price