Meet the New and Improved Intel Compute Sticks

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Building on the success of the Intel® Compute Stick introduced last year, at CES 2016 Intel unveiled new Compute Sticks based on 6th Gen Intel® Core™ M and the latest quad-core Intel® Atom™ processors. A tiny device about the size of a pack of gum, the Intel Compute Stick can transform any HDMI TV or display into a complete computer and improves upon the first generation in processing and graphics performance, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and additional USB ports. Both devices will be available in Q1 2016.
 
define "fully functional computer" with on 32GB storage and 2 GB ram? :confused:
 
2gb of ram is no different than any tablet out there. In this price range you won't likely get more. I think this fits a niche market and its priced well. USB ports for larger external drives as well.

I don't see any real complaint.
 
Quartz-1 said:
Only 64 GB storage for the top-end model? Windows and Office will take up most of that.
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Uh, what? Window 10 Enterprise, Office 2013 Pro Plus, lots of programs for work, and Adobe CS6 Design Premium, and I'm using 28GB in total. Now that I think about it, I have three Windows ISOs on my desktop, each around 3-3.4GB in size. If you seriously need more storage than what these offer, then this is not a product you would ever have a need for to begin with.
 
They have 4GB core versions, but honestly with the extra power dongles for usb, etc, I would rather just use their smaller version NUC. Sure it's significantly larger, but you can use legit ssd's, not just microsd cards, and you can put in real sodimms. You also can get a higher TDP that has a better GPU. I currently use an broadwell NUC in my mame box and it's pretty solid.

I'm not 100% sure why people want neutered pc's attached to tv's though. Roku and newest apple tv work very well w/o all the hassle of a keyboard/mouse. Now if you want a HTPC with dedicated GPU for gaming, then I understand, but I see them as dying off for plain media consumption.
 
"MSRP for Intel Compute Stick with Intel Core m3 processor is $399 with Windows 10
MSRP for Intel Compute Stick with Intel Core m5 processor is $499 with no operating system"

Not sure what would persuade someone to go with one of these, when a NUC would be more capable..
 
jedimasterben said:
Uh, what? Window 10 Enterprise, Office 2013 Pro Plus, lots of programs for work, and Adobe CS6 Design Premium, and I'm using 28GB in total.
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Leave it several months and watch it grow. My Windows folder alone is 49 GB.
 
The Atom model is only $159, and includes Windows 10.
The specs are basically the same as my Windows tablet, (1.8Ghz Quad core, 2GB ram, 32Gb flash) so it should be fine for web browsing, streaming video, etc.
 
I've toyed with the idea of getting one of these a few times so I'm glad they are getting better. Seems like a perfect match for digital signage, video surveillance displays, etc. Should be ok for an HTPC, honestly the atom version is cheaper than the Apple TV I recently bought and could do a lot more. It could play content from my media server, itunes, google play, websites without apps, flixster/etc. It should be able to as a steam link type receiver, an xbox one remote receiver etc. Probably more.

And none of those things need much if any local storage.

The downside is that you have to install windows updates and the user interface and switching between the services isn't ideal for a TV.
 
Also you might need the core-m version to get acceptable performance for some things and that's a lot more expensive.
 
andrewaggb said:
I've toyed with the idea of getting one of these a few times so I'm glad they are getting better. Seems like a perfect match for digital signage, video surveillance displays, etc. Should be ok for an HTPC, honestly the atom version is cheaper than the Apple TV I recently bought and could do a lot more. It could play content from my media server, itunes, google play, websites without apps, flixster/etc. It should be able to as a steam link type receiver, an xbox one remote receiver etc. Probably more.

And none of those things need much if any local storage.

The downside is that you have to install windows updates and the user interface and switching between the services isn't ideal for a TV.
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I've got a z8300 box in my livingroom hooked up to my TV, and both my wife and I have no issues with the interface...we just have a wireless keyboard/mouse in the livingroom. It's really not that much different from a remote, and what else are you gonna put on your coffee table most of the time? A coffee table book? :p

As to the rest of it - we use it for most of those things. Streaming movies and TV shows from various services or from my gaming PC, playing Steam games via the in-home streaming(which worked pretty darn well actually, although the input lag was a bit noticeable playing GTA V...I doubt that had anything to do with what CPU the box had). We paid $129USD for it and we're extremely happy with it. It's much, much than the junky(and more expensive) Android box we bought a year prior(and then sold for $80 somehow after we bought the z8300 box lol)
 
Quartz-1 said:
Only 64 GB storage for the top-end model? Windows and Office will take up most of that.
Click to expand...

You have to be kidding lol.. I have a windows 10 machine, UPGRADED from 8.1 (we can only imagine how much of that old install is hanging around) with apps and a game or two AND Office and its at 14gb used.

A 28gb windows folder is something I would expect from a less than savvy user of windows. I haven't even cut the fat by removing useless files. Just a standard install.

So your point is moot.
 
jlbenedict said:
Not sure what would persuade someone to go with one of these, when a NUC would be more capable..
Click to expand...
There are even some Core M convertible tablets in the $500 range, including much more storage using a real SSD and with a 1080p LCD, besides the benefits of being battery powered. Intel really needs to re-evaluate those Core M Compute Stick prices.
 
jlbenedict said:
"MSRP for Intel Compute Stick with Intel Core m3 processor is $399 with Windows 10
MSRP for Intel Compute Stick with Intel Core m5 processor is $499 with no operating system"

Not sure what would persuade someone to go with one of these, when a NUC would be more capable..
Click to expand...

They're a lot cheaper. The current Atom version runs $150 and that includes everything. There're smaller too but I think the NUC is probably small enough for most applications.
 
jlbenedict said:
"MSRP for Intel Compute Stick with Intel Core m3 processor is $399 with Windows 10
MSRP for Intel Compute Stick with Intel Core m5 processor is $499 with no operating system"

Not sure what would persuade someone to go with one of these, when a NUC would be more capable..
Click to expand...

yea, them prices are bonkers....
 
I just need a compute stick that has a PCI x16 slot on it. So I can throw a GT 630 in it
 
Quartz-1 said:
Leave it several months and watch it grow. My Windows folder alone is 49 GB.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you need to stop storing pornography in your Windows folder. :D I hope the number you threw out is bullshit or you need to do some serious troubleshooting as that's not normal. I have 30-40 programs (including Photoshop) and my entire C: drive is less than that.
 
I realize I am necroing a thread, but I just picked up a Core m3 version of the compute stick on eBay, and I needed somewhere to post how impressed I am by this thing.

I am putting Linux on it, so I am not worried about growing home folders, so that's not a concern for me.

I'm just stunned at how responsive this thing is on the desktop. Doesn't feel like a compact low power device at all.

From my testing with general desktop tasks, if I didn't know it was a compute stick, I would never have guessed.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
I realize I am necroing a thread, but I just picked up a Core m3 version of the compute stick on eBay, and I needed somewhere to post how impressed I am by this thing.

I am putting Linux on it, so I am not worried about growing home folders, so that's not a concern for me.

I'm just stunned at how responsive this thing is on the desktop. Doesn't feel like a compact low power device at all.

From my testing with general desktop tasks, if I didn't know it was a compute stick, I would never have guessed.
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So it's like a PC on usb drive? I mean size wise.
 
tangoseal said:
So it's like a PC on usb drive? I mean size wise.
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Yeah.

Well, a really big USB drive, with an HDMI connector instead of a USB connector, but still...

Some size reference:

IMG_20190929_002214.jpg
 
I have a z8350 with 2gb of RAM and 32 GB of storage that ive used for a year or 2. It just barely works. RAM and cpu are usable but the 32gb of storage just handicaps it. I had to turn off windows update because it will auto download the next feature update and run out of space and then you need to start deleting stuff. You need to get real creative to be able to install the feature updates so i just stopped.
 
Rockenrooster said:
I have a z8350 with 2gb of RAM and 32 GB of storage that ive used for a year or 2. It just barely works. RAM and cpu are usable but the 32gb of storage just handicaps it. I had to turn off windows update because it will auto download the next feature update and run out of space and then you need to start deleting stuff. You need to get real creative to be able to install the feature updates so i just stopped.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good candidate for a Linux install.

I never understood how Windows could be so inefficient with storage and RAM, when I can have a complete Linux desktop install with all the programs I'll ever need to use installed in about 8GB of disk space using only about a gig of ram in typical desktop tasks.

And your disk usage DOES NOT GROW like it does with Windows, unless you start saving lots of files.

I bet that z8350 would be pretty damned nice hanging from the back of a TV, serving as a Kodi box, using LibreElec. You'd need put your media library storage elsewhere (networked or external) but I still bet it would work really nicely.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Sounds like a good candidate for a Linux install.

I never understood how Windows could be so inefficient with storage and RAM, when I can have a complete Linux desktop install with all the programs I'll ever need to use installed in about 8GB of disk space using only about a gig of ram in typical desktop tasks.

And your disk usage DOES NOT GROW like it does with Windows, unless you start saving lots of files.

I bet that z8350 would be pretty damned nice hanging from the back of a TV, serving as a Kodi box, using LibreElec. You'd need put your media library storage elsewhere (networked or external) but I still bet it would work really nicely.
Click to expand...

Too bad you can't install another os on it.....ive already tried. Im not sure how you could even lock a pc down that much...
 
Quartz-1 said:
Only 64 GB storage for the top-end model? Windows and Office will take up most of that.
Click to expand...
A full office 365 install of professional plus including teams and all the extras is less than 5gb, win 10 Enterprise comes in around 12. I have lots of 64gb machines running smart boards and presentation equipment even a few laptops with no real space issues outside the rare occasion somebody tries to sync their phones photo album to one of them.
 
What the heck, thread necro? :D Well, I personally would not want one of these, no matter the cost.
 
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