Building on over last year’s Compute Stick that could turn any TV into a potential PC, Intel has announced three new variants with varying price tags for this year’s line-up.
The Sticks have gotten considerably more potent and pack more power options under the hood. The three new Compute Sticks give you choice for three processor options: a top-of-the-range Core M5, mid-range Core M3 and a low-end second-generation Atom x5. (That last model alone is almost twice as fast as before.)
The former two, being more considerably more high-end also pack 4 GB worth memory, as well as 64 GB of storage, expandable via microSD card slot. For connectivity you get a single USB 3.0 port. The Atom variant makes do with 2 GB RAM and 32 GB of storage, while also retaining a single USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports each for connectivity.
The top-end model features Intel’s vPro security and management features. The M3 version itself is capable of playing 4K video at 30Hz. You also get Wi-Fi 802.11ac standard and Bluetooth 4.1 combo adapters for wireless connectivity. For proper connections with a television, you have HDMI 1.4b.
Pricing is set at a higher standard than before. The starting Atom model costs $160 and comes with Windows 10 free. The Core M3 version sets you back by $300 and will charge $100 separately for Windows, while the top-end M5 model will cost $500 and comes without an OS.