Newsmay AC8 N6005 Computer Review
Intel’s new Jasper Lake N6005 CPU, having 4 cores operating at 2.0GHz~3.3GHz, was released as the Pentium Silver Processor in the first quarter of 2021. That is now available in small-form-factor NUC barebone kit from Newsmay called the AC8 N6005. Available at the time of writing through a market portal called globalsources for USD $150. That additionally requires DDR4 SODIMM RAM and a SSD drive to turn it into a functional computer.
The Newsmay AC8 N6005 is totally silent single board computer housed in a 127 x 127 x 48mm chassis that utilizes a larger sized heatsink rather than using fans. At idle the N6005 was 10C cooler than a similarly sized Beelink J4125 (with cpu fan). But under load the temperature fluctuated slightly higher than Beelink J4125 for first few seconds until the heatsink warmed. Creating increased airflow from convection that further helped cool the CPU. In normal operation the heatsink works extremely well in keeping CPU temperatures at bay.
The Newsmay AC8 N6005 has amazing connectivity for its diminutive size. Three displays up to 4K/60Hz. Six USB ports, four of them being USB 3.0. One Micro SD reader. An M.2 2230 slot for a Wireless and Bluetooth module. With a maximum of 32GB RAM in two slots. The two 16GB DDR4 SODIMM 3200MHz modules I purchased being fully accessible under Ubuntu 22.04.
The Newsmay AC8 N6005 is specified as having only one M.2-2280 SDD storage port. But there is another SATA 3 port with a mini power connection hidden away in one of the corners. Accessible by removing the underside cover (four screws). I am awaiting delivery of power connector to test that port (will advise).
The CPU is roughly 50 – 80% faster than J4125. The inbuilt graphics having 32 execution units compared to 12 for the J4125. But Intels UHD Graphics is really only suitable for desktop applications and games of yesteryear. I certainly wouldn’t consider using the N6005 to play MS Flight Simulator.
In moving my existing Ubuntu desktop from the J4215 to N6005 using clonezilla I also had to upgrade the Ubuntu kernel to the latest kernel to achieve graphics acceleration with the N6005. That kernel upgrade process explained here is simple enough. But sound and WIFI still didn’t work after upgrading the kernel. For now, I have just plugged in $5 USB sound dongle until I can find time to remedy those problems.
The performance of today’s low powered mobile chips is fast approaching the performance of high powered workstations of ten years ago whilst using 1/5 – 1/10th the wattage…
The Geekbench 5 score for J4125 (TDP=10W) is 429 for single core and 1383 multi core.
The Geekbench 5 score for N6005 (TDP=10W) is 774 for single core and 2415 multi core.
The Geekbench 5 score for 10yo I7-3770K (TDP=77W) is 850 for single core and 3334 multi core.
WebGL Aquarium simulation with 30,000 fish resulted in 15 fps on the J4125
WebGL Aquarium simulation with 30,000 fish resulted in 25 fps (18 fps at 4k) on the N6005.
I expect that WebGL frame-rate to improve as the Ubuntu graphic driver for the N6005 matures. I tested 4K content in Youtube with Chrome only experiencing a few dropped frames caused by buffering delay on startup.
The Newsmay AC8 uses a 12 volt adapter. Making it ideal computer for use in cars and caravans. The power consumption at idle in the Ubuntu desktop is 7.1 watts. Increasing up to 20 watts under load. The Newsmay AC8, being totally silent, makes an ideal media server for those with sensitive ears.
I now use the Newsmay AC8 as my primary desktop. Replacing a beelink J4125 that served me well over the years. With 32 GB of RAM (J4125 was limited to 8 GB) I can now run a full range of development and programming tools without worrying about RAM limitations. The N6005 certain feels more than adequate as a desktop computer. Feeling as fast as my old intel I7-3770K in the desktop thanks to its improved graphics performance.