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used mini pcs

CPU generation

Intel 12th Gen (Alder Lake) mini PCs

Alder Lake introduced Intel's hybrid layout: performance cores for bursty work and efficiency cores for background threads. Desktop chips launched in November 2021 and mobile chips in January 2022; the mobile parts are the ones in consumer mini PCs such as Beelink's SEi12 and Intel's NUC 12 Pro. The media engine is the same Gen 12 generation as 11th gen, with AV1 decode but no AV1 encode. Memory support spans DDR4, DDR5 and soldered LPDDR, so confirm which type a given box uses before buying upgrades. Windows 11 is supported, and Frigate's OpenVINO detector runs on the iGPU.

Released
2021
In mini PCs
Hybrid P-core plus E-core design; mobile chips used in mini PCs run from 10 cores (Core i5-1235U) to 14 cores (Core i7-12700H); first Intel generation with DDR5 support.
Windows 11
On Microsoft's supported list. 12th-gen Core i3/i5/i7/i9 are on Microsoft's Windows 11 supported lists.
Media engine
Quick Sync: HEVC 10-bit, VP9, AV1 decode
Frigate OpenVINO
Supported on the Intel iGPU
Memory
DDR4, DDR5, LPDDR4X, LPDDR5

1 model with Intel 12th Gen (Alder Lake)

Deciding between generations? See Windows 11 eligibility by CPU generation and Quick Sync transcoding by generation.

Other CPU generations