Review: Beelink EQi12 with Intel Core i5-1235U

Review unit provided by Beelink

The Beelink EQi12 is a budget mini PC released in August 2024 with price starting from USD 329. There are difference configurations which are equipped with Intel i12 series processors, with options for various RAM and storage capacity.

From the specifications I see, these mini PCs are targeted at people who just want a computer for simple computing needs but don’t want to spend too much. Even though they have budget level pricing, these mini PCs are still capable of handling serious multi-tasking. In other words, nowadays you don't actually have to spend that much money to get a good computing experience.

Specifications

Things included

• Mini PC
• Full-size HDMI to full-size HDMI cable
• Power cable (plug options available)

The review unit I received comes with the Intel Core i5-1235U with 32GB RAM and 1TB storage priced at USD 479. The unit with 16GB RAM and 500GB storage is USD 379.

There's also a little card inside that lets you choose whether to provide power to the USB ports when the mini PC is powered off. By default, the USB ports will not provide power when the mini PC is not powered on.

You'll need a pincer if you want to change the USB power option.

Design

The Beelink EQi12 is a mini PC that measures 126 x 126 x 44.2mm so it will not take up much space on the table. Weight is just 520g. It may be possible to buy one of those mini PC brackets that let you install the mini PC underneath a table, or behind a desktop monitor.

The plastic body with the dark gray colour looks quite generic. The only thing that calls out for attention is the shiny Microsoft Windows sticker on it.

Ports on the front are

• USB 3.2 type A
• 3.5mm audio jack
• USB 3.1 gen 2 type C
• Power button

On the back, there’s the fan exhaust and just below that are more ports:

• 2x USB 3.2 type A
• 2x full-size HDMI (4K 60Hz)
• 1x USB 2.0 type A
• 2x LAN 1000 Mbps
• Power

On the bottom there are little holes for fan intake. There are two long pieces of rubber feet with good grip on the table.

Upgradability

The four corners have crosshair screws which are hidden behind rubber covers that have to be removed with a small flat-head screwdriver.

Upgrading the RAM and SSD is easy. Once you unscrew the four screws, you can use the rubber flap to remove the plastic back plate.

The mini PC has two accessible RAM slots and two accessible 2280 PCIe 4 NVMe SSD slots.

To upgrade the RAM, just push the holders by the side to unhook the existing RAM pieces if any.

The SSD slots are stacked. You can unscrew and remove the top heatsink to access the top SSD slot which should be empty.

Performance

Choosing between these four CPU options is tricky

• Intel Core i3-1220P + Intel UHD Graphics 1.10GHz, 10C/12T (28W)
• Intel Core i5-1235U + Intel lris Xe Graphics 1.20GHz, 10C/12T (15W)
• Intel Core i5-12450H + Intel UHD Graphics 1.20GHz, 8C/12T (45W)
• Intel Core i7-12650H + Intel UHD Graphics 1.40 GHz, 10C/16T (45W)

If you’re doing office type work, just go with the Intel Core i3-1220P.

If you need more processing power, e.g. editing photos, consider the Intel Core i5-12450H or i7-12650H. Intel Core i5-12450H is USD 50 cheaper and probably more worth the money since it’s already quite powerful.

This mini PC is able to run a 4K display at 120Hz refresh rate smoothly without lag.

If you want more graphics performance for light gaming, go with the Intel Core i5-1235U. Intel Iris XE Graphics has 80-96 Execution Units compared to the 24-32 from Intel UHD Graphics.

Listed below is the performance I experience when playing Hades II:

• 1440P resolution with Low graphics settings, FPS is usually at 70-80FPS
• 1440P resolution with Medium graphics settings, FPS is usually at 60FPS
• 1080P resolution with Low graphics settings, FPS is usually at 120FPS
• 1080P resolution with Medium graphics settings, FPS is usually at 110-120FPS

When I played Stray, FPS is around 30 FPS at 1080P resolution with Medium graphics settings. Visuals don't look that good and gameplay animation can be choppy at times. The Beelink EQi12 will struggle when playing graphics intensive 3D games, which is expected and not surprising.

For my tests, I’ve ran the unit through my usual work flow which includes having many browsers and tabs open, apps open in the background, and I edit photos. Everything looks and feels smooth and I did not experience any lag. Apps are able to open fast, download speed (Wifi 6) is fast.

The Intel Core i5-1235U only draws 15W so the unit doesn't really generate much heat. The fan rarely rev unless you're gaming, and when the fan does rev fan noise is audible but not that loud or distracting.

The transfer speed of the internal SSD is fast.

OS, software

Windows 11 Pro is already installed. There are three bloatware I counted which can be uninstalled easily, e.g. Edrawmind, Wondershare Edrawmax and Wondershare Filmora.

Downsides

There are only USB-A ports on the back and I wish there’s at least one USB-C video port.

Conclusion

I am impressed by the performance and price of the Beelink EQi12. This is not a gaming PC and you know that already. It's able to handle office type work effortlessly, and I dare say it can even handle heavier workflows like simple cut-and-join 4K video editing.

I actually have a laptop from 2022 with with Intel i5-12450H and that laptop is still fast today in 2025. That’s the same processor as one of the options Beelink has provided. I'm mentioning this just to say that you can expect longevity with the various Intel processors in these Beelink mini PCs. The performance here is definitely better than mini PCs that have the Intel N100 processors.

The price is definitely competitive and reasonable. Just for comparison purposes, the review unit I received has the same price as the Apple M4 Mac Mini (USD 479 on Amazon), but with Beelink you get 32GB RAM and 1TB storage instead of 16GB RAM and 256GB storage with Apple. So the Beelink EQi12 does provide good value for money.

Pros and cons at a glance:
+ Compact
+ Many processor options
+ Responsive fast performance
+ Fast download speed
+ RAM and internal storage are easy to upgrade
+ Good selection of ports
+ Minimal fan noise, mostly silent operation
+ Light gaming possible with Intel Core i5-1235U
+ No external power brick
+ Competitive pricing
- Uninspiring body design
- Lacks USB-C port on the back

Availability

The Beelink EQi12 is available from the Beelink online store.