Nofflink M500 mini PC in review: Energy-efficient office PC and streaming client with an Intel SoC and 32 GB of RAM

Like Morefine or MinisForum, Nofflink is a Chinese system manufacturer that specializes in compact mini PCs. Nofflink’s M500 series is aimed at the office users. However, the M500 is also suitable for use as a streaming client.

The chassis houses proven components, which in this case means Intel Whiskey Lake and Intel Comet Lake SoCs. For daily office use, the somewhat dated processors still offer decent performance. Our test configuration is the Nofflink base model with the Intel Pentium Gold 5405U .

Combined with 32 GB of RAM and a 512-GB SSD, the device is certainly capable. Admittedly, 32 GB may be slightly excessive and so the 16-GB version should come with no drawbacks. Curiously, Nofflink does not even list the 32-GB model on its own web shop.

Prospective customers eyeing our configuration will can expect to pay around 400 USD. Meanwhile, the top model is based on an Intel Core i7 10510U and a 1-TB SSD and costs about 600 USD. This is a fair and compelling price for a fast, compact mini PC.

The Nofflink M500 comes in a small package with all the required accessories. The Nofflink M500 primarily consists of aluminum, which makes the device very rigid. Although the device appears mostly gray on the manufacturer’s web shop, a distinct green tint can be observed upon closer inspection.

In terms of the overall appearance this is not a disadvantage. There are no sharp edges and the device feels premium. If necessary, the device’s lid can be quickly removed.

When it comes to the external interfaces, the Nofflink M500 offers many options for external peripherals. There are a total of six USB type-A ports and one USB type-C port. As such, the M500 offers exactly as many ports as the Morefine S500+.

However, two of the ports are limited to USB 2. 0. Users may choose HDMI, DisplayPort or USB type-C for video output.

This allows for up to three displays to be connected simultaneously. There is no SD card reader. Nofflink relies on the Intel AX201 Wi-Fi module for wireless communication.

It supports Wi-Fi 6 in the 2. 4-GHz and 5-GHz band. In our performance benchmarks, the Nofflink M500 achieves good results, although they fall short of the desktop PC class average by a significant margin.

Alternatively, the mini PC offers a traditional Ethernet port with support for 2. 5 Gb/s. As the name suggests, the Nofflink M500-5405U uses an Intel Pentium Gold 5405U .

The 15-watt SoC is part of the Whiskey Lake-U family and offers two physical cores, which can process up to four threads simultaneously at up to 2. 3 GHz. In a direct comparison, the drawbacks of the native dual-core SoC become apparent.

The Newsmay AC6 performs slightly better in our multi-thread benchmarks, although the single-core performance of our Nofflink M500 is slightly superior. AMD’s fast octa-core CPU leaves our Intel Pentium Gold 5405U in the dust, however. This matches our expectations and is thus not surprising.

For comparison purposes, we also included the Intel Core i7-10510U in our graphic. This shows the approximate performance users can expect from this SoC, which is also available for the Nofflink M500. More comparisons and benchmarks can be found in our CPU comparison table .

In our load test, which is simulated by running Cinebench R15 Multi in a loop, Nofflink’s cooling solution shows itself to be capable of handling the heat development of the Intel Pentium Gold 5405U . We measured an average score of 238 points after 50 runs. In our synthetic PCMark 10 benchmark, the Nofflink M500 reaches fairly decent scores despite its weak SoC.

However, it falls into the lowest third of devices in our comparison. The playback of a 4K test video still works well. Frame dropping only occurs at the beginning of the video with no stuttering during the remainder of the video for smooth 4K playback.

Meanwhile, the iGPU load fluctuates between 20 and 50 percent. Our configuration of the Nofflink M500 is equipped with a 512-GB M. 2 2280 SSD.

Most users will likely be unfamiliar with its manufacturer Qunion. The model uses the SATA interface and achieves solid results in our testing. There is also a slot for a secondary, 2.

5-inch storage drive within the case. All the cables and screws necessary for the installation are included. The well-known Intel HD Graphics 610 serves as the graphics unit of the Nofflink M500.

With 12 EUs and a clock speed of up to 950 MHz, it is only suitable for simple 2D applications. Even basic 3D applications can bring the Intel HD Graphics 610 to its knees. Thus, users should avoid using the Intel Graphics 610 for anything but pure office applications.

When it comes to the noise levels, we expected to be able to measure better results. While idling, the system is often completely silent, although the fan can occasionally become noticeably active temporaily even then. Under load, the fan produces a constant noise level of about 39,1 dB(A).

During our stress test, we measured an even higher value of 45. 5 dB(A). This is reminiscent of a gaming laptop with a much higher performance level.

Meanwhile, we measured a maximum of 41. 6 dB(A) from the Morefine S500+ in the same scenario. Our initial load tests result in a favorable impression of the SoC’s cooling.

That being said, the cooling solution of the Intel Pentium Gold 5405U is at its limit in our extreme load scenario. HWiNFO reports thermal throttling, suggesting that Nofflink has defined the maximum temperature of the SoC at around 80 °C (176 °F). Without limits set by the manufacturer, the Intel Pentium Gold 5405U allows for up to 100 °C (212 °F).

On average, the CPU clock when both the CPU and iGPU are stressed drop to just 1. 2 GHz. This is a result of the limited power budget of 10 watts, which the CPU and iGPU have to share.

Since the case heats up noticeably under load, it should be placed in a well-ventilated area to allow the heat to escape. The power draw is one of the strengths of the Nofflink M500. At well below 20 watts, the system is very energy efficient during idle.

Under an average load, we only measure 32 watts. At worst, the fairly large 40-watt AC adapter has to contend with up to 38. 5 watts.

There should be sufficient reserves for a secondary drive, which also draws power. The Nofflink M500-5405U is a very compact mini PC. The small form factor PC based on the Intel Pentium Gold 5405U is not suited for loads that are too demanding.

Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not opt for one of the latest SoCs on the market and it shows. The native dual-core CPU still performs admirably in our testing. That being said, this configuration of the Nofflink M500 is not suitable for anything beyond pure office tasks, web browsing or video streaming.

In this regard, the Intel Core i7-10510U model has a lot more potential. While 32 GB of RAM is nice to have, it is not much more than that, since most users will be unlikely to take advantage of the high RAM capacity in this configuration. Thus, a configuration with 16 GB of RAM will likely be a better choice and even at 8 GB, it matches the standard amount of system memory of most compact office devices.

The Nofflink M500 is a compact office PC with a lot of external ports. Unfortunately, a lot of performance potential gets left on the table by not using more modern SoCs. The M500 offers good connectivity options with all major external interfaces being present.

The lack of a card reader can be remedied with the help of a USB adapter thank to the sufficient amount of available ports. The biggest drawback of the Nofflink M500 we experienced is the cooling solution, which quickly reaches its limits under load. This also results in significant noise levels in demanding scenarios.

Here, the Newsmay AC8 mini PC may be a good alternative, since it is passively cooled. Similarly, the MSI Cubi M5 may be worth a closer look. Various models are available on Amazon starting from 440 USD.

The Nofflink M500-5405U currently costs around 400 USD. Furthermore, it is only available via the manufacturer’s online shop . .