Android set-top box X96 Mini: budget home media center

The x96 set-top box based on Android is an interesting device that can be easily bought on Aliexpress at a relatively low price. The receiver is characterized by the presence of a fresh processor, excellent functionality and accessibility for every willing user.

The x96 set-top box based on Android is an interesting device.

Introduction

Modern technologies do not stand still. If earlier people were content with antenna television, today Android set-top boxes are becoming more and more popular. These gadgets run on the Android operating system, which allows you to expand the functionality of the TV almost to the level of a smartphone. It is difficult for the average user to understand the huge range of these devices. In this article we will review the Android console X96 Mini.

X96 Mini	Specifications
CPU	Amlogic S905W quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.5 GHz with 750 MHz penta-core Mali-450MP GPU
OS	Android 7.1.2
Video and audio output	HDMI 2.0a output with HDR, AV port (composite + stereo audio)
Net	WiFi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4G/5G, Bluetooth, LAN
Memory	2GB DDR3 16GB eMMC flash + micro SD card
Interfaces	10/100M Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi (no Bluetooth) 2 USB 2.0 ports: 1x host, 1x device (OTG?)
Remote control	Universal
Dimensions	82x82x17 mm

Review

During operation, the SMART TV BOX X96 mini set-top box has established itself as a reliable, very fast and well-made SMART TV function. The seller on Aliexpress can also be safely recommended!

It reads video from the quadcopter’s memory card without problems, as well as from many other devices. It is very convenient that it is “omnivorous” and allows you to view all possible formats. At least, I haven’t had this happen yet where some video or audio file won’t open.

Perhaps the only thing missing is built-in Bluetoth for listening to audio in Bluedio Bluetooth headphones, but this is necessary for a very small percentage of people. As a last resort, for about $5 you can buy a USB bluetoth “whistle” and insert it into one of two USB connectors.

I recommend to buy! And you can order on Aliexpress.

What is the model?

The smart console is located in a box made of black cardboard. On the packaging, the manufacturer writes the name of the TV box, as well as its main technical characteristics.

In addition to the smart console, the kit includes:

Remote control.
HDMI cable 1 m long.
Power supply 5V 2A.
A short user guide, which provides the main technical characteristics of the model and the device connection diagram.

Now let’s take a closer look at the appearance of the TV box.

Version from VONTAR

This X96 TV box is assembled by different companies and they may differ in filling and operation. Below is a review from another buyer of the version from the seller Vontar.

I bought an X96Max TV box on Aliexpress in January 2022 from the manufacturer VONTAR. The goods arrived in Kharkov in 2-3 weeks. The box was a little dented, but everything inside was intact. At that time it cost me $49.62.

I'm happy with the set-top box, it has a powerful Amlogic S905X processor, 4 gigabytes of RAM, and 32 gigabytes of internal memory.

There is a slot for a memory card, I don’t use it, the internal one is enough for me. Includes HDMI cable, power supply, and remote control. To be honest, the remote control is not very convenient, I will order a Vontar air mouse.

There are no questions about performance, the set-top box is a beast, it copes with heavy video files and Internet television.

I haven’t run games on it, but in terms of power, they should work. This box can turn any TV into a smart TV, but there is one fact, I have a smart one from Samsung, but I don’t like its operating system, it doesn’t have the usual Google, there is no way to watch various videos in the browser, and these include movies and rollers, and everything else.

Samsung has a lot of paid ones. On X96Max, Google Chrome works without problems, and the Play Store also works. In general, I like the Android operating system better than the Samsung one.

There are 2 more pieces. USB input, and optical output for acoustics, but I don’t have optical acoustics. System updates work; it has been updated a couple of times in three months. I'm happy with this purchase, I got all the features I expected from it.

External design of X96 Mini

Thanks to its small dimensions (82x82x17 mm), the body of the Android console looks compact. Material: black plastic. The model name is displayed on the top of the cover (matte with a glossy edge).

On the reverse side there are holes for air ventilation. Also installed are 4 rubberized feet. There are also 2 holes for attaching the box, as well as 3 stickers (1st with the model name and some technical characteristics, 2nd with the Mac address, 3rd with QC).

On the left side of the console there are 2 USB2.0 connectors and space for Micro SD cards. Through the USB input you can connect a mouse, storage device, hard drive, etc.

On the rear side, the manufacturer has provided the following connectors:

nutrition;
HDMI;
AV;
input for infrared receiver.

There are no connectors on the front or right sides. There is a blue LED on the front. At the same time, the eye is not irritated by the light. While waiting, the console lights up red.

What does the X96 Mini look like inside?

The process of disassembling the smart console is quite simple. To do this, you just need to open the latches. On the inside of the bottom cover there is a large galvanized heatsink, as well as a rubber thermal pad necessary for interaction with the processor. In another part of the case, the motherboard is attached with 3 screws.

The motherboard looks neat, there are no traces of flux. It contains the following elements:

SoC Amlogic S 905 W;
four system memory chips;
flash memory chip;
WiFi chip.

How the Android console X96 Mini works

The box turns on automatically after power is supplied. Loads in about 20 seconds. After the device boots, a standard launcher appears, made like Windows 10 OS tiles. There is a “quick memory clearer” option and weather. There are no bars above or below. The interface is quite fast, does not lag, does not freeze. When connecting to the Internet, a message appeared that there were updates.

The TV box has a standard set of programs available, as in many other models. The settings menu is not fully translated. Many useful settings for users such as display resolution, sound, auto frame rate can be found in Droid settings. There is also a convenient option that allows you to configure the on/off button on the remote control or remote mouse. Thus, when you press the on button. on the remote mouse, the console goes into sleep mode, and with the next click it will “wake up”.

↑ Complete set of TV set-top box.

The console box is matte black, made of cardboard with the name and main characteristics printed on it.
Set-top box delivery set:

the console itself;
remote controller;
connection cable (HDMI – HDMI);
adapter 5V, 2 Ampere;
instructions.

Media content, IPTV

After the latest firmware update for the set-top box, it became possible to watch high-quality YouTube videos (1080p). It is convenient to watch IP television in the following applications:

Lazy IPTV.
LOL TV.

Video is broadcast without interruption (even HD channels). While watching IP-TV in HD quality, the temperature of the box rises to 60-70 degrees.

You can watch online movies, TV shows, series, etc. in HD Videobox on MX Player. The Android set-top box seamlessly broadcasts 4K Ultra HD video H 264 and H 265, both over the Internet and from external storage devices. In many ways, the quality of online movie playback depends on the speed of the Internet. During testing of the device, it was found that the internal antenna catches Wi-Fi well (at a distance of 6 m). The router delivers speeds in the 2.4 GHz range almost 2 times, and therefore it is better to use a LAN connection.

Settings

The operating system shell does not have any design frills - everything is simple, and most importantly, understandable. Control occurs via a remote control.

Most of the necessary software is already installed on the device and, most importantly, modified to work and manage it:

free cinemas on the Internet (HDREzka, HD Video Box, LazyMedia, Zone, Kinescope) will provide an unlimited choice of films for every taste;
Torrent TV. And this is more than 800 free TV channels;
Bison TV;
Fork player;
YouTube;
Google Chrome browser for browsing the Internet;
Video players;
Radio players...

and other necessary software.

But even if this is not enough for you, you can install any program by simply downloading it from the well-known Google Play . By the way, you can link your device to your Google account and get all the benefits of this service on your TV.

Installation and launch

The TV Box itself, by default, has a modest size and can be placed either in a visible place near your projector or hidden completely from prying eyes. The mounting holes allow you to even hang it on the wall. When you start, you will be greeted by the console’s native launcher on Android 9.0, which looks quite nice even at the very first steps of use. However, most likely, when you first start it, the preset language will be English. To change the language, you will need to click on the Settings icon, then Device Preferences – Language and select Russian. Despite the visual appeal of the launcher and the initial settings, using the TV set-top box can be made more convenient and adaptive to your needs. At the moment, there are plenty of so-called “turnkey” settings on the network; you can see one of the options below, selecting and changing exactly the parameters you want.

For those who like to delve deeper, changing the native firmware to a modified one, we recommend that you read the information here . However, we warn you that such actions, without a certain degree of preparation, skill and luck, can result in your brand new TV set-top box becoming useless junk.

This is a must try...

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Free test package

Of the many tested IPTV television services, the most optimal is ILook.TV , more than 1000 channels, many 4K and HD broadcasts.

The servers are located in Russia and there are several of them, which is good news, there is an archive for all channels for 7 days! The quality of service is excellent, there is online technical support on the website, and most importantly the price is only $1 ! ILook.TV service allows you to watch one playlist from several devices at once at no additional cost.

Test package immediately
After registration, a test package is immediately provided.

Test packages are no different from regular ones, except for the duration - any registered user can use them for 1 day.

Results

The Vontar X96 set-top box is suitable for users who use it to watch movies online or torrent TV.

Advantages:

Compact size
High quality infrared receiver
Stable firmware
Rich equipment
Doesn't get too hot
There is a remote IR receiver and a box mount

Flaws:

MINI doesn't have navigation buttons
Weak Wi-Fi
No voice control

Key Takeaways About TV Box

TV Box X96 Mini is a weak, but at the same time very reliable smart set-top box for several tasks. When choosing a full-fledged smart set-top box, it is better to pay attention to the X96 max Plus. If you need to watch TV channels via the Internet, the X96 mini will cope with this perfectly. Movies from HD Videobox will also play perfectly. Watching videos from YouTube with low resolution - the set-top box will also calmly digest it. But you won’t be able to download movies from torrents online. You can also forget about Android games, they are becoming more and more demanding on hardware. It also makes sense to buy it for an old type TV - with a kinescope.

If you have already purchased this console, read how to set up the X96 Mini.

TV box X96 mini on Amlogic S905W review and comparison with set-top boxes on RK3328

Amlogic has released a new modification of the S905W processors. Set-top boxes that are based on this platform have occupied the niche of the most affordable TV boxes. The cost of such set-top boxes starts at $25 and they are primarily designed for simple solutions, such as using them in conjunction with a TV in the kitchen, working with small-diagonal TVs or old TVs. Such solutions are taken for simple tasks, such as iptv, YouTube or online cinemas. Last time I had the MX9 Max console on the RK3328, a review of which you can read here. The X96 mini on Amlogic S905W is a good alternative, because the performance and overall capabilities of the S905W and RK3328 are on the same level, but the S905W has some significant advantages. As well as some shortcomings. So which is better to choose? In this review we will try to figure it out. There will be a disassembly, comparison of performance, stability and capabilities.

At the moment, there are already several set-top boxes based on the S905W, the most popular are X96 mini, Tanix TX3 mini, Mecool m8s pro W. The difference in them is not significant and they mainly differ in firmware. I chose the first option because... X96's predecessor, the S905X, was very popular and, thanks to its large community, could offer a huge number of alternative firmwares. What will happen with the X96 mini is still unknown, but in any case, as before, the firmware of many consoles is interchangeable and now, for the sake of experimentation, I installed the firmware with the TX3 mini without any problems. But more on this a little later, but for now I suggest you familiarize yourself with the technical characteristics:

Processor : Amlogic S905W Quad core Cortex A53 1.2 Ghz Video accelerator : Penta Core Mali 450 RAM : 1Gb/2Gb Built-in memory : 8Gb/16Gb + micro SD WiFi : 2.4 Ghz - 802.11 b/g/n Ethernet : 10 /100 Outputs : HDMI 2.0a + HDR, AV Interfaces : 2 x USB 2.0, TF card reader, IR port for connecting an external IR receiver Video codecs : [email protected] H.265 [email protected] , [email protected] VP9 Profile- 2, MPEG1/2/4, H.264, HD AVC/VC-1, RM/RMVB, Xvid/DivX3/4/5/6, RealVideo8/9/10 Power : 5V/2A Dimensions : 82x82x17mm Video version of the review

The packaging is normal, exactly the same as on the previous X96. The model is indicated on the front side, and the main characteristics in the form of pictograms are on the back side.

Among other similar ones, this model stands out due to its configuration. In addition to the set-top box, remote control, power supply, cable and instructions, you can find unusual accessories in the box.

The small plastic mount that fits into slots on the base of the attachment has an adhesive layer. This way the TV box can be discreetly mounted on the back wall of the TV. If necessary, the set-top box is removed, while the plastic base remains on the TV.

The second bonus is a remote infrared receiver. It will be especially useful if you place the set-top box behind the TV or in another hard-to-reach place where the remote control may miss. The receiver is connected to the IR connector, and then secured with an adhesive backing in a convenient place. The cable length is 1.5 meters.

As far as I know, this is the only set-top box on the S905W (and I haven’t seen any others) that comes with a TV mount and an external IR receiver, so this is definitely a plus for the X96 mini.

New complete remote control. It's easy to use, the buttons click with a clear click. The top row is dedicated to launching and controlling the media player. There are no programmable buttons, which will be a drawback for some. You cannot assign buttons to control a TV, but HDMI CEC works, which allows you to control the set-top box with the standard remote control from your TV. The sensitivity of the built-in IR receiver is excellent, the signal passes perfectly through the entire room and there is no need to play sniper. Even if you point the remote control to the side, the signal will reach. This is an advantage over the same Tanix T3 mini, where the receiver is of disgusting quality and the remote control must be pointed clearly at the set-top box. The remote control is powered by two AAA batteries, which of course were not included in the kit.

Power supply 5V\2A. A very large reserve, because if you believe the household wattmeter, the consumption of the set-top box is only 3W - 4W under load. It does not get hot during operation and does not make any extraneous sounds.

Now let's get acquainted with the set-top box and its interfaces. The first thing that catches your eye is its size. It is miniature and easily fits in the palm of your hand. I don’t understand the trend towards smaller TV boxes, because we don’t carry them with us, so the size essentially doesn’t matter. But this may not have the best effect on heat transfer. Although I want to reassure you right away - the set-top box came out absolutely not hot and the standard cooling does an excellent job. And this despite the fact that there are no ventilation holes either on the top or on the sides!

There is nothing on the front side except for the LED located under the plastic. It glows blue in operating mode and red in standby mode. The brightness is not great and does not interfere in the dark.

Connectors for connection are traditionally placed on the back of the device. From left to right: power connector, ethernet for wired Internet connection, HDMI for connecting to modern TV, AV - it is possible to connect older equipment via “tulips” and IR connector - for connecting an external IR receiver.

On the left side there are 2 USB connectors and a micro SD card slot. Both USB connectors have a 2.0 standard, and in this regard, RK3328 set-top boxes, which have one 3.0 standard connector, look preferable. But this is only on paper. In fact, the test of an external flash drive on the X96 mini showed a read speed of about 80 mb\s, and a write speed of about 20 mb\s. USB 3.0 on the MX9 max console gave the same speed result. Therefore, I can state the fact that at the moment the presence of usb 3.0 on set-top boxes with the RK3328 chip is more of a marketing ploy than a real benefit. High-quality test videos with a bitrate of 60 Mbit/sec are perfectly reproduced from an external drive without plugging.

There are many holes for ventilation at the base of the console. I’m already tired of repeating that it would be better to place them in the upper part, because hot air tends to rise, but Chinese engineers have their own vision and stubbornly sacrifice cooling efficiency for the sake of appearance and design. Here you can also see the grooves for installing the fastener.

The device is very easy to disassemble; you don’t even need a screwdriver. The cover is held on by latches and to remove it you just need to insert something thin into the recess, which can be seen in the upper right corner and open the latches. And the first thing that catches your eye is the absence of a radiator in its usual sense. The role of the radiator is performed by a thick metal plate that is attached to the lid. It contacts the processor through a thick heat-conducting rubber band - a gasket.

On the one hand, the metal plate has a much larger area than the miniature radiators that we are used to seeing in such set-top boxes. On the other hand, the thickness of the elastic casts doubt on the effectiveness of such a solution. In fact, cooling is effective, but there are some issues. For example, once I noticed that the console was heating up suspiciously quickly and during simple tasks the temperature was at 70 degrees, and under high load it was rapidly approaching 80. This seemed strange to me, because previously the temperature was much lower. It turned out that after disassembly, the contact of the rubber band with the chip was not tight, after I pressed the lid harder, the temperature instantly dropped by 10+ degrees. Therefore, after disassembly, it is important to make sure that the latches are completely closed and the lid is pressed well against the body.

Let's look at the components of the board. After removing the cover, everything is visible. The Amlogic S905W chip is clearly visible in the center. To the left of it is a 16Gb EMMC memory KLMAG1JENB-B041 manufactured by Samsung. On the right are two K4B4G0446Q RAM chips made by Samsung. Two more chips are located on the back of the board. Only 4 chips of 512 mb each. In total - 2Gb of DDR3L RAM.

The board can be completely removed by unscrewing 3 more screws that hold it to the plastic case. Apart from the RAM chips, there is nothing interesting on the back side.

There are no complaints about the quality of the board, everything is done well - the connectors are securely soldered, there are no traces of flux.

Let's move on to the most important thing - the operation of the console. It runs under the Android 7.1.2 operating system. All set-top boxes on this OS are still, frankly speaking, crude, the software is constantly being refined and improved, and firmware updates are being released. I would like to immediately warn you about one important point. Initially, the set-top box was tested on native firmware; I ran various tests for more than a week, watched online TV, movies, etc. And when the information was already received, I decided to install Super Su. The application said that the console was already rooted and suggested updating the binary. After the update I got the loading time. The X96 mini logo is frozen and that’s it... It turned out that installing Super Su and updating it is absolutely impossible . When I started looking for ways to solve the problem, I found many similar stories on a variety of set-top boxes that are based on Android 7.1.2. In general, an obvious flaw. But a good sign was that the console went into recovery, including the ability to load TWRP from a flash drive and restore the backup. The problem was that I didn’t make a backup first. As a result, it was decided to flash the console via a computer. To do this, it was necessary to make a male-male firmware cable. It's actually very simple. I found two old cables, cut the connectors and connected all the wires together according to color. It should look something like this.

Next, the firmware goes through the usb burning tool application. You need to connect the set-top box to the computer via a manufactured cable (there is no need to connect the power supply, the set-top box takes power via USB) and flash the pre-downloaded image. Just for fun, I installed the firmware from the Tanix TX3 mini, which has a number of advantages. Therefore, further screenshots will be from this firmware. If you want to see how the set-top box works on stock, you can do this in the video review (at the beginning of the article), which I did earlier. In fact, there is no functional difference, except for the interfaces - menus, icons, etc. The set-top box works the same way, but I decided to leave the firmware from tanix, because it contains navigation buttons. They are not included in the stock firmware. In my opinion, this is the only point why Tanix Tx3 mini is better than x96 mini, and this can be solved with firmware. But the Tanix has more disadvantages - a weak IR receiver (the remote control does not work well), weaker Wifi, and the kit does not include a mount or an external IR receiver. Let's look at the main desktop. Traditionally, all elements are made large for ease of use with the TV. The bottom row of quick access icons can be customized at your discretion by selecting the most frequently used ones. The main screen has a clock, a RAM cleaning widget and shortcuts to the most important applications (play market, youtube, video player, etc.)

You can go to the application section, where you will see everything that is installed on the console. In general, everything is standard.

The thing I didn’t like is that all system interfaces are drawn in HD quality, regardless of what resolution you choose in the settings. This is one of the reasons why I believe that the set-top box is not suitable for large diagonal TVs. Even at 40 inches the image lacks detail and the labels look pretty scary. Therefore, the maximum diagonal for such a resolution, in my opinion, is 32 inches. However, in HD, the set-top box only shows the system interfaces, and if you run the video in Full HD quality, then it will be displayed in Full HD. This is noticeable to the naked eye; at the moment of startup, the image disappears for a second, after which it appears in FUll HD. Interestingly, the set-top box failed the pixel test, but the mode switch to full hd did not visually occur. I don’t know what’s wrong, but it’s visually clearly visible that when you start other videos in high quality, the switching occurs. In all topics on w3bsit3-dns.com s905w consoles there is a heated discussion of the issue. Many argue that the set-top box only plays HD by referring to the pixel test, others claim that the video is played in Full HD. I am firmly convinced that the console reproduces Full HD, this is clearly visible on the big screen, and I have the opportunity to compare it with other consoles. Most likely, the confusion was caused by the test video itself, which is displayed by the set-top box in the wrong form, because if in the same mx player you select the 100% display option (in the lower right corner), then the test table is displayed correctly and the pixel test passes. In my opinion, all problems are caused by unfinished software.

Let's go over the settings, of which there are 3 types. They partially duplicate each other. If you click on the gear on the main screen, we will get to quick system settings, where video display modes, sound settings, network, language and time are available.

If you select more settings, the usual pop-up menu will appear. There is an HDMI CEC section and it works. When the function is activated, the set-top box can be controlled using the standard TV remote control: navigate through the menu, control the player, turn off, etc.

Sound settings

You can view information about the device, memory, and there is an over-the-air firmware update. You can configure the action to turn off - either completely shut down or go into sleep mode. On Tanix firmware the function works, the console goes into sleep and comes out of sleep. There is also a hdmi self adaption function, which is usually responsible for the auto frame rate.

At the moment, autoframe rate does not work on any set-top box that is based on the S905W. That is, in fact, the frequency always remains the one set on your TV. When playing video at 24p, the set-top box makes a 3:2 pulldown conversion, which can be seen when shooting with a shutter speed of 1 second. test video.

In terms of content playback capabilities, the set-top box is almost in no way inferior to the S905X. Some sources say that the new chip lacks hardware support for VP9. I specifically tested this format in resolution up to 4K and all the launched videos were played, the only thing was that in 4K there was a noticeable stutter, i.e. most likely the set-top box decodes the video programmatically and here it does not have enough power. But on Full HD there are no problems.

I traditionally ran heavy test clips and some had problems with playback. For example, LG HDR Chess refused to play. But this is not surprising, because the specification indicates support for the [email protected] H.265 [email protected] , and here we have 60 fps.

But this is just “groping for limits.” In reality, there is no point in buying such a console for the sake of ULTRA HD content. Her destiny is to work somewhere in the kitchen or on a small diagonal TV, where the content is limited to Full HD. There are absolutely no problems here, the set-top box perfectly reproduces H264 and H265 in Full HD with Fps 60 frames per second. Using a test video, I made sure that it honestly outputs 60p without duplicating frames. The photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1 second.

No problems were found with playing online content. On Tanix firmware, Youtube allows you to select video quality up to 1080p. On stock firmware - only 720p. But if you install OG Youtube, then all available types of video quality will open on any firmware.

I use HD Videobox as my main online cinema. In the + version, an additional search for trackers is available, which allows you to watch videos in any quality directly from torrents. This is where the large built-in storage comes in handy, as the video is loaded into the internal memory.

There are no problems with IPTV. I use Lazy IPTV and an automatically updated super trash playlist, where 838 channels are available, a lot of them in HD quality. The link to the playlist can be seen in the screenshot. Channels are broadcast correctly, including HD quality. The main thing here is that the Internet channel allows it, that is, it already depends on your provider and speed.

Regarding the Internet. Wifi operates in the 2.4 Ghz range, the sensitivity is average. In the room with the router, the download speed is 36 - 37 Mbps, in the next room the speed drops to 25 Mbps. This is enough to play high-definition content. However, if the router is located far from the set-top box and there are obstacles in the form of several walls, then it is better to use a wired connection, which provides 94 - 95 Mbps. The situation is similar for RK3328 set-top boxes, so there is parity here.

I also ran tests on the built-in flash drive: reading - 78 mb/s, writing - 45 mb/s

The next point is performance. In Antutu, the console scores a modest 25,613 points.

Let's compare it with the RK 3328 set-top box, which dials 33930. In theory, it is more powerful, but if we compare point by point, we see that this is not entirely true. In the 3D test, the S905W scored 1198, and the RK3328 1389 - the difference is not significant, since the same video accelerator is used, this is a five-core Mali MP450. In simple terms, both consoles are not suitable for serious games. Maximum arcade games, or more complex games on minimum graphics settings. The next point is processor power. The S905W has a result of 10205, the RK3328 has a result of 11192. The second is 10% more powerful, but in global terms this does not give anything. They both work equally quickly and cope well with “add-on” tasks. The RK3328 has the largest lead in UX, which Antutu classifies as “ease of use” - 11186 versus 17536. How Antutu calculates this indicator is unknown. But I have a suspicion that the low result of the S905W is due to the lower resolution of the interfaces, because the RK3328 set-top boxes have them all rendered in Full HD.

The last point is stability and heating. This is probably one of the most important factors for a device that operates for a long time. Surprisingly, despite all the engineers’ attempts to spoil the cooling with an ill-thought-out design, the X96 mini turned out to be relatively cold. For simple tasks, such as working on the system or browser, the temperature varies from 50 to 60 degrees. During active work, such as installing applications, working with memory, etc., the temperature rises to 70 degrees. When watching videos through the online cinema HD Videobox 54 - 58 degrees. When watching online TV in HD quality - up to 71 degrees.

Compared to the instantly boiling RK3328, this temperature regime looks ideal. When I performed a stress test on the RK3328, I warmed up the processor to 93 degrees. On the one hand, the processor itself is designed for such a temperature, on the other hand, the other components are not. It is unknown how the tracks, board, capacitors and other elements will behave at a constantly high temperature. But the X96 mini on S905W passed the stress test very well. The Cpu Throttling application is designed to detect throttling, it gives the maximum load on the processor for a long time and records performance. The set-top box passed the standard test for 15 minutes painlessly, but in real conditions it is not realistic to load the processor 100% for such a long time. When passing the test, you can monitor the processor frequency, which was always at the level of 1.2 GHz. The maximum temperature recorded during the test was 75 degrees, and processor throttling begins only at 80 degrees.

You can still achieve throttling if you want. To do this, it costs to load the graphics chip. After spinning the Epic Citadel and thoroughly warming up the processor on it, I ran the test again and after a while I got 80 degrees and a drop in frequency to 1 Ghz, after which the temperature increase naturally stopped. But if you do not play on the console, then it is not in danger of overheating and the temperature is within normal limits. Taking such boxes for games is a big stupidity, they are not designed for that. But if you still want to play, you need to modify the cooling system, for example by installing a larger radiator.

Let's summarize. The set-top box is very cheap and it’s not worth demanding from it the capabilities of set-top boxes that cost 2-3 times more. It copes well with HD and Full HD content, plays YouTube and IPTV. In its current state, it is not suitable for large screens - all interfaces are rendered in HD, there is no auto-frame rate. The complete mount and remote sensor allow you to discreetly place it behind the TV, and the passive cooling system fully copes with long-term viewing of online and offline content. Advantages over RK3328 set-top boxes: lower price, no overheating and throttling, better equipment. Otherwise the differences are minimal. Some childhood diseases will soon be cured, such as HD rendering of interfaces. For example, the Mecool M8S Pro W firmware already comes with Full HD interfaces. The S905W chip is still new and the firmware is raw, but over time the situation will change, as it did with the S905. In any case, even with the described shortcomings, I think that the set-top box is worth the $26 that is being asked for the version with 2Gb of RAM. The price of the set-top box depends on the amount of RAM and built-in memory. I highly do not recommend taking the younger version with 1Gb\8Gb memory, due to its thoughtfulness. According to reviews from owners, 1Gb of RAM is not enough even for smooth operation of the system, not to mention working with applications. Just look at the version with 2Gb of RAM. There are also two varieties: with built-in memory of 8Gb and built-in memory of 16Gb. If you don’t plan to install many applications, then you will go with 8Gb, because it is cheaper.