MeLE Cyber X1

Starry Hope Rating
3.5

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Photo of MeLE Cyber X1

The MeLE Cyber X1 is what happens when a longtime fanless-mini-PC vendor decides the smooth metal chassis it has been shipping for a decade is no longer enough cooling surface. The top of this little Intel N150 box is covered in hundreds of plastic pin-fin spikes that look more like a synthetic hedgehog than a heatsink, and that is exactly the point. MeLE claims the textured top gives the chassis 6.4 times the surface area of a flat lid, which lets the N150 hold a 10W power limit (up from the 8W on the older Quieter line) without throttling during long, silent workloads. The Cyber X1 lives in a different lane from gaming-grade mini PCs: it is meant to sit on a shelf, run Windows 11 Pro or a quiet Linux distro for weeks at a time, drive up to three 4K displays, and never make a sound. If you want something that can power through Premiere or modern AAA games, this is not it, and MeLE will tell you so itself.

ProsCons
Truly silent fanless operation with no moving partsWiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 are dated for a 2026 product
Distinctive pin-fin heatsink boosts thermal headroomTop and bottom surfaces can reach 55 to 70 degrees Celsius under load
Triple 4K@60Hz display support via dual HDMI plus USB-C DP AltIntel N150 is entry-level; not a workstation or gaming chip
Replaceable M.2 2280 NVMe SSD up to 4TBSingle-channel RAM and 1GbE ethernet limit network and memory bandwidth
Pocketable 5.2 x 3.2 inch footprint, weighs roughly 10 ouncesSeveral reviewers report a loose-feeling USB-C power connector
12V barrel input and USB-C PD make it easy to power from batteriesStorage is a single M.2 slot with no SATA bay or secondary NVMe

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MeLE Cyber X1 Comparison Chart

MeLE Cyber X1

MeLE Cyber X1

MeLE Cyber X1

MeLE Cyber X1

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MeLE Cyber X1

MeLE Cyber X1

MeLE Cyber X1

Price

List Price: $549.99

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List Price: $629.99

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List Price: $499.99

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Version16GB/512GB/Intel N1508GB/128GB/Intel N15032GB/512GB/Intel N1508GB/256GB/Intel N150
Performance Rating4.94.35.64.3
Operating SystemWindows 11 ProWindows 11 ProWindows 11 ProWindows 11 Pro
ProcessorQuad-core 3.60 Ghz
Intel Processor N150
Quad-core 3.60 Ghz
Intel Processor N150
Quad-core 3.60 Ghz
Intel Processor N150
Quad-core 3.60 Ghz
Intel Processor N150
GPUIntegrated Intel UHD GraphicsIntegrated Intel UHD GraphicsIntegrated Intel UHD GraphicsIntegrated Intel UHD Graphics
RAM16 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM, single-channel (DDR4-3200 SODIMM, single channel)8 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM, single-channel (DDR4-3200 SODIMM, single channel)32 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM, single-channel (DDR4-3200 SODIMM, single channel)8 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM, single-channel (DDR4-3200 SODIMM, single channel)
Internal Storage512 GB NVMe SSD128 GB NVMe SSD512 GB NVMe SSD256 GB NVMe SSD
Dimensions
width x length x thickness
5.2 x 3.2 x 0.95 inches
(132.08 x 81.28 x 24.13 mm)
5.2 x 3.2 x 0.95 inches
(132.08 x 81.28 x 24.13 mm)
5.2 x 3.2 x 0.95 inches
(132.08 x 81.28 x 24.13 mm)
5.2 x 3.2 x 0.95 inches
(132.08 x 81.28 x 24.13 mm)
Weight0.65 lbs (0.3 kg)0.65 lbs (0.3 kg)0.65 lbs (0.3 kg)0.65 lbs (0.3 kg)
WiFiWi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
BluetoothBluetooth 5.1Bluetooth 5.1Bluetooth 5.1Bluetooth 5.1
Ethernet1 Ethernet port at 1 Gbps1 Ethernet port at 1 Gbps1 Ethernet port at 1 Gbps1 Ethernet port at 1 Gbps
HDMI2 Full-Size HDMI Ports2 Full-Size HDMI Ports2 Full-Size HDMI Ports2 Full-Size HDMI Ports
DisplayPortDisplayPort 1.4 over USB-C (4K@60Hz)DisplayPort 1.4 over USB-C (4K@60Hz)DisplayPort 1.4 over USB-C (4K@60Hz)DisplayPort 1.4 over USB-C (4K@60Hz)
VGANo VGA PortsNo VGA PortsNo VGA PortsNo VGA Ports
USB Ports1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3, 1 USB-C
1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps, DP Alt, PD 3.0)
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3, 1 USB-C
1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps, DP Alt, PD 3.0)
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3, 1 USB-C
1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps, DP Alt, PD 3.0)
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3, 1 USB-C
1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps, DP Alt, PD 3.0)
Thunderbolt PortsNoNoNoNo
OCuLinkNoNoNoNo
Internal SATA PortsNo SATA portsNo SATA portsNo SATA portsNo SATA ports
Card ReadermicroSD Card ReadermicroSD Card ReadermicroSD Card ReadermicroSD Card Reader
Headphone Jackcombocombocombocombo
FanlessYesYesYesYes
VESA MountYesYesYesYes
In the BoxMini PC, 12V/2A power adapter, VESA mount, screws, user manualMini PC, 12V/2A power adapter, VESA mount, screws, user manualMini PC, 12V/2A power adapter, VESA mount, screws, user manualMini PC, 12V/2A power adapter, VESA mount, screws, user manual
Expandability1x M.2 2280 NVMe slot (up to 4TB), 1x microSD slot (up to 2TB), 1x SODIMM RAM slot1x M.2 2280 NVMe slot (up to 4TB), 1x microSD slot (up to 2TB), 1x SODIMM RAM slot1x M.2 2280 NVMe slot (up to 4TB), 1x microSD slot (up to 2TB), 1x SODIMM RAM slot1x M.2 2280 NVMe slot (up to 4TB), 1x microSD slot (up to 2TB), 1x SODIMM RAM slot

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Detailed Insights into the MeLE Cyber X1

In hand, the Cyber X1 measures 5.2 x 3.2 inches with a chassis just under one inch thick, and it weighs around 10 ounces, putting it on the small end of the fanless mini PC market. The bottom and sides are dark gray plastic with a VESA mount pattern on the underside, while the top is the plastic pin-fin field that gives the product its hedgehog nickname. Ports are split across two long edges: one side carries a USB-C all-in-one connector (10Gbps data, DisplayPort 1.4, and PD 3.0 power input), a 3.5mm combo headphone jack, two HDMI 2.0 outputs, a second USB-C used as a 12V power input, and a single Gigabit ethernet jack. The opposite side holds three USB-A ports (one each at 10Gbps, 5Gbps, and 480Mbps), a microSD slot tucked at the corner, and a Kensington lock notch. There is no DisplayPort connector and no Thunderbolt; everything modern lands on the one full-function USB-C.

Performance is shaped by the Intel N150, a 6W TDP Twin Lake chip with four Gracemont cores at up to 3.6GHz. PassMark places it around 5,478 on the multi-thread chart, which puts it ahead of the older N100 by roughly 10 to 20 percent and well behind any mid-range Core or Ryzen mobile part. Reviewers agree this is enough for 4K media playback, large spreadsheets, 30+ browser tabs, and light office work, and not enough for modern AAA gaming or heavy video editing. CNX-Software measured surface temperatures of 55 to 70 degrees Celsius under load, which MeLE notes is within IEC62368-1 safety limits but is hot enough that you would not want this device buried under a stack of papers. Inside, a single SODIMM slot holds the DDR4-3200 RAM (the Amazon spec sheet shows a labeled stick, even though the original September 2025 press release described soldered LPDDR5), and a single M.2 2280 slot takes a PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD up to 4TB. The 512GB SSD MeLE ships in the higher-tier configs benchmarks around 3,940 MB/s sequential reads, which is normal for the platform.

Connectivity is the place where the Cyber X1 shows its budget DNA most clearly. Wireless is WiFi 5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 5.1, which are at least one generation behind what most 2026 mini PCs ship, and the single 1GbE ethernet jack is a step down from the dual 2.5GbE setups common on competing N100 and N150 boxes. The flip side is that the wired USB-A and USB-C selection is unusually complete for the price: a 10Gbps Type-A, a 5Gbps Type-A, a 480Mbps Type-A, and a true full-function USB-C means you can hang a dock, an external SSD, and a peripheral hub off the device without a tangle of adapters. Triple-monitor support arrives through both HDMI 2.0 outputs plus the USB-C, and reviewers consistently confirm that three independent 4K@60Hz screens work out of the box. Storage expansion is limited to the one M.2 slot and the microSD reader (up to 2TB cards), so plan for external storage if you need more than one fast drive.

Reviewer Insights on the MeLE Cyber X1

Deep Space Astro’s hands-on review frames the Cyber X1 as a quiet upgrade path for telescope owners who run NINA, Stellarium, and similar capture software in the field. The reviewer keeps coming back to two practical features: the 12V barrel input that lets the mini PC share a power-distribution box with a mount and cameras, and the Auto Power On BIOS setting that boots the unit unattended after a power blip. He praises Mele’s track record (“they’ve always worked out of the box as expected”) but cautions that the performance jump from the older Quieter 4C is incremental rather than dramatic. His verdict is that this is a sensible upgrade if you are coming from a Quieter 2 or 3C, and a sideways move if you already own a Quieter 4C. Of the entire curated playlist, this is the only deep dive that physically tests a Cyber X1 unit; the other MeLE videos cover sibling N150 fanless products and provide useful context on the platform.

Jim’s Garage looked at the closely related MeLE Quieter 4C and ran it through Cinebench, a Jellyfin transcoding test, and a teardown. The Quieter 4C is the metal-chassis predecessor without the pin-fin lid, so its thermal numbers (CPU hitting 82 degrees, SSD hitting 72 degrees under sustained load) establish the baseline that the Cyber X1’s new heatsink is trying to improve on. His point that “I cannot recommend getting this over the Beelink even if the price was the same simply because you get a lot more value for money” applies even more sharply to the Cyber X1 once you factor in the slightly higher launch price; you trade raw value for silence and the unique cooling design. OSReviews’ tour of the Quieter 4C N150 reinforces the same trade-off, noting that “performance is actually a little bit better than maybe what you were expecting” but RAM remains soldered and the chassis attracts dust.

TechRadar’s hedgehog write-up leans into the visual gimmick, calling out the “hundreds of metal spikes” and the explicit 24/7 design target. (The spikes are actually high-thermal-conductivity engineering plastic, not metal, per MeLE’s own materials, and CNX-Software’s deeper teardown corrects the record.) The article warns that the N150 is “modest” and that the RAM is “permanently soldered onto the motherboard,” which matched the launch press release but does not match the SODIMM stick visible in the current Amazon spec photos for the 16GB and 32GB SKUs. CNX-Software and Liliputing provide the most useful technical context, including the 6.4x surface-area claim, the bumped 10W power limit, and the note that the microSD slot is oddly positioned where the heatsink meets the chassis. FanlessTech’s review roundup compiles early owner feedback, which converges on the same themes: silent, cool enough under streaming workloads, hot to the touch under sustained load, and a clear win for people who need a 24/7 silent PC and a clear miss for anyone who wants gaming or transcoding throughput.

Across reviewers there is broad agreement that the pin-fin heatsink works as advertised for the kind of light, steady workloads MeLE targets, and that the N150 platform is the upper bound of what fanless cooling can comfortably handle. The disagreements are smaller: whether the surface temperatures count as a real flaw (CNX-Software flags it; FanlessTech’s owner panel shrugs at it), and whether the RAM is socketed or soldered (the early press materials and most launch articles say soldered LPDDR5, but the actual shipping Amazon SKUs photograph a DDR4 SODIMM). For buyers in 2026, trust the Amazon spec photos over the launch press: the unit you receive will be socketed.

OSReviews was taken with the Cyber X1’s distinctive spiky heatsink top, an aluminum-alloy fanless design built for completely silent operation that suits a home office or media center. At just 288g it is compact and light, trading outright performance for zero noise. The framing was a well-built silent box for quiet-first setups.

Customer Reviews of the MeLE Cyber X1

Amazon customers have rated the Cyber X1 at 4.7 out of 5 stars across 22 reviews on the headline 16GB/512GB SKU, with most owners praising the silent operation, low power draw, and 12V power-input flexibility. The most enthusiastic reviews come from astrophotographers and homelab users who appreciate the combination of x86 compatibility and barrel-jack power: one buyer reports replacing a Dell OptiPlex on a telescope rig with the Cyber X1 and consolidating cable management down to a single power line, while another runs it as a Ubuntu file server and praises stable WiFi, Bluetooth, and 24/7 uptime. Several reviewers specifically call out the fast NVMe SSD and the genuine 10Gbps USB-C port as a step up from earlier MeLE generations.

The most consistent negative thread is the USB-C power port. Multiple owners report that the connector feels loose and disconnects from light bumps, with one reviewer dropping their rating to three stars over the issue despite liking everything else about the device. This is not universal (most buyers leave the unit on a desk and never notice), but it is worth knowing if you plan to mount the Cyber X1 to a moving rig or carry it between rooms regularly. A small number of owners also note that the chassis gets warm enough to be uncomfortable to pick up after several hours of sustained load, which lines up with CNX-Software’s 55 to 70 degree Celsius measurements.

Taken together, customer sentiment skews strongly positive for the specific use cases MeLE designed the product for: silent always-on operation, 4K media playback, home server duty, and field-deployable computing where 12V power is convenient. Buyers who expected a general-purpose desktop replacement are the ones who walk away disappointed.

Conclusion: Who Should Buy the MeLE Cyber X1?

The Cyber X1 is a niche product that knows what it is. If you need a small, totally silent, low-power PC to run a single screen for productivity, a triple-monitor digital-signage rig, a homelab control plane, a security-camera recorder, or a telescope controller, this device sits in a small group of options that can actually deliver all of that in a 0.2-liter chassis. The pin-fin heatsink and the bumped 10W power envelope make it noticeably more comfortable to keep loaded for long stretches than older N100 fanless designs, and the user-replaceable NVMe and SODIMM RAM mean you are not locked into the configuration on the box.

That said, the WiFi 5 radio, the single 1GbE port, and the Intel N150’s modest multi-thread performance are real ceilings. Anyone running modern wireless networks or planning to push large file transfers will want a competing N100 or N150 box with WiFi 6E and 2.5GbE; anyone who needs more than light productivity should step up to a Ryzen or Core Ultra mini PC and accept the fan noise. The surface temperatures are within spec but warm enough that you should give the Cyber X1 open desk space rather than burying it on a shelf with other gear.

If you are still weighing options, our Mini PC Comparison Chart is the fastest way to line the Cyber X1 up against other fanless and ultra-compact systems, and our roundup of the best Linux mini PCs of 2025 covers what to expect when you swap Windows 11 Pro for Debian, Ubuntu, or Fedora on this hardware.

Frequently Asked Questions

What processor does the MeLE Cyber X1 use?

The Cyber X1 is powered by the Intel Processor N150, a four-core, four-thread Twin Lake chip with a 3.6GHz boost clock, 6MB of cache, and a 6W base TDP that MeLE runs at a 10W PL1 power limit for sustained workloads. It scores roughly 5,478 on PassMark’s multi-thread benchmark.

Is the RAM in the MeLE Cyber X1 upgradeable?

The shipping Amazon SKUs use a single DDR4-3200 SODIMM slot, which is socketed and can be replaced. Launch press materials in September 2025 described the RAM as soldered LPDDR5, but the production hardware on Amazon shows a labeled DDR4 SODIMM in the official spec photos. Plan around the SODIMM design if you are buying today.

How loud is the MeLE Cyber X1?

The Cyber X1 is completely silent. It has no fans, no pumps, and no other moving parts; cooling is handled entirely by the pin-fin plastic heatsink that covers the top of the chassis.

How many monitors can the MeLE Cyber X1 drive?

It supports up to three independent 4K@60Hz displays: two via the HDMI 2.0 ports on the rear and a third via DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode on the full-function USB-C port.

Can the MeLE Cyber X1 run Linux?

Yes. Owner reports in the FanlessTech and Amazon review pools confirm clean installs of Ubuntu and Debian (KDE) with working WiFi and Bluetooth out of the box. The Intel N150 and Intel UHD Graphics are well supported by modern Linux kernels.

How hot does the MeLE Cyber X1 get?

Under sustained load, CNX-Software measured surface temperatures of 55 to 70 degrees Celsius on the top and bottom of the chassis. MeLE notes these readings are within the IEC62368-1:2018 safety standard, but the chassis is hot enough that you should give it open desk space rather than enclose it.

What is the storage situation on the MeLE Cyber X1?

There is a single M.2 2280 slot that accepts NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 SSDs (or SATA M.2 drives) up to 4TB, plus a microSD card reader rated for cards up to 2TB. The 512GB SSD that ships in the higher-tier configs benchmarks around 3,940 MB/s sequential reads. There is no 2.5-inch drive bay and no secondary M.2 slot.

What is in the box with the MeLE Cyber X1?

The Cyber X1 ships with the mini PC unit, a 12V/2A barrel-jack power adapter, a VESA mount bracket with screws, and a user manual. The USB-C port also accepts PD power input, so the bundled adapter is the simplest way to power the device but not the only one.