ORIGIMAGIC C3

Published on September 25, 2026

The ORIGIMAGIC C3 is a cheap desktop for a kiosk, a point-of-sale counter, a signage screen or a basic office seat. It runs a two-core Intel Core i3-5005U that Intel launched in early 2015, so it is far slower than the Intel N100 and N150 boxes that sell at a similar price. It ships with Windows 10 Pro.

Pros and Cons

ORIGIMAGIC C3 Comparison Chart

	ORIGIMAGIC C3
Price	List Price: $199.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...
Version	8GB/512GB
Performance Rating	2.3
Operating System	Windows 10 Pro
Processor	Dual-core 2.00 Ghz Intel Core i3-5005U
GPU	Integrated Intel HD Graphics 5500
RAM	8 GB (DDR3-class 1600MT/s; Intel rates the chip to 16GB)
Internal Storage	512 GB M.2 SATA SSD
Dimensions width x length x thickness	5.04 x 5 x 1.69 inches (128.02 x 127 x 42.93 mm)
Weight	1.87 lbs (0.85 kg)
WiFi	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0
Ethernet	1 Ethernet port at 1 Gbps
HDMI	2 Full-Size HDMI Ports
DisplayPort	Both HDMI up to 2560x1600 at 60Hz; no USB-C video
VGA	No VGA Ports
USB Ports	2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3, 1 USB-C Front 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 and USB-C (data only); rear 2x USB 2.0
Thunderbolt Ports	No
OCuLink	No
Internal SATA Ports	1 SATA port, includes 2.5" drive bay (2.5-inch bay, cable included)
Card Reader	No Card Reader
Headphone Jack	combo
Fanless	No
VESA Mount	Yes
In the Box	Mini PC, power adapter, HDMI cable, VESA mount with screws, SATA cable, user manual
Expandability	ORIGIMAGIC advertises memory expansion; Intel caps the chip at 16GB. M.2 2280 slot plus a 2.5-inch SATA bay with cable included.

A 2015 dual-core against current budget chips

Intel lists the Core i3-5005U as a Broadwell part from the first quarter of 2015, now discontinued and past its end of servicing updates in June 2021. It has two cores and four threads at a fixed 2.0GHz, with no turbo boost, and a 15W TDP. PassMark rates it at 2,008. The four-core Intel N150 scores 5,478 and the N100 scores 5,320, so current budget boxes are more than two and a half times faster on multi-threaded work.

That gap leaves the C3 little headroom for multitasking, so it fits one light job at a time, such as a thin client that runs a remote desktop session or a small Linux server. Anyone who wants a general-purpose Windows desktop for the same money is better served by an N150 machine such as the Beelink Mini S13.

Intel HD Graphics 5500 is the integrated GPU, running up to 850MHz. It covers HD video playback and a desktop spread across two screens, but not modern games.

Windows 10 Pro, and no path to Windows 11

Microsoft ended regular Windows 10 support in October 2025, so a buyer who keeps the preinstalled system is running an operating system that no longer gets regular security updates. That makes Linux the practical long-term choice. ORIGIMAGIC lists Ubuntu, Proxmox VE and VMware ESXi as supported, and Intel HD Graphics 5500 has long-standing driver support in the Linux kernel.

For a home server, the C3 supports Wake-on-LAN, PXE network boot, RTC wake and automatic power-on after an outage, plus a clear-CMOS hole. The chip supports Intel VT-x and VT-d virtualization, though two cores and a 16GB memory ceiling keep any virtual machine count small.

Two HDMI outputs, USB-C without video

The chassis measures about 5 x 5 x 1.7 inches and weighs about 1.9 pounds. The front carries two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports at 5Gbps, a USB-C port, a 3.5mm combo audio jack and the power button. The rear holds two USB 2.0 ports for a printer or a receipt scanner, a gigabit RJ45 jack, two HDMI outputs and the barrel power input.

Both HDMI ports drive a display at up to 2560x1600 at 60Hz, which matches Intel’s HDMI limit for this chip, so two 1440p monitors work but 4K at 60Hz does not. The USB-C port carries data only; it does not output video. Wireless is Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 5.0. There is no SD card reader.

Storage and memory

The 512GB drive is an M.2 2280 SATA SSD. A 2.5-inch SATA bay sits inside the case, and ORIGIMAGIC includes the SATA cable for it, so a second SSD or a hard drive for backups or logs goes in without extra parts. ORIGIMAGIC notes the bay is not compatible with Samsung hard drives.

The C3 ships with 8GB of memory at 1600MT/s. ORIGIMAGIC advertises expansion to 32GB, but Intel rates the i3-5005U at a 16GB maximum across DDR3L and LPDDR3, so 16GB is the ceiling to plan around. ORIGIMAGIC also lists the memory type as LPDDR3, which is usually soldered to the board, so confirm with the seller before buying a module. Eight gigabytes covers the single-purpose jobs this chip suits.

VESA mounting and alternatives

The VESA bracket lets the C3 hang behind a display at a counter or a signage screen. The ACEMAGIC Vista V1 also supports VESA mounting and runs the four-core Intel N150. The Mini PC Comparison Chart lists more N150 boxes near the same price.

Frequently Asked Questions