Have you ever wondered what a PC, NAS, and router have in common? The AOOSTAR R1 may look like your typical mini-PC, but the device doubles as a NAS or router with 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.
The AOOSTAR R1, which features a cylindrical design, measures 6.38 x 6.38 x 7.8 inches (16.2 x 16.2 x 19.8 cm) and weighs a mere 2.2 pounds (1kg). Don't let the small dimensions fool you, though. The device packs enough performance to be your daily driver whether you want to use it as a traditional system, NAS, or router.
The AOOSTAR R1 packs an Intel 13th Generation Alder Lake-N processor, a low-powered variant of Alder Lake. The Intel N100 is a quad-core, quad-thread processor wielding E-cores with a maximum turbo frequency of 3.4 GHz. The Intel N100 is a 6W chip, making it a favorite option for mini-PC manufacturers. It's not the fastest low-powered chip, but it easily outperforms previous Celeron or Pentium parts. A passive heat sink with two power-efficient cooling fans keeps the AOOSTAR R1 cool.
The mini-PC features one SO-DIMM memory slot for a DDR4-3200 memory module and one M.2 2280 NVMe slot. Removing the top cover will give you access to two 3.5-inch drive bays to outfit the device with two high-capacity platter drives to turn it into a NAS. The bays also support 2.5-inch drives if you prefer that form factor. Put a Linux or BSD distribution on the AOOSTAR R1, and you're good to go.
The AOOSTAR R1 can also serve as a home server or router. It has two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports thanks to the Intel i226V Ethernet controller. Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity are also available via the Intel AX201 wireless module. In addition, the device provides two USB 3,2 Gen 2 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, one USB type-C port, one 3.5mm audio connector, and one DisplayPort 1.4 output.
The barebones AOOSTAR R1 (via Liliputing) sells for $259, whereas the model with 16GB memory, 512GB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro costs $319. However, it's available for preorder for $269 at Amazon for a limited time via a $50 coupon code. Amazon will ship out AOOSTAR R1 orders on October 26. The AOOSTAR N1 Pro, which features the Ryzen 5 5500U, retails for $399 if you need more firepower.
