[Android Stick & Console AMLogic based Computers] c0nvict:
Hello guys,

This time i'm gonna review a very affordable yet capable Android TV Box from Beelink, the Mini M8S II which i got from Gearbest

What's in the Box

The device came in a rather small package which is blue from the outside with red sides indicating ,the best features and the TV Box's specs

Opening the box we get

The M8S II itself

A User's Manual

The AC Adapter rated at 5V 2A

The HDMI Cable

The IR Remote

Looks & Ports

The Beelink Mini M8S II feels very solid in the hand and is consisted of matte plastic for the top and bottom as well as glossy plastic for the sides

On the top left corner we also see the Mini M8S logo printed on the device which is a very nice and elegant touch

On the bottom we only have the reset hole

Looking at the right side we see the MicroSD Card Slot along with a USB 2.0 Port

On the left side we have nothing

On the back we have a second USB 2.0 Port, the SPDIF Optical Audio Output, the Ethernet Port, the HDMI Output, the DC input

And on the front we have a blue Operation LED and the IR Blaster

So to sum it up the devices ports are

A MicroSD Card Slot

2 x USB 2.0 Ports

An SPDIF Optical Audio Output

The Ethernet Port

The HDMI Output

The DC input

Software

Beelink, just like with the Mini MX, has installed the standard custom tv launcher on the device which looks great and is consisted of tile like folders, which you can't edit but you can add the apps you like inside each one of them, an app drawer, and a favourite apps taskbar on the bottom

If we go into the settings we can see that the Mini M8S is running Android 6.0 with a 1080p resolution

HDMI CEC is present as well as HDMI framerate adaptation which is perfect for watching movies with cinematic feel

You can of course install your favourite launcher instead of using the stock one and i prefer Nova Launcher because it's fluid, very smooth and has many settings and options to play with

You can also add widgets, homescreens and use your favourite live wallpaper as a background, something you can't do with the stock launcher

One critical feature the Mini M8S II has which the MXV+ i reviewed a few days ago didn't, is the ability to have the android taskbar visible on the bottom of the screen and of course to hide it whenever you like. This unlocks the multitasking ability of the Android OS and it's something that in my opinion every Android machine should have

The bottom taskbar also has a screenshot button, volume Up/Down and Back, Home, Multitasking buttons

Specs

According to CPU-Z the device's specs are

CPU: Quad Core Cortex A53 Amlogic S905X at 2.0 Ghz Max

GPU: Mali-450 MP

RAM: 2 GB

ROM: 8 GB

OS: Android 5.1.1

The Mini M8S ΙΙ like the Mini MX has a temperature sensor which helps you monitor the CPU temps at all times. A feature i haven't seen on previous TV Boxes i' ve reviewed before

Benchmarks

In order to show you the device's performance i ran some benchmarks and got these results

Antutu Benchmark: 35626

3D Mark: 4272

GFX Bench: 601,9

Throughout the tests the Mini M8S ΙΙ was a little bit warmer to the touch than the Mini MX but not much, which means that the heat dissipation of this device is very good and you' ll never have a problem with high temperatures

Kodi and Video Playback

Before i ran the usual test videos on Kodi i executed Antutu Video Tester and the results it gave me where identical to the Mini MX's results

Now on to Kodi, it runs very smooth with absolutely no problems but some of the test videos i tried playbacked with minimal stutter from time to time

This might be due to the fact that they playbacked from an external 2.5'' 1TB HDD with no extra power supply

I had to use an external player to playback the H.265 videos though because Kodi couldn't handle them

WiFi Reception

The WiFi reception of this device even though it has an internal antenna is absolutely excellent.

The router and the Mini M8S ΙΙ were at about 12 meters apart and between them there were 2 concrete walls

As you can see the signal strength was great and i never experienced connection issues or slowdowns

Gaming

Although this device doesn't natively support external USB Gamepads you can download the Moonlight app from the Google Play Store and play your PC games on your TV using for example an XBOX 360 Controller

This app streams your PC games using your home's wifi network and due to the fact that the Mini MX has an excellent WiFi reception i personally didn't encounter any disconnections or slowdowns during gaming

I tried several games and they all played great. Of course you have to have a good gaming PC to play these games on ultra settings but you get the idea

Conclusion

I absolutely give a thumbs up and recommend this TV Box to everyone who wants a very descent and budget friendly entertainment system

It has a good performance, small size, great wifi reception and it's price is unbeatable

Pros

Small Size

Great Build Quality

Looks

Excellent WiFi Reception

Good Performance

Very Good Video Playback even for H.265 4k Videos

Great heat dissipation

Excellent Kodi support

Frequent Updates

SPDIF Optical Audio Output

Price

Cons

Only 2 x USB Ports

Only 8 GB of Internal Storage from which 4.8 are available for the user but you can overcome it with a MicroSD

Watch my Video Review

Review English

Review Greek

Read the full review with pictures HERE