Table of Contents
The first thing I would like to say is that the XIDU Philmac is an Extremely Capable PC.
There is almost no task that you can give this computer that it wont be able handle. Remember, the PhilMac is a low-cost machine that is specifically designed for light home and office use. You can do some gaming on it, but it’s not meant for high-end 3D gaming.
As you can see, the XIDU PhilMac has all the ports you need. It has 3 full-size USB 3.0 ports, and HDMI port, a standard headphone jack (which can also be used for speakers), a gigabit Ethernet connection, and an SD card slot. It even provides support for older monitors by including a VGA connector.
The XIDU PhilMac Has a High-Quality Construction
The XIDU PhilMac is machined from a single piece of high-quality aluminum. This type of manufacturing technique is usually reserved for very expensive, high-end products.
Real-World Performance
When using this PC as an Office or Multimedia machine, it really excels. Any basic task on this machine happens very quickly. There is no lag or stutter as you go from page to page in Chrome or from program to program. YouTube video performance is excellent.
Can The XIDU PhilMac be Used For Getting Real Work Done?
I’m what you call a ‘power user’. I really, really use my PC. I always have 20+ chrome tabs open, and I use several large programs at the same time.
I create all kinds of digital content. From audio, to GIFs. From video to article. I make logos, website, and several other things. I really use my computer for work, and the XIDU PhilMac makes that easy.
To demonstrate the power of this PC. I am rendering a very high resolution file to see how long it takes to produce.
The Rendered Video:
As you can see, the XIDU PhilMac is capable of creating high-quality, high-resolution video content with ease.
Creating audio content on this mini-PC is equally as effortless as creating UHD 4K videos.
Now that we have the board removed from the casing, we can take a closer look at XIDU’s board design and manufacturing quality.
Multi-Tasking on the PhilMac is a Breeze
Doing many things at once with this PC is not a problem at all. I was able to render 4K UHD video while also doing audio production software and Google Chrome.
Under The Hood of the Philmac
Not only does the XIDU PhilMac have a high-quality construction, but it is also very easy to take part. Usually, its one or the other, but with the PhilMac, it’s both.
It’s as simple as removing the 4 rubber feet and the 6 standard Philips-head screws.
After that, all you have to do is slide the motherboard out of the enclosure.
When you look up close, you can see that the engineers at XIDU really knew what they were doing when they designed the PhilMac. This is a very high-quality board that has a very efficient component layout.
Everything down to the last detail was done properly in the design and manufacture of the XIDU PhilMac. Even the soldering is high-quality.
XIDU used the Intel AC 3165 Wireless SoC for the PhilMac. The intel AC 3165 module is a very capable, very reliable, and very fast Wi-Fi chip. You won’t have any wireless performance issues with this PC.
All of the ports are well attached to the board and feel sturdy. When you plug a USB device in to this mini-PC, it inspires a feeling of confidence. The USB ports on the XIDU PhilMac won’t be breaking off unless you really, really abuse the machine.
I noticed that the PhilMac has an M.2 expansion slot. I could not find any mention of it in XIDU’s documentation, so I am not sure if the slot is enabled. If it is, though, it can be used to add more storage and other devices that work in an M.2 slot.
Conclusion
The choice is up to you. You can get an expensive, power hungry, traditional PC if you want to. But as you can see, there is less and less reason to buy a full-size PC these days. Mini-PCs are becoming more and more capable, and the XIDU Philmac is a shining example of that.
At only $200 US, the Philmac represents an excellent value for the money. Unless you are wanting to do high-end 3D games, this mini-PC offers a no-compromise solution.
