Beelink EQi Puts Intel 18A Wildcat Lake on Your Desk

Beelink EQi Brings Intel's 18A Wildcat Lake Silicon to a $509 Mini PC

The Beelink EQi is one of the very first shipping products built on Intel's brand-new 18A process node, and for a spec-hungry hardware watcher like me, that alone makes it worth a close look. Announced July 5, 2026, the EQi (model EQi 304) pairs the fresh "Wildcat Lake" Core 3 304 processor with a modern I/O loadout — dual Thunderbolt 4, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and an integrated power supply — inside a chassis you could hide behind a monitor. It is a compact, energy-efficient machine that quietly signals where mainstream computing is heading.

Key Takeaways

• CPU: Intel Core 3 304 on the cutting-edge Intel 18A node — 5 cores, 5 threads, up to 4.3 GHz, Xe3-LPG iGPU, and a 24 TOPS NPU for on-device AI.
• Memory & storage: 16 GB soldered LPDDR5-5600 base, or 24/32 GB removable DDR5-5600; 512 GB UFS 3.1 plus two M.2 2280 slots.
• Connectivity: dual Thunderbolt 4 (40 Gbps), 10 GbE + 2.5 GbE, Wi-Fi 6, BT 5.2, HDMI, and support for three 4K/60 displays.
• Design & price: 126 x 126 x 44.2 mm with an integrated 85 W PSU (no power brick), starting at $509.

What Does Intel 18A Bring to Mini PCs?

Intel 18A is the company's most advanced manufacturing node, and seeing it arrive first in a compact desktop rather than a flagship laptop is a pleasant surprise. The "Wildcat Lake" Core 3 304 is a lean 5-core, 5-thread design that boosts to 4.3 GHz, paired with an Xe3-LPG integrated GPU and a neural processing unit rated at 24 TOPS. That NPU headroom matters: it means the EQi can accelerate local AI workloads — background noise suppression, image processing, and small language models — without leaning on the cloud.

For anyone building an efficient always-on box, the appeal is the balance. You get leading-edge silicon and modern AI acceleration in a footprint that sips power. If local inference is your goal, it slots neatly alongside the machines in our best mini PC for local LLMs guide.

How Much Memory and Storage Can You Configure?

Beelink gives you a sensible ladder of options. The entry configuration ships with 16 GB of soldered LPDDR5-5600, which keeps the board compact and power-efficient. Step up to the 24 GB or 32 GB tiers and you get removable DDR5-5600 SO-DIMMs — a thoughtful nod to upgraders who want to add capacity down the road.

Storage is equally flexible. A 512 GB UFS 3.1 module handles the OS and apps, while two M.2 2280 slots (PCIe 4.0 x2 and x1) let you bolt on fast NVMe drives for projects, media, or a homelab volume. That mix of soldered efficiency and expandable slots is exactly the kind of pragmatic engineering I like to see.

Why the Connectivity Loadout Stands Out

This is where the EQi punches above its price. Dual Thunderbolt 4 ports deliver 40 Gbps each for external GPUs, docks, or fast storage. Networking is the real headline: alongside a 2.5 GbE port, you get a full 10 Gigabit Ethernet jack — a rarity at this price and a gift for anyone running NAS transfers or a home server. Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, HDMI, and support for three 4K/60 displays round out a complete package.

An Integrated PSU in a Tiny Shell

At 126 x 126 x 44.2 mm, the EQi is pocketable by desktop standards, yet Beelink fit an 85 W power supply inside the chassis. No wall-wart, no bulky brick trailing off the desk — just a single cable. For clean, cable-light setups it is a genuinely welcome touch, and it fits right in with the compact-computing devices we track across our mini PC coverage.

How Much Does the Beelink EQi Cost?

Pricing is refreshingly straightforward: $509 for the 16 GB model, $659 for 24 GB, and $739 for the 32 GB configuration. Getting first-wave 18A silicon, a 24 TOPS NPU, 10 GbE, and dual Thunderbolt 4 for just over $500 is a strong value story. Readers eyeing purpose-built edge hardware may also want to compare it against the Rikomagic DS04 edge-AI player.

CNX Software's two-part review, wrapping up July 12, 2026, confirms the EQi runs Windows 11 Pro smoothly and behaves like the efficient, quiet desktop its spec sheet promises. As one of the first machines to put Intel 18A on your desk, the Beelink EQi is a compelling glimpse of accessible, cutting-edge compact computing.

Sources: Gizmochina — July 5, 2026; CNX Software — July 12, 2026; Liliputing — July 2026