Beelink EQi 304: The First Mini PC with Intel Wildcat Lake, Explained

The Beelink EQi 304 is the first mini PC to ship with Intel's Wildcat Lake processor, and it is now available for pre-order on Beelink's official website . This compact machine packs a surprising amount of performance and connectivity into a tiny chassis, making it a strong contender for home labs, edge computing, and AI-assisted productivity.

Processor: Intel Core 3 304 (Wildcat Lake)

The heart of the EQi 304 is Intel's new Core 3 304, a 5-core, 5-thread processor built on the Intel 18A process node with RibbonFET and PowerVia technology . Its architecture combines:

• 1× Cougar Cove performance core (P-core), with a base clock of 1.5 GHz and a turbo frequency of up to 4.3 GHz
• 4× Darkmont efficiency cores (LP E-cores), with a base of 1.4 GHz and turbo up to 3.3 GHz
• Intel Xe3-LPG integrated graphics
• A built-in NPU, delivering a combined 24 TOPS of AI performance when paired with the iGPU

The processor has a base power of just 15W . According to Beelink's internal testing, the Core 3 304 offers approximately 120% higher single-core and 60% higher multi-core performance compared to the previous-generation Core i3-N305 . This is a significant generational leap for a low-power mini PC.

Memory: LPDDR5 or Socketed DDR5

The EQi 304 offers flexibility in memory configuration:

• LPDDR5 version: Soldered, single-channel memory, available in 16GB
• DDR5 version: Socketed, user-replaceable DDR5, available in 24GB or 32GB configurations

This dual support is a key differentiator, allowing users who need upgradability to choose the socketed DDR5 option.

Storage: Smartphone-Style UFS 3.1

In a notable departure from typical mini PC storage, the EQi 304 uses smartphone-style UFS 3.1 as its primary storage medium . This is soldered on-board and available in 512GB or 1TB capacities, with sequential read speeds of approximately 2.1 GB/s .

While UFS 3.1 is faster than eMMC and approaches PCIe 4.0 x1 bandwidth, it is still slower than a high-end NVMe SSD. To address this, Beelink has included two M.2 2280 slots for expandable storage (PCIe 4.0 x2 and PCIe 4.0 x1), each supporting up to 4TB SSDs .

Connectivity: Dual USB4 and Dual Ethernet

The EQi 304's connectivity is a standout feature for a device of its size and price:

• 2× USB4 ports (40 Gbps), offering functionality comparable to Thunderbolt 4
• 1× 10GbE port + 1× 2.5GbE port (dual Ethernet)
• On-board Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

This makes the EQi 304 an excellent candidate for use as a soft router, firewall appliance, or edge networking device .

Physical Design: Compact and Quiet

The EQi 304 maintains the familiar Beelink EQi form factor:

• Dimensions: 126 × 126 × 44 mm
• Weight: Approximately 500–520 g, depending on configuration
• Noise rating: ~32 dB, described as quiet office-level operation
• Power supply: 85W built-in PSU
• Warranty: 3 years; ships with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed

The built-in 85W power supply is a convenience feature, eliminating the need for an external power brick.

Pricing and Availability

• LPDDR5 version: From $509 (16GB)
• DDR5 (socketed) versions: $509 to $609, depending on configuration
• Higher configurations: Up to approximately $739 for top-end SKUs
• Pre-order: Live now on Beelink's website

All versions ship with Windows 11 Pro and a 3-year warranty .

Lineup Position: Part of a Broader Wildcat Lake Family

The EQi 304 is the first shipping model in Beelink's broader Wildcat Lake lineup, which includes three distinct models sharing the same Core 3 304 processor, dual USB4 ports, and UFS 3.1 storage foundation :

• EQ Mini: The smallest form factor (112×112×37mm), LPDDR5 only, single 10GbE port, 45W PSU
• EQi (this model): Mid-size with LPDDR5/DDR5, dual LAN (10GbE + 2.5GbE), 85W built-in PSU
• ME Pro-2: Largest model (166×121×112mm), DDR5 only, dual 2.5GbE + 10GbE, 120W external PSU, includes 2-bay NAS functionality

Note on "Thunderbolt 4" vs. USB4: Most sources describe the ports as USB4 (40 Gbps), which offers equivalent bandwidth and capabilities to Thunderbolt 4 but is not branded as Thunderbolt 4 . The weight figure (~500–520g) is based on earlier EQi models; the exact weight for the EQi 304 variant has not been separately confirmed by Beelink.