Bmax B1 Plus Desktop PC - Review and opinions
Quick verdict
The Bmax B1 Plus raises a specific budget-PC question: is a palm-sized Windows desktop with a dual-core Celeron J3355, 6GB of RAM, and only 128GB of onboard storage enough for everyday work, or does its compact design hide a short performance runway? It fits a home office, study desk, media station, or lightweight server where two HDMI outputs, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, and four USB ports matter more than speed. The trade-off is clear from the start: its M.2 expansion is useful, but the fixed 6GB memory and entry-level processor keep this in the light-work lane.
Buy the B1 Plus for web browsing, documents, email, streaming, remote administration, and a tidy dual-monitor desk that needs very little physical space. Skip it for modern gaming, demanding creative work, heavy multitasking, or a desktop you expect to keep accelerating for years. The included VESA bracket, Windows 11 Home, Gigabit Ethernet, and storage expansion make the setup practical, while the two-core CPU and 6GB maximum memory define the limit.
| Processor | Intel Celeron J3355, 2 cores and 2 threads, up to 2.5 GHz |
|---|---|
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 500 |
| RAM | 6GB LPDDR3/1600 MHz, onboard |
| Storage | 128GB eMMC |
| Form factor | Mini PC |
| Wireless connectivity | Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 |
Two-screen desk setup
Dual HDMI outputs support a two-monitor workspace and make the B1 Plus useful for documents, reference material, dashboards, or home-office communication.
The benefit is direct connectivity without a separate display adapter, although the integrated Intel HD Graphics 500 keeps this a productivity and media route rather than a gaming upgrade path.
Storage that can grow
The 128GB eMMC drive handles the starting installation, while separate M.2 2280 SATA and PCIe NVMe slots provide a way to add up to 2TB of storage without replacing the original drive.
That is a meaningful longevity feature for files and media, but additional storage cannot overcome the fixed 6GB RAM limit.
Small, quiet desk footprint
At roughly 4.2 by 4.1 by 1.4 inches and a price band around 5 GBP, the B1 Plus can sit beside a monitor or disappear behind it with the supplied VESA bracket.
The fan and heat spreader are designed for quiet operation, making the format suitable for shared rooms and uncluttered desks, while the compact enclosure is not a substitute for tower-class cooling.
Performance and experience
On a small home-office desk, the B1 Plus takes up less room than a conventional desktop and offers a straightforward connection route with two HDMI 1.4 outputs, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, and a headphone jack. That combination covers a monitor pair, keyboard, mouse, wired network, and basic accessories without immediately requiring a hub. Windows 11 Home is ready out of the box, and the VESA bracket gives the machine a clean behind-the-monitor placement. The practical win is desk simplicity, not workstation power.
With browser tabs, documents, messaging, and light media playing, the 6GB of onboard RAM and eMMC storage keep the machine aimed at ordinary daily tasks rather than expansive multitasking. The Celeron J3355 has two cores and two threads, so a crowded browser session or heavier application can become the point where the compact design stops being an advantage. The 128GB drive also leaves less usable room after Windows and applications are installed. Adding an M.2 SATA or NVMe drive can relieve storage pressure, but it does not change the processor or memory ceiling.
For a two-screen desk, the dual HDMI arrangement is more useful than the headline 4K claim by itself. Two displays can separate documents, communication, and reference material without buying a dock, while Intel HD Graphics 500 keeps the sensible use case focused on office work and media playback rather than current games. The 4.2 by 4.1 by 1.4-inch enclosure and approximately 0.49-pound weight make it easy to mount or move, but the small chassis also leaves little room for the kind of cooling and component headroom expected from a tower. The smart fan and heat spreader support a quiet, tidy workspace, while sustained heavy workloads remain the wrong assignment.
Pros
- Extremely small 4.2 by 4.1 by 1.4-inch design with a VESA mounting bracket
- Dual HDMI outputs and four USB ports support a practical two-monitor desk
- Separate M.2 SATA and NVMe slots provide useful storage expansion
- Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, and Gigabit Ethernet cover the main home-office connections.
Cons
- The two-core Celeron J3355 is a poor fit for demanding software or heavy multitasking
- 6GB of onboard RAM is the stated maximum and cannot provide much long-term headroom
- 128GB eMMC storage can become restrictive after Windows and applications are installed
- Reports of Wi-Fi disappearing make it a weaker choice when wireless reliability is mission-critical.
Community
User reviews
The overall buyer experience is positive but not uniform. Easy setup, compact size, quiet operation, and value make the strongest case, while the recurring practical warning is that this is a modest computer and isolated reports describe Wi-Fi loss or very slow performance. The useful lesson is to buy it for a defined light-duty role rather than expecting broad desktop headroom.
It is very compact and portable, worked right out of the box, performed well enough for the price, stayed fairly quiet, and did not produce too much heat.
It is exactly what I need, works very well, and the setup is easy and fast.
It is perfect for my dedicated Home Assistant server.
The second time I powered it on, the Wi-Fi was gone as if it had never been installed.
Comparison
| Attribute | Bmax B1 Plus Current | BOSGAME P5 Pro | KAMRUI Hyper H2 | KAMRUI Pinova P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $159.99 | - | Out of stock | $349.99 |
| Processor | Intel Celeron J3355, 2 cores and 2 threads, up to 2.5 GHz | - | Intel Core i9-14900HX, 24 cores / 32 threads | AMD Ryzen 7330U |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 500 | - | Integrated Intel UHD Graphics | - |
| RAM | 6GB LPDDR3/1600 MHz, onboard | 32GB DDR5 4800MHz, dual-channel, expandable to 64GB | 32 GB DDR4 (2×16 GB), up to 64 GB | 16GB LPDDR4X RAM |
| Storage | 128GB eMMC | 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 SSD, expandable to 4TB | 1 TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD | 256GB M.2 SSD |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth |
| Form factor | Mini PC | Mini PC | Mini PC | Mini PC |
| Editorial score | 70/100 | 75/100 | 69/100 | 65/100 |
Against an Intel N100-class mini PC, the B1 Plus is the older and more limited route for buyers who care about responsive multitasking and longer useful life. Its advantages are the compact enclosure, dual HDMI layout, included VESA bracket, and two M.2 storage slots. Choose the Bmax for a basic office station, media box, or dedicated utility role where those features solve the problem; choose the newer mini-PC route when processor headroom matters more than the smallest possible budget.
A mainstream tower remains the better choice for gaming, sustained heavy workloads, graphics upgrades, or future memory expansion. It takes more desk space and gives up the B1 Plus's 0.49-pound portability and behind-monitor mounting, but a tower is built around larger cooling, broader component access, and a more flexible performance path. The B1 Plus makes more sense when the computer is a quiet appliance for browsing, documents, displays, or lightweight services rather than the center of a demanding setup.
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Is the Bmax B1 Plus desktop PC worth it?
The Bmax B1 Plus is a sensible compact desktop when the job is specific: web work, documents, streaming, a two-monitor desk, or a small always-on utility such as Home Assistant. Its storage expansion, VESA bracket, wired and wireless connectivity, and quiet-focused cooling give the tiny chassis genuine practical value. If the current offer remains competitive in its budget tier, it is an easy machine to place in a home or office routine.
The skip rule is equally simple. Do not choose it for gaming, demanding editing, large multitasking workloads, or a long-term performance investment. The Celeron J3355, fixed 6GB memory, and 128GB starting storage make expansion useful but not transformational. Buyers who need dependable wireless operation for a critical installation or stronger performance should move to a better-documented newer mini PC or a mainstream tower.
FAQ
Is the Bmax B1 Plus suitable for a dual-monitor home office?
Yes, its two HDMI outputs, four USB ports, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, Ethernet, and Windows 11 Home cover a straightforward two-screen office setup.
Can the storage be upgraded?
Yes, the computer has one M.2 2280 SATA slot and one M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe slot with stated support up to 2TB, but the 6GB onboard RAM and two-core processor remain fixed.
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