DreamQuest N100 Mini PC Running Linux: Benchmarks

This is a multi-part blog looking at a DreamQuest N100 Mini PC running Linux. The model we’re testing has an Intel N100 processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB M.2 SSD. It sounds like an inexpensive machine to run Linux.

This article benchmarks the DreamQuest N100 Mini PC running Ubuntu 24.10. The tests are run using the Phoronix Test Suite unless otherwise stated. Rather than compare the DreamQuest’s performance against processors found in modern mini PCs, we’re taking an alternative approach.

We benchmark the machine against a server/workstation, a tiny desktop PC, and a fairly old mini PC. We want to see how well the DreamQuest Mini PC might function say as a home server or as a desktop replacement. We also compare this machine to a DreamQuest N95 Mini PC we previously reviewed.

Let’s start with some general system tests.

$ phoronix-test-suite benchmark build-linux-kernel

The benchmark show how long it takes to build the Linux 6.8 kernel in a default configuration. The test uses all cores/threads of a PC, but it’s not the type of test where CPU cores run at 100%. A lot of the time, the compiler is waiting on other things like RAM and disk. It’s therefore a good indicator of the general system performance of a machine.

The DreamQuest N100’s results are mighty impressive for a CPU with a mere 6W TDP. Contrast that with the Xeon and HP i5-6500T machines which are 105W TDP and 35W TDP respectively. The N100 actually beats the HP desktop machine in this test by a significant margin. Of course, the Xeon machine compiles the kernel quicker courtesy of its much higher number of cores (it’s a 12 core 24 thread machine).

$ phoronix-test-suite benchmark encode-flac

The DreamQuest N100 is only slightly slower than the HP desktop machine, and obliterates the Xeon. The benchmark only uses a single core. The Xeon is even beaten comfortably by the i3-5005U Mini PC which highlights the deficiencies of the Xeon CPU with software running on a single core.

This benchmark indicates that the DreamQuest N100 machine will make a fine home server or as a desktop machine given that for most of the time some of its cores will not be fully utilised.

Let’s move on to benchmarks that focus more on the processor.