As a digital nomad or someone who likes the freedom and flexibility to work from anywhere, it’s unfortunate that there aren’t many options in the way of portable workstations. Comparing our options, a powerful desktop PC is too large, too heavy, and runs too hot to be convenient on the road. On the flip side, a portable 2-in-1 PC is too underpowered, perhaps good enough for presentations and painting with the touchscreen, but it’s not enough to do serious editing or design work as the screen is too small and a dedicated GPU is absent. Thus, no matter which combination of devices you purchase, be it a laptop, mini PC, 2-in-1, or tablet, you’ll always discover that the experience you’ll get is almost always less than ideal, always a compromise between performance, flexibility, and portability.
Furthermore, the need to juggle multiple devices to meet all our needs necessitates moving between a fully functional desktop and a device on the go, like a laptop, which can be quite jarring. File transfers and conversions take a lot of time, and often it is challenging to keep track of file versions between multiple devices. Khadas, the creative brand behind the innovative and upcoming Khadas Mind, understands this dilemma better than anyone and aims to change it. Fueled by a need to push the boundaries of innovation and user experience to deliver truly remarkable products, Khadas is now focused on applying its excellent single-board computer designs to the personal computer market to push the envelope of portability, flexibility, and performance.
Imagine if a single system or computer could simultaneously be portable, flexible, and high-performance. That computer exists, and it’s called the Khadas Mind. The Mind is a modular PC with three distinct operating modes that will meet a wide range of your needs. It’s the perfect blend of high-speed computing, modular flexibility when you need it, and exceptional portability.
The way it achieves this modularity and versatility is fairly unique. Firstly, there’s the Khadas Mind, the thin and lightweight portable PC, then the Mind Dock with hot-swap and expanded I/O capabilities, and finally, the Mind Graphics for when you’re ready to unleash your creativity or play some hardware-intensive games. You can swap seamlessly between these modes, choosing to use Khadas Mind by itself as a mini PC, combined with the Mind Dock as a multi-screen workstation, or with the Mind Graphics module for ultimate gaming and creativity.
But above all, the core of the modular ecosystem, the Khadas Mind portable PC remains as portable as ever, weighing just 0.99 pounds (450 grams) and in a size less than a quarter the size of an A4 sheet of paper. Its standby battery can also last up to 25 hours in sleep mode, perfect for working from anywhere and moving between worksites. Its size also makes it an excellent option to toss in your bag and take to the local coffee shop, back and forth between home and office, or somewhere else entirely. It sounds amazing, so let’s take a closer look at this modern marvel and the team behind its creation.
Exploring the Khadas brand story
With a tagline like “Amazing Khadas, Always Amazes You,” the company better be doing something special.
Initially, a team of three with a development background, Khadas set out on a journey to provide single-board computers (SBCs) to the creative community. The team has grown internationally, with over 80 members, several product launches, and evolving innovations.
In 2016, Khadas made waves with the VIM and EDGE series single-board computers tailored specifically for what they refer to as diverse “Developers” and “Makers,” or the Maker community. Due to their affordability, compact design, and excellent usability, the SBCs were solidified as some of the industry’s best, with even Google recognizing the Khadas VIM2.
Khadas branched out, offering other open-source solutions that leveraged the single-board design. By 2018, the Khadas Tone1 DAC board launched into the Hi-Fi audio market, delivering unmatched sound quality but also enabling anyone to craft their own audio streaming systems. Eventually, its popularity led to the creation of the Khadas Tone2 Pro, an evolution of the previous model that signaled the brand’s dedication to evolving and innovating in the space.
Fueled by the desire to push boundaries, Khadas is consistently delivering new, wondrous products after recognizing the need for various systems that have yet to be developed. Today, the company provides ARM-based single-board computers (SBCs), high-fidelity audio solutions, and revolutionary next-gen PCs.
Cue its latest adventure, and an answer to portable computing, giving everyone the opportunity to own a suitably powerful SBC-personal computer, the Khadas Mind.
What is the Khadas Mind portable PC?
Khadas’ innovative spirit certainly carried over into the PC market and shone through with its latest solution. At the heart of it all is the Khadas Mind. It’s what all the accessories or add-ons connect to and what the modular system thrives on. The Mind is a small form-factor PC, and when we say small, we mean small, packed with some decent hardware right out of the gate. It features a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 1360P 5.0GHz 12-core 16-thread processor, 32GB to 1TB of LPDDR5 RAM, Intel Iris Xe graphics, a built-in battery, and an internal M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 2230 solid-state drive with 512GB, and 1TB capacities, and an additional PCIe 3.0 M.2 2230 solid-state drive slot for storage expansion. The exact specifications depend on the model you choose. It also features a high-performance thermal system with VC liquid cooling, pure copper cooling fins, and a magnetic levitation cooling fan to keep the system running optimally even under heavy loads. It also has USB-C, HDMI 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen2, and supports DP output and PD fast charging.
Make no mistake, the super compact form factor is the star of the show here. You can toss it in a bag or even your pocket and bring it with you to work from virtually anywhere. But this isn’t a tablet or a laptop, this is the full power of a desktop system in your hands and ready to go, and that’s without any of the modular options that Khadas offers. They’ve pushed existing limitations and solutions to deliver something that’s truly next-gen, packing loads of power into something that can even fit in the palm of your hand.
What are the Khadas Mind modules and how do they work?
With either the Mind Dock or the Mind Graphics modules, you can expand the Khadas Mind’s functionality even more. The Dock, as you might expect, is multifunctional to expand and elevate your on-the-go experience so much more. This is made possible with the built-in Mind Link, a connector that integrates with external modules. The Mind Link is a versatile interface that combines several port standards, including PCIe 5.0, USB 3.2 Gen2, DisplayPort, and a 10-amp power supply. It eliminates the need to connect everything with cables while seamlessly uniting the essential data pathways.
It offers additional I/O capabilities for more accessories and peripherals but also features seamless docking, built-in audio, and a fingerprint scanner for added security. Ethernet (2.5Gbps), HDMI 2.0 (4K/60Hz), USB-A 3.2 Gen1 (5Gbps), an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack are just a few of the additions to the dock that expand the Mind.
To use it, you simply set the Khadas Mind PC right on top of the dock, and it satisfyingly clicks into place.
The Mind Graphics mode is a GPU bay with uncompromising power that takes the Mind PC to new heights in terms of graphical processing power and performance. Inside is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, numerous I/O ports, an electronic switch lock, and adaptability for other devices. Like the Dock, you just set the Khadas Mind on top – it clicks into place – and you’re instantly able to capitalize on the raw graphics processing power of the GPU bay.
It’s one of the most user-friendly designs we’ve ever seen for a portable PC of this caliber. Just stow and go. When you’re ready to unlock more power, just connect and go. That’s it.
Why the Khadas Mind?
While the hardware inside the system is crucial, what the developers consider when building and designing is most important.
The Khadas Mind family is meant to solve several pain points by offering:
- Power and portability in a user-friendly and manageable size you can take and use virtually anywhere.
- Extremely high-speed and high-bandwidth opportunities that allow for rapid communication and performance between modules.
- Seamlessly connect with available modules to augment your experience precisely how you need.
- A built-in battery that truly offers freedom and flexibility, but without limitations of only a few hours of use.
Khadas imagines the option to seamlessly take your Mind PC between work and home, connecting the modules you need when you need them without any hassles or frustrations. You can easily move between a quick setup at a coffee shop or a more professional setup at a home or office desk. Sure, you might get this experience from a decent laptop or tablet, but you’re still going to be sacrificing something. You lose processing power, RAM, and memory capacities for better multitasking, storage, or even graphics processing for more demanding activities – like gaming.
The Khadas Mind solves all that by giving you everything in one small, convenient package. You can always use the modules to elevate and enhance your experience. It’s a genius approach to modern computing and one we’re extremely excited to watch unfold.
If you’re interested, you can check out the Khadas Mind Kickstarter, and the campaign is live now. You can even pre-order to get in early.
