Beelink EQi 304: Ubuntu 26.04 on a Wildcat Lake Mini PC

Sofía García · 2026-07-19

The Beelink EQi 304 has been making waves in the mini PC world, and for good reason. This compact powerhouse packs Intel's new Wildcat Lake processor, and we've been putting it through its paces. After testing Windows and a few other operating systems, it's time for the real test: Ubuntu 26.04. ### Why Ubuntu on a Mini PC? If you're a developer, a sysadmin, or just someone who values privacy and control, Linux is often the go-to choice. Mini PCs like the EQi 304 are perfect for this because they're affordable, quiet, and sip power. But the real question is, how well does this specific hardware play with a fresh Linux install? Let's dive in. ### The Installation Experience Installing Ubuntu 26.04 on the Beelink EQi 304 was surprisingly straightforward. The system recognized the NVMe drive, the Wi-Fi card, and the integrated graphics right out of the box. No fiddling with kernel parameters or hunting for proprietary drivers. It just worked. - Bootable USB creation was smooth - Installer detected all hardware correctly - Full disk encryption was enabled without issues That's a great sign, because hardware compatibility is often where budget mini PCs fall flat. ### Performance in Daily Use Once we got into the desktop, things felt snappy. The Wildcat Lake processor, with its hybrid architecture, handles everyday tasks with ease. Browsing with multiple tabs, coding in VS Code, and even some light photo editing all felt responsive. The system rarely broke a sweat, and the fan stayed whisper-quiet. I ran a few benchmarks to get a sense of the raw power. In Geekbench 6, the single-core score hovered around 1,450, while multi-core hit about 4,200. Those numbers are respectable for a low-power chip. For reference, that puts it in the same ballpark as some older Core i5 desktop processors. ### A Note on Thermals and Power One of the biggest selling points for this mini PC is efficiency. Under load, the CPU temperature peaked at around 165 degrees Fahrenheit. That's well within safe limits. And the power draw? The whole system, including RAM and storage, pulled just under 20 watts during stress testing. Idle, it dropped to about 6 watts. That kind of efficiency makes this an excellent choice for a 24/7 home server or a quiet office workstation. ### Compatibility Quirks to Know No review would be complete without mentioning the small stuff. There are a couple of quirks you should be aware of if you're planning to run Linux on this machine. - **Suspend/Resume**: Works, but it takes a few seconds longer than on Windows. - **Bluetooth**: Pairing was fine, but audio over Bluetooth had a slight delay. - **Sleep on Lid Close**: Only an issue if you use the VESA mount, which we do. The system stays awake, but that's a minor annoyance. None of these are deal-breakers, but they're worth knowing about. ### Who Should Buy This? If you're looking for a small, quiet, and energy-efficient computer to run Linux, the Beelink EQi 304 is a fantastic option. It's not going to win any speed records, but it doesn't need to. It's a tool that gets out of your way and lets you work. For $219, you're getting a complete system that just works with Ubuntu. That's a hard deal to beat. Whether you're building a home lab, a media center, or just want a secondary desktop, this little box deserves a spot on your desk. ### Final Thoughts After a week of daily use, I'm impressed. The Beelink EQi 304 with Ubuntu 26.04 is a match made in heaven for anyone who wants a reliable, low-cost Linux machine. It's fast enough for real work, quiet enough to forget it's there, and efficient enough to run all month without a noticeable bump in your electric bill. If you're on the fence, hop off. This is a solid buy.