Question 1

This is listed under "Bare bones". Is it a complete PC or will I need to buy memory etc separately?

Accepted Answer

It is a complete PC in terms of hardware, yes, but does not include an OS. (Windows or Linux).  It comes with 2G RAM so no need to purchase that. And it does include 32G eMMC storage, which is effectively your hard drive. Note that only Windows 8 and certain flavors of Linux will recognize that storage. I installed Fedora 22 without issues, my friend installed Ubuntu 14.04 without issue, but I did try CentOS 7 and it will not see the eMMC storage. Oh ,and it does have Wired GB Ethernet, Wifi, and VGA/HDMI graphics hardware too.  But yes, if you are loading Win8 or certain distros of Linux that have an eMMC driver, it comes ready to load an OS.

Question 2

Is it able to run well 24/7. Does it get overheat?

Accepted Answer

Well I can't say how well it work with Windows, but I have mine running 24/7 with Linux, no issue at all and no over heating. Its mounted to the wall and sits there doing its job. (DNS/DHCP). We have a few of these running at client locations too, same thing, no issues 24/7.

Question 3

Windows 10 compatible? Thanks

Accepted Answer

It is compatible. I have Windows 10 on mine. There is a mSATA slot inside, I installed a 32gb SSD and loaded Windows 10 on that.
According to the instructions Windows 7 would not install to the internal storage but Windows 8 would. It didn't say anything about Windows 10 so I added the extra storage.

Question 4

Can this MINI PC play 4K video? I read somewhere this embedded processor is an atom which must be very very slow in today's CPU market. The only hope is the HD video chip that can support 4K decoding. Will buy this mainly as an entertainment PC that connects to a TV, but if it doesn't support 4K video playback there's no point. Thanks.

Accepted Answer

Bought one here, but I'm 90% sure it wouldn't be good enough for most 4K videos out there.

It's not a independent HD video chip but is the internal GPU that has video acceleration and the screen resolution is strictly set to 1080p. The internal GPU accel might be able to handle specific 4K at 29.97fps, but will certainly depend on the codec the GPU supports.

Question 5

Does anyone know if this unit will power on automatically after it loses power and power is restored?

Accepted Answer

Just like most PCs, you can change how this functions in the BIOS setup. It will do the regular 3 options: stay off, turn on, or remember last state.

Question 6

I bought an Liva X and tried to install Ubuntu 14.04.  During installation, it showed "fsyncing/closing/dev/mmcblk0rpmb: input/output error".  I ignored it and installed it.  However, it didn't boot.  Then I looked at the bios menu.  In the boot submenu, the EMMc does not show up.  Is this normal?  Thanks.

Accepted Answer

eMMC is only visible to compatible UEFI OS's. I haven't been able to get it to show even in Windows 7. It appears to require Windows 8/8.1 or Windows 10.

The eMMC is also very slow. It would be wise to pop in a cheap mSATA SSD. I picked up a 128GB for $50 on eBay.

Question 7

I'd like to install a Debian-based linux OS--- is this possible?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can.  Any install will need a kernel at least 3.16 or later to detect the storage, though I had trouble with the Ubuntu LTS options.  I was able to use the Netboot ISO for Debian Jessie without too much of an issue.

Note that few distros will enable the onboard WLAN, but the wired Realtek will work out of the box (though it complains about missing firmware, that you can install later on).

Question 8

Does this come with a drivers disk? I could not locate a sound driver on the mfg website.

Accepted Answer

William, yes the LIVA X comes with a driver disk located at the bottom of the box. The drivers are also located on the ECS website. They have drivers for Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8 32/64-bit, Windows 8.1 32/64-bit, and Windows 10 32/64-bit. These Realtek High Definition Audio Drivers are located under the "Sound" tab of the drivers download page.

Question 9

Can you upgrade the RAM or is it soldered-in?

Accepted Answer

No, the RAM cannot be upgraded. It is soldered on. Please refer to page 8 of the product manual for further information.

Question 10

Just wonder if anybody has had any luck playing back blurays on an external  player with this? I've got windows 7 loaded on a 500 Gb msata drive trying to run power dvd and it stutters really badly.

Accepted Answer

I don't use the external.  I stream from my server with no issue using Win Media Center and EMBY.  I have both SD and HD w full DTS etc support to my receiver.

Brand	ECS
Model	Liva X 2GB/32GB

Memory installed	2GB
Memory Type Supported	DDR3L

LAN	Realtek RTL8111G
Max LAN Speed	1Gbps
Wireless LAN	802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0

Dimensions	1.57" x 3.27" x 5.31"
Weight	2.20 lbs.

LIVA X 2GB/32GB Mini PC

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Back Panel Ports
VGA	1 x VGA Port
HDMI	1 x HDMI

Item#: N82E16856501011