Linx 12 x64 review

Once powered on, though, the reality of the Linx's internals bites, and it bites hard. It was more than happy to serve up 1080p video in all the formats we tried, and coped just fine with in-home streaming from Steam, but mundane tasks like web browsing dragged.

Even navigating the Windows 10 interface seem a step behind, something of a surprise given the adequate 4GB RAM provision and the Cherry Trail CPU at its heart.

Perhaps it's the eMMC storage, which has limited capacity and has to act as something of a bottleneck. Maybe it's an as-yet unresolved driver issue, or underclocked components in order to prevent overheating in the super-thin case.  Whatever the reason, this isn't the super-slick experience of a Surface tablet. Credit where it's due, though: the Linx 12X64 makes the absolute most of its 9,000 mAh battery.

This is not a tablet that's built for benchmarks, at least on the high end. The Intel integrated graphics limped their way through (most of) 3DMark, and the CPU took a languid wander through Cinebench and Geekbench – and, all the while, the included USB charger couldn't quite keep up with the pace, meaning the battery was dipping even with the X64 plugged in.

PCMark and our movie test showed where it shines, though. Those low-power components mean this thing keeps going and going, nearing seven hours of simulated desktop use, and easily powering through a couple of movies on a long journey. The fact that it's USB-chargeable is a massive advantage when travelling, too – even if you can't find an AC outlet, an external battery bank will suffice.

We liked

As a big, portable media device with the versatility of Windows 10 on board, this is a great choice. It's cheap, thin, has a wonderful screen, and decent battery life.

We disliked

Actually using the Linx 12X64 is often a chore. It's sluggish and obviously under-powered. Its construction, while decent, is a little wonky. Surface Pro this ain't.

Final verdict

At times we found ourselves amazed by what the Linx 12X64 could do. At others, we questioned why it couldn't do just a little bit more.

For the price you get a long-lasting tablet, a passable keyboard cover, and the ability to watch media or stream games at home, all backed by Windows 10 – so more practical tasks aren't exactly off the table.

Performance isn't quite up to scratch but if you're spending this little, a small speed sacrifice probably won't be much of an issue.