If your priority is 24/7 reliability, silent operation, and business-grade connectivity (multiple displays, serial ports, dual LAN), the ASUS Mini PC PL64 is built for exactly that. It’s not trying to be a tiny gaming monster—this is a compact, fanless workhorse designed for digital signage, retail/POS, kiosks, industrial control, and office endpoints where uptime matters more than peak FPS.

NationalPC product page (for availability/config options):
https://nationalpc.in/barebone/asus-ultraslim-pl64-i5-1235u-processor


What makes the PL64 different

1) Fanless = silent + cleaner + lower maintenance (real-world benefits)

A fanless mini PC isn’t just “quiet”—it’s a deployment advantage:

  • Dust tolerance: In retail counters, workshops, clinics, reception areas, or behind display panels, dust is unavoidable. No fan means less dust being actively pulled through the chassis.

  • Fewer moving parts: Fans are one of the most common wear items in small PCs. Removing them generally improves long-term stability.

  • Consistent behavior: In 24/7 roles, you care about predictable performance, predictable thermals, and fewer surprises.

Important nuance: Fanless doesn’t mean “no heat.” It means heat is dissipated through the chassis. So the PL64 needs space to breathe, not a sealed cabinet.

2) The I/O is the headline (why integrators care)

Most consumer mini PCs give you “a couple of USB ports and an HDMI.” PL64 goes beyond that because it’s aimed at business deployments:

Triple HDMI (multi-screen signage done right)

  • Perfect for menu boards, retail promos, reception dashboards, control-room monitoring, or dual/tri-screen operator desks.

  • Triple display output also makes it easier to standardize one box for multiple client needs.

Dual LAN (segmented network or redundancy)

Dual LAN isn’t a luxury in business setups—it solves real problems:

  • Network segmentation: One LAN for internal ERP/CRM, another for signage content, or a separate VLAN/network for device management.

  • Failover-style planning: Even if you’re not doing true failover, dual LAN allows easier troubleshooting and structured rollouts.

Dual COM / Serial (POS + industrial devices)

This is one of the biggest PL64 advantages:

  • Barcode scanners, receipt printers, weighing machines, PLC/automation equipment, older industrial sensors—many still rely on serial communication.

  • Support for RS-232/422/485 makes it far more compatible than typical office mini PCs.

EDID / display emulation (the signage “secret weapon”)

In signage deployments, displays are frequently:

  • Turned off on schedule,

  • Replaced with different models,

  • Routed through splitters,

  • Sometimes disconnected temporarily.

EDID / display emulation helps prevent the classic signage problems:

  • “PC thinks the display is gone → rearranges resolution/layout”

  • “Content shifts to the wrong screen”

  • “Remote troubleshooting becomes painful”

This feature alone can reduce service calls in real deployments.

Design & deployment notes (the stuff that matters after day 1)

Placement: give it breathing space

  • Mounting behind a TV is common—just ensure some airflow around the chassis.

  • Avoid sealing it inside tight boxes with no ventilation.

24/7 usage: great fit, with one rule

The PL64 is excellent for always-on workloads as long as:

  • Ambient temps are reasonable, and

  • You avoid constant full-load CPU stress (e.g., heavy rendering/encoding 24/7).

Noise: essentially silent

This is ideal for:

  • Clinics, offices, studios

  • Reception desks

  • Conference rooms

  • Libraries or quiet workspaces

Upgradeability (how to build it “the right way”)

PL64 is designed to be serviceable in most configurations:

RAM (biggest impact on responsiveness)

  • Typically supports two SO-DIMM slots

  • Best practice:

    • 16GB for standard office/signage

    • 32GB for heavier browsing, multiple apps, light VM/Docker

✅ Always prefer dual-channel (two sticks). It improves overall system smoothness and helps iGPU performance.

Storage (where reliability matters)

  • Often supports two M.2 SSD slots (great for OS + data separation)

  • Best practice for 24/7:

    • Choose a reliable NVMe SSD

    • Avoid unknown/low-end SSDs for signage loops or continuous writes

Signage tip: If content is updated frequently, SSD endurance matters more than raw speed.

Performance expectations (expert view)

PL64 configurations commonly use 15W-class Intel U-series CPUs (example: 12th-gen i5 U-series). These feel fast for daily business work, but remember:

  • Burst performance: very responsive

  • Sustained heavy workloads: fanless chassis may reduce clocks after heat soak

Office & business apps (excellent)

  • Many browser tabs

  • MS Office / Google Workspace

  • ERP/CRM terminals

  • Remote desktop

  • Video calls (Teams/Meet/Zoom)

Digital signage & multi-display (strong)

  • Multi-display output is a core strength

  • 4K signage playback is typically smooth (codec support depends on CPU/iGPU generation)

  • EDID features reduce “screen shuffle” issues

Light dev / Docker / VMs (good with the right RAM)

  • Small Docker stacks, light VMs, basic dev tools are fine

  • Not ideal for heavy parallel builds or long compiles 24/7

Gaming / GPU workloads (not the goal)

  • Integrated graphics can handle casual/light gaming

  • Competitive/AAA gaming is limited—buy a different class of mini PC if gaming is important

Benchmark Chart Box (more detailed)

(Typical range for 12th-gen i5 U-series class configs in compact systems. Fanless units can be lower on long runs. Dual-channel RAM improves results.)

┌────────────────────────────── BENCHMARK CHART BOX ──────────────────────────────┐
│ ASUS Mini PC PL64 (Typical Range — varies by SKU, RAM, power limits, ambient)   │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ CPU — Geekbench 6 (Overall “snappiness”)                                         │
│   Single-Core: 1700 – 1900   ████████████████████                                │
│   Multi-Core : 4800 – 6000   ████████████████                                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ CPU — Cinebench R23 (Sustained multi-core load / heat soak sensitivity)          │
│   Multi-Core : 5500 – 7500   █████████████████                                   │
│   Notes      : Fanless designs may drop after 10–20 min continuous load          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ iGPU — 3DMark Time Spy (Integrated graphics)                                     │
│   Score      : 1100 – 1400   ████████████                                        │
│   Notes      : Dual-channel RAM can noticeably improve iGPU scores               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Biggest upgrades that improve real performance:                                   │
│   1) Dual-channel RAM (2 sticks)   2) Quality NVMe SSD   3) Better airflow space │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Thermals & stability (what to expect)

  • Short bursts: fast and responsive

  • Long heavy workloads: clocks reduce as the chassis saturates (normal for fanless)

  • Best practice: don’t enclose it tightly; give it airflow and stable power

If you need full-speed sustained performance (rendering, continuous encoding, big compiles), a fan-cooled mini PC is the better tool.

Who should buy the PL64

Buy it if you need

  • Silent 24/7 mini PC for signage

  • Triple-display output for menu boards/dashboards

  • Dual LAN for managed networks or segmentation

  • Serial/COM ports for POS/industrial devices

  • Low-maintenance, long-deployment behavior

Skip it if you need

  • Heavy sustained workloads (rendering, continuous encoding, big compiles)

  • Serious gaming / GPU compute

  • Best “performance per rupee” (fan-cooled boxes often win)

Verdict

The ASUS Mini PC PL64 is a deployment-first mini PC: fanless, quiet, and loaded with the ports businesses actually need—triple HDMI, dual LAN, and serial connectivity. Treat it like a reliable endpoint for signage, retail, and office operations, and it shines. Treat it like a workstation or gaming box, and you’ll hit the natural limits of a fanless 15W-class design.

FAQ (Source-Free)

1) Is the PL64 good for 24/7 digital signage?

Yes—this is one of its best use cases. The fanless design, multi-display outputs, and display-stability features make it a strong signage box, especially when paired with a reliable SSD and UPS.

2) Will a fanless mini PC throttle?

Under sustained heavy load, yes—fanless systems typically reduce clocks after heat soak. For office/signage/POS workloads, this is usually not an issue.

3) How much RAM should I choose?

  • 16GB: best value for office + signage + POS

  • 32GB: recommended if you run many apps, heavier browser workloads, or light VMs/Docker

Always prefer dual-channel (two sticks).

4) Can it run three displays at once?

That’s a key PL64 advantage. It’s designed for multi-display use—great for menu boards and dashboards.

5) Why do dual LAN and COM ports matter?

Because many business/industrial environments still rely on serial peripherals and structured networking. Dual LAN helps segmentation and stability; COM ports avoid unreliable USB-to-serial adapters.

6) Is it good for gaming?

Not really. Integrated graphics are fine for casual use, but this platform is designed for reliability and I/O, not gaming performance.

7) What’s the best way to deploy it behind a TV?

Mount it with airflow space around the chassis, avoid sealed enclosures, and use a quality power source (UPS preferred for signage).

Price & availability (NationalPC.in)

Listed on NationalPC.in with pricing shown as:

  • Price: ₹49,990 (from) for the PL64 i5-1235U barebone listing

  • Dispatch: “Dispatch after 2 days” is stated on the product page

  • The same page also shows multiple ready configuration options (RAM/SSD/Windows bundles), selectable on the product listing.