Chuwi Minibook X: the netbook we deserve

# Chuwi Minibook X: the netbook we deserve Source: [https://tylercipriani.com/blog/2026/05/28/chuwi-minibook-x/](https://tylercipriani.com/blog/2026/05/28/chuwi-minibook-x/) Netbooks are dead, but the Chuwi Minibook X scratches the same itch\. The Minibook X is a 10\.5″ x86\_64 sub\-ultrabook with 16GB RAM, a 512GB NVMe drive, and only one majorly annyoing Linux quirk\. I needed a knock\-around laptop, so I bought myself a Minibook for my birthday last year\. The more I tote it around, the more fun I’m having with this ridiculous little computer\. [](https://photos.tylercipriani.com/thumbs/58/ec9d31f64e7d203a6d40603d8ec352/xlarge.jpg)## Quick specs Much like the netbooks of yore, the Minibook is a budget machine\. But it’s 2026, so even budget machines pack more oomph than I need from a utility laptop\. - CPU 4\-core/4\-thread 3\.6GHz Intel N150 Twin Lake - 16 GB RAM – LPDDR5\-6400 – soldered 😿 - 512GB NVMe – upgradable - 10\.51” IPS 2K 16:10 screen - 28\.88Wh Li\-Ion battery - Weight: 911g - Ports: 2×USB\-C \(1×PD charging\) - Cost: $350 [](https://photos.tylercipriani.com/thumbs/a1/cbe8bd56a1085ab2e3c7a6388bed5f/xlarge.jpg)One oddity is that the Minibook comes bundled with a 12V/2A USB\-C charger\. I chucked the charger; I worried I’d fry some 5V SoC someday\. The Minibook works fine with a PD charger\. [](https://photos.tylercipriani.com/thumbs/18/7a50ffe3248627bddf4ca435c047a5/xlarge.jpg)I’d assume the 12V charger was a cost\-saving choice, but it also creates some weird possibilities for DC/off\-grid setups\. ## Linux and weirdness: sideways panels and kernel parameters The fediverse told me that Minibook runs Linux “boringly well,” which was*almost*true\. I tried Debian, then jumped to NixOS for kicks\. What works: - Camera/Microphone/Speakers - Touchscreen - Sleep/Suspend - Hibernate - Keyboard backlight - USB\-C HDMI - Bluetooth \(non\-free blobs – Intel\) - Wi\-Fi 6 \(non\-free blobs – Intel\) But on first boot, the screen orientation is 270° clockwise: [](https://photos.tylercipriani.com/thumbs/fd/618ab5184903c7a8a69428d4df70e0/xlarge.jpg)The Chuwi’s screen is a panel from a cheap tablet; the screen rotation issue is a hardware problem \(the screen is mounted sideways\)\. To fix the screen’s rotation, I had to tweak screen orientation at every software layer\. Fixing this problem was a journey: 1. Bootloader – Switched from`systemd\-boot`to`grub`, carrying some[unmerged GRUB rotation patches](https://github.com/iggyZiggy/chuwi-grub-rotation-nix-patch)on top\. 2. Initrd – Tell the Intel display driver about the panel orientation via a kernel parameter, and force the Intel driver to load in the initramfs\. On NixOS:`boot\.kernelParams = \["video=DSI\-1:panel\_orientation=right\_side\_up"\];`and`boot\.initrd\.kernelModules = \["i915"\];`\(see Kernel docs for[modedb default video mode support](https://docs.kernel.org/fb/modedb.html)\) 3. Desktop environment – For X11, good ole`xrandr \-\-output DSI\-1 \-\-rotate right`\. Wayland picked this up from the DRM connector\. This one was easy\. 4. Framebuffer – Ensure all TTYs have the proper orientation by adding`fbcon=rotate:1`to kernel parameters`boot\.kernelParams = \["fbcon=rotate:1"\];`\(see Kernel docs for[framebuffer console boot options](https://docs.kernel.org/fb/fbcon.html#c-boot-options)\) Behold, the final result in all its glory: Non\-rotated system boot\. Zero Cool's bootscreen courtesy of[`mainframed/Hackers\-Plymouth`](https://github.com/mainframed/Hackers-Plymouth) ## Size, weight, and build This computer is mind\-bogglingly small\. The build is sturdy and totable; it’ll hold up to a backpack jostling\. [](https://photos.tylercipriani.com/thumbs/20/2a52c0ab8facc8cb6d6bb6f81fe137/xlarge.jpg)The laptop’s case is MacBook\-esque: aluminum and good\-looking\. The MacBook Air’s dimensions dwarf the Chuwi’s, but the two laptops are about the same thickness\. [](https://photos.tylercipriani.com/thumbs/47/64546616494468e5901dc5289f0de7/xlarge.jpg)[](https://photos.tylercipriani.com/thumbs/fc/9571e3d8763d1f635423a00a5ad549/xlarge.jpg)> A notebook that weighs more than a kilo is simply not a good thing –[Linus Torvalds](https://techcrunch.com/2012/04/19/an-interview-with-millenium-technology-prize-finalist-linus-torvalds/) The Minibook weighs in just shy of a kilo at 912 grams\. [](https://photos.tylercipriani.com/thumbs/43/3dd984db05dddda91ec2f1e4691652/xlarge.jpg) ## Perf, thermals, and power tl;dr: you get what you pay for\. But battery life and cooling are better than I’d have guessed\. The Minibook X was never going to compile the Linux kernel in record time\. But the performance matches the specs, it stays cool, and it has enough battery life to run a movie marathon\. Numbers: - Geekbench6 \(a fun side\-quest to get running on NixOS\), better than I[expected](https://browser.geekbench.com/search?q=n150)\.- Single\-core: 1295 - Multi\-core: 3332 - Wi\-Fi 6 speed: 424 Mbps, more than enough to stream a 4K movie\. - Power- Idle: 3\.8W - During benchmark: ~15W Battery: When I left the 1995 classic film “Hackers” looping in VLC, the battery lasted about 6 hours\. Heat: Running`stress\-ng`for 10 minutes, the hottest part of the laptop chassis remained below 90°F \(32°C\): [](https://photos.tylercipriani.com/thumbs/e1/ece6929d3378c0b9bff4e42c4f687d/xlarge.jpg) ## What I dislike There’s so much to dislike about this laptop: - Screen is terrible – 2K? 50Hz refresh rate? Why\!? - Keyboard is terrible – it only registers keystrokes when you hit the exact center of each key\. - Touchpad is terrible – It’s a diving board\-style, without physical buttons\. - Sound is meh – I can hear the tinny laptop speaker fine, but it’s underwhelming\. I’ve never tried tweaking it in Pipewire, though; it’s possible it could be better\. But “terrible” is in comparison to the nicest modern laptops in existence\. Everything I listed here works fine\. I’m honestly blown away when I tune my expectations to the sub\-$400 laptop range\. ## Verdict In[*The Death and Life of Great American Cities*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_and_Life_of_Great_American_Cities), Jane Jacobs wrote, “new ideas require old buildings”: cheap spaces let people try risky ideas\. The Chuwi Minibook X is an old building\. I can brick the Minibook and have a normal Monday on my serious work laptop\. Nothing has to work, which makes it perfect to try out new Linux desktop stuff: - NixOS – I’ve been using Debian for 15 years\+, figured I’d try joining the NixOS cult for a while\. - RiverWM – I’m on a quest to find the Wayland version of XMonad;[River](https://github.com/riverwm/river)is pretty close\. - KDE Plasma – I’ve used a tiling window manager for over a decade\. What’s it like to use a desktop that Just Works™? - Steam – Never been much into games, but I decided to give Steam a try since, well, why not? Cheap, weird computers like the Chuwi make it safe to play\. And playing with computers is still fun\. Playing[Melatonin](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1585220/Melatonin/)on Steam on the Chuwi