Kodi Media Center has become the go-to streaming media box for everyone from cable cutters to anyone wanting a great media experience.
The basic requirements to run Kodi are listed as 3D capable GPU graphics hardware controller for all rendering, a Dual-core 2 GHz or better CPU, and 1 GB of RAM.
Of course it can be installed and used on slower machines but becomes laggy.
To give an example I have installed Kodi on a Raspberry Pi single core 900 MHz CPU with 512 MB of Ram and it does work although it does freeze up at moments.
The new Raspberry Pi 2 quad core 1 GB of Ram does a much better job of running Kodi.
But what about media boxes that already have Kodi installed?
When it comes to pre-installed Kodi boxes there are many to choose from.
As listed above they should have at least the basic specifications to run Kodi, but ideally faster.
Of course the prices will match the better hardware but can be worth it in the long run if you want the best Kodi experience.
Our Picks For The Top Pre-Installed KODI Media Center Boxes of 2016
NVIDIA SHIELD – 4K Streaming Media (Netflix, HBO, Kodi / XBMC).
The NVIDIA Shield is a popular Kodi box that has many added features.
It has a Quad core CPU, 802.11ac WiFi, Built in Micro-SD slot, and USB 3.0.
Different models can be bought that give more internal hard drive space. Most Kodi boxes dont give this option and have limited internal space. If you have a large video library you want to store and play than hard drives up-to 500 GB can be bought pre-installed.
While more costly than other options it is a nice box to run Kodi on.
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Matricom G-Box Q Quad/Octo Core XBMC/Kodi Android TV Box [2GB/16GB/4K]
The Matricom G-Box is a good box to run Kodi on. It runs a 2 GHz Quad Core S802 CPU, a Mali450 Octo Core 3D GPU Graphics Processor, and 2 GB of RAM.
It also has dual band WiFi which can run on the new 5 GHz 802.11ac protocol. If you have a dual band router than than you will have no problems with a fast internet connection, at least to the router.
The Matricom G-Box combined with Kodi is definitely a cable killer.
For a full Review of the Matricom G-Box Read Here.
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MXQ Amlogic S805 Quad Core Fully loaded Add-ons with kodi
The MXQ runs a Quad Core S805 CPU with 1GB of RAM.
One of the things that Make it stand out is it is cheap.
While not the fastest Kodi android box it does work quite well. If your on a budget this may be a good box to get.
For a full review of the MXQ Quad Core Kodi Box Read Here
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Idroidnation I-Box “PRO” Octa Core 5.1 Lollipop Android Tv Box
The newest Idroidnation I-Box has 8 core 1.5 GHz, RK3388 SoC Rockchip Cortex A53 and 2 GB of RAM.
This makes it one of the fastest on our list.
For a full review of the Idroidnation I-Box read here.
Summary
When buying a Kodi box read the reviews on Amazon to be sure it meets your technical ability. While any of these boxes will run Kodi they often come with some degree of setup that may not be for everyone.