Compact PC with 65W Ryzen Processor Outperforms RTX 2050

Key Takeaways

1. Powerful Performance: The Minisforum X1 Lite features an AMD Ryzen 7 255 APU with 8 cores and 16 threads, providing performance comparable to the Mac mini, with a high sustained power limit of up to 65 W.

2. Graphics Capabilities: The integrated Radeon 780M graphics perform similarly to entry-level dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX cards, with the option to enhance performance further using an eGPU dock.

3. Efficient Power Consumption: The system consumes about 8 W at idle, 12 W during 4K video playback, and averages 71 W while gaming at 1080p, peaking at 83 W.

4. Gaming Performance: The X1 Lite runs modern games well, achieving around 74 FPS in God of War Ragnarök and 60 FPS in Fallout 4 at high settings, showcasing its gaming potential.

5. Pricing and Configuration: The fully equipped Minisforum X1 Lite with 32 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD is priced at $663.90, making it an appealing option for those seeking a compact yet powerful mini PC.

The Minisforum X1 Lite is a small mini PC crafted to provide powerful performance similar to the Mac mini. It’s built around the AMD Ryzen 7 255, an 8-core, 16-thread APU based on Zen 4, featuring Radeon 780M integrated graphics. What sets the X1 Lite apart is its high sustained power limits, reaching up to 65 W, and its wide range of external I/O options, making it more of a performance-focused machine than a simple low-power office device. Its weight, about 0.67 kg, is comparable to Apple’s M4 Mac mini, which is also in the same ballpark.

Performance Tests and Unboxing

In a recent video from the YouTube channel ETA Prime, the Minisforum X1 Lite underwent various gaming and performance tests to see how it holds up under real-life workloads. The YouTuber also unboxed the device, showing that the retail box includes a VESA mount, an HDMI cable, and a 120 W power adapter.

Graphics and Expansion Options

On the synthetic benchmark front, the Radeon 780M iGPU performs similarly to entry-level dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics cards. However, for those wanting even more power, Minisforum offers an eGPU dock for the X1 Lite for about $98, which allows the connection of an external GPU via OCuLink. If you’re considering this option, you can expect a noticeable performance increase.

ETA Prime pointed out that the X1 Lite utilizes Minisforum’s standard graphical BIOS, featuring selectable profiles like Silent, Balanced, and Performance. The YouTuber conducted tests in Performance mode to maximize sustained output and manually boosted the iGPU VRAM allocation to 8 GB from system memory using the GFX settings in the BIOS.

Power Consumption and Performance Metrics

During the testing process, the video revealed that under continuous CPU load, the Ryzen 7 255, which is essentially a rebranded Ryzen 7 8845HS, briefly peaked around 70 W before stabilizing at roughly 64 W, closely matching Minisforum’s stated 65 W operational range. ETA Prime measured total system power usage, reporting about 8 W at idle and around 12 W during 4K video playback. While gaming at 1080p, the system had an average draw of about 71 W, with the highest observed consumption hitting 83 W.

Interestingly, the Radeon 780M iGPU in the AMD Ryzen 7 255 showed performance on par with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 in raw benchmark terms. In the 3DMark Time Spy test, the iGPU achieved around 3,322 points, while the average score for the RTX 2050 is about 3,461 according to Notebookcheck’s database.

Gaming Performance Insights

For gaming performance, ETA Prime noted that God of War Ragnarök ran at medium settings with FSR Frame Generation enabled, averaging roughly 74 FPS. Fallout 4 was evaluated at native 1080p on high settings, maintaining a steady 60 FPS, while Forza Horizon 5 averaged around 82 FPS at 1080p on high settings.

The YouTuber also showcased Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter V in their video, along with various synthetic benchmarks on the AMD Ryzen 7 255. For those interested, more information can be found in the detailed video linked below.

If you’re considering purchasing one, the fully equipped Minisforum X1 Lite with 32 GB DDR5-5600 RAM and a 1 TB SSD is available for order on the official site for $663.90.

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