Key Takeaways
1. Minisforum is launching high-quality mini-PCs, particularly in the AI X1 and N5 series, featuring AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU.
2. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU includes four Zen 5 cores, eight Zen 5c cores, and a Radeon 890M integrated GPU with 16 RDNA 3.5 Compute Units.
3. While the AI X1 Pro and N5 Pro offer solid performance, they fall short compared to the Strix Halo alternatives like the GMKtec EVO-X2.
4. Minisforum is reportedly developing a new competitor device to the GMKtec EVO-X2, hinted at through Geekbench listings.
5. The upcoming Minisforum product is expected to feature a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU and support for up to 128 GB of RAM.
Minisforum has been launching a variety of high-quality mini-PCs recently, particularly under their AI X1 and N5 series. Many of these models are equipped with AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU, which includes four Zen 5 cores and eight Zen 5c cores along with a Radeon 890M integrated GPU that uses 16 RDNA 3.5 Compute Units (CUs).
Performance Comparison
Though the AI X1 Pro and N5 Pro provide solid performance, they do not measure up to the Strix Halo alternatives, like the GMKtec EVO-X2 (currently priced at $1,499.99 on Amazon) that features the Ryzen AI Max+ 395. Benchmarks illustrate a significant difference in iGPU performance between these two APUs. However, when it comes to CPU-intensive tasks, the gap is often less pronounced.
Upcoming Alternatives
It appears that Minisforum is working on a competitor to devices such as the GMKtec EVO-X2. So far, the company hasn’t made any official announcements. Nevertheless, several listings hinting at a future Minisforum product have appeared on Geekbench.
As reported by ITHome, these listings are labeled ‘Micro Computer (HK) Tech Limited AI Series’ instead of a retail name. Still, this label is consistent across many AI X1 and AI X1 Pro listings. This suggests that Minisforum is likely developing a Strix Halo option as part of its AI series. Additionally, it seems that the new device will come equipped with a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU and support for up to 128 GB of RAM.
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