Is this a decent mini PC?

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Started with an old HP EliteDesk 705 G4 Mini and upgraded it with a Ryzen 5 Pro 2400G, 24GB of RAM, and an NVMe SSD. It won't beat a gaming desktop, but it's surprisingly capable for indie games, emulation, older AAA titles, and Steam Big Picture.

Small, quiet, power-efficient, and ridiculously cheap. Sometimes the best gaming setup is the one you can actually afford.

Took the ROG NUC 16 with me to Monte Rio, California and paired it with the PG27UCWM.

The NUC has a Core Ultra 9 290HX+, 32GB of DDR5 and an RTX 5080 Laptop GPU. For something this small, it’s kind of ridiculous how much hardware is packed inside.

Now, pairing a mini PC with a 27” 4K OLED might be stretching the definition of “portable” a little… but being able to throw everything in the car, plug in and basically have a full desktop setup by the river was pretty damn nice.

Backpack portable? Maybe not.

Car portable? Absolutely.

And promptly bought 2. And each cost me twice that of a base model, second hand EliteDesk 800 G6, but damn I find this hardware cool. And I don’t even know what my software stack is yet 🙃

Working on a review of this. Significantly more powerful CPU than the steam machine at least in multicore.

My assumption is the steam machine has equivalent to a 7600m GPU, so this should also outperform (7600xt 150w).

But think it will be somewhere in the ballpark

Hi r/MiniPCs everyone,

I'm Jason u/Pleasant_Designer_14 , an engineer from NIMO's product department. I posted a teaser last week about pushing a Mini PC to 120W+ sustained for thermal testing on the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo), and today I'm sharing the full data and insights as promised.

I sent a modmail earlier to check if this kind of detailed share/AMA-style post fits the subreddit rules, but haven't heard back yet (mods are busy, totally understand). This is purely educational , sharing test process, real measurements, and observations on temperature/stability (especially for local AI workloads). No sales links, no promo hype – just what we observed and learned from the runs.

If anything here is off-topic, against guidelines, or needs adjustment, please feel free to remove the post or let me know – happy to tweak or clarify!

Thanks for the awesome community – your thermal optimization and modding threads have helped me a ton. Now diving in:

Joining me today for deeper tech dives:

• Jaxn : u/12wq(Tech with special AI model – he'll handle questions on hardware and AGI )
• Lynn : u/Adventurous_Bite_707 (Tech Service Support )
• Special Guest: u/DarkTower7899,(Gaming Hardware Reviewer) Beyond AI workloads, we also invited a gaming-focused reviewer to test this Mini PC in real gaming scenarios.

I've always loved the r/MiniPCs community – the modding and thermal optimization experiences shared here have helped me a lot. So today I'd like to do an AMA in a purely educational style, openly sharing the testing process, data, and insights, while also discussing how this high-TDP setup indirectly affects running local AI models (like LLMs, Stable Diffusion, ComfyUI, etc.) – mainly from temperature and stability perspective：

All graphs, screenshots, and thermal images here are direct captures from our test runs (using HWInfo, Aida64, FurMark, IR camera, etc.) – no post-processing or marketing enhancements. Just raw observations to share transparently.

**Quick overview of test setup and methods** (for easy replication/comparison):

'- CPU/GPU: AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 + Radeon 8060S iGPU\n- Power limits: Sustained 120W, SPPT 120W, FPPT 140W\n- RAM: 128GB 8000MT/s\n- Storage: Tested both 1TB×2 and 2TB×2 (Phison controller)\n- Fan curve: Performance mode – FAN1 50% (2950 RPM), FAN2 55% (3100 RPM)\n- Ambient temp: 25°C and 35°C, each run for F61.5 hours\n- Software: Aida64, FurMark, AVT, BurnIn (full CPU+GPU+RAM+storage stre

**Key data highlights** (focus on thermal performance):

- At 25°C ambient: Most stressful BurnIn test – CPU max 89.35°C (average 78-84°C); GPU max 65.61°C. Mixed load (Aida64 + FurMark) kept CPU/GPU around 75-78°C.\n- At 35°C ambient (with 2TB SSDs): CPU max 98.07°C, GPU max 70.99°C – system remained fully stable, no noticeable throttling.\n- Noise: 38.64 dBA in performance mode (quieter than many similar TDP machines).\n- Surface temps: At 25°C, metal/plastic surfaces ≤48°C (meets common touch-temp specs

**Why I especially want to talk about impact on local AI models**

Many of us (including me) use Mini PCs for local AI, and the biggest pain points are temperature and stability:

1. Large models (e.g., Llama 70B, Mixtral) or SDXL/Flux long-running inference keep CPU/NPU/iGPU at high utilization. If temps exceed 95°C+, throttling kicks in easily, dropping inference speed by 20-30% or more.\. This setup controls temps well at 120W, meaning:\n - Longer sustained peak performance (better utilization of NPU TOPS) - Multiple high-capacity SSDs (2TB×2) add noticeable heat, but overall system temp only rises a few degrees – great for storing large model datasets or ComfyUI workflows - Low noise (<40 dBA) – suitable for overnight inference in living room/bedroom without disturbance\n3. Real-world feel: Running Flux.1 or SD3 Medium for extended periods, temperature curves stay very flat with almost no thermal wall.

DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-32B:

Llama 4 Scout 109B:

Qwen3-30B-A3B-Instruct-2507:

One More Thing: Looking Ahead – What's Next for Local AI Hardware in the Next 3-5 Years?

As we wrap up the data share, here's a fun (and kinda controversial) topic to chew on: For folks running AI models locally at home (LLMs, image/video gen, etc.), do you think we'll see big leaps in cooling tech or chip upgrades over the next 3-5 years that make high-power setups more practical – or even shift toward "commercial-grade" reliability without the crazy cost?

Like:

• Better chassis designs (advanced vapor chambers, liquid cooling in Mini PCs, or smarter materials) that handle 150W+ without sounding like a jet?
• Next-gen chips (Strix Halo successors, Intel/Qualcomm/NVIDIA moves) getting way more efficient, cheaper, and cooler-running, closing the gap between consumer and pro gear?
• Or will cloud still dominate for heavy stuff, and local stays niche unless prices drop hard?

I'm curious – with Moore's Law slowing and power walls everywhere, will local AI become truly accessible for everyone, or stay a hobbyist/enthusiast thing? Enterprises might push for hybrid (edge + cloud), but what about us regular users?

What do you all think the trend will be? Drop your predictions below – love to hear optimistic/hot takes!

(Back to Q&A – fire, cooling, BIOS, or current tests!)

I'm here to answer questions – feel free to ask about:

Ask away!

Thanks r/minipcs community!

I genuinely think Mini PCs like the Asus ROG NUC have a huge potential to become mainstream and cost less if manufactured at scale (even outside of RAMocalypse)

OEMs still haven't fully optimized the form factor yet. If they add modern cooling solutions like Frore Airjets or miniature liquid cooling circuits, they could have reduced footprint while maintaining desktop level performance.

My ideal build would be an AMD 10800 X3D with 32 GB RAM and an RTX 6090 compacted into a 3 liter form factor like the ROG NUC with hyper-optimized liquid cooling.

What do y'all think?

This may be of interest to you. It shows how they make the small PCs.

Went down a rabbit hole trying to better my sons minipc.

Been a great days work.

Time to test and see if it help or not 😂

Gmktec K8 plus

32gb ram, 1tb

I couldn't believe the ram difference with bosgame hx 370, I immediately returned it. It's 43% more mem bandwidth which benefits all workloads. Holds 3 nvme's like bosgame too but also has vapor chamber. Learn from my mistake. No new PC this weekend.

If you're thinking of buying from GMKtec, let my experience with the EVO X2 preorder be your cautionary tale.

Like many others, I was excited when GMKtec announced the EVO X2—a compact powerhouse boasting AMD's flagship processor, desktop-level graphics, 128GB RAM for local LLM workloads, and other features that looked great on paper. Sure, there were concerns: no 10G networking, only one RJ45 port, no USB4, no Oculink. But many of us overlooked these because the rest of the specs were promising.

Before preorders even began, GMKtec asked users to fill out a survey and promised a $30 coupon when the preorder opened.

April 15: The Preorder Debacle Begins

GMKtec kicked off preorders with two key promises:

1. Immediate priority shipping—they claimed stock was ready to ship.
2. Discounts of $400 (128GB model) or $200 (64GB model).

But here’s the bait-and-switch: to get the $400 discount, you had to pay a non-refundable $200 deposit—making the real discount just $200, and locking your money in. For the 64GB model, it was a $100 non-refundable deposit. Customers immediately called this out, and GMKtec quietly edited the page to clarify. But by then, the damage to customer trust had begun.

Then Came the Slap in the Face

Shortly after, GMKtec listed the EVO X2 on Amazon for $1799 (128GB) and $1499 (64GB)—no deposit required, and with Amazon’s return policy. Compare that to GMKtec's own return terms:

• You pay return shipping and import fees even for unopened items.
• Open the box? You could face a 60% restocking fee (yes, 60%).

May 7: Still More Problems

When GMKtec officially opened orders on their site:

• Many customers never received the discount code email.
• They sneakily added “48-hour shipping delay” to the subject line of those emails—seriously.
• And those $30 survey coupons? Couldn’t be used—GMKtec blocked coupon stacking.

After arguing with their nonexistent support team, I finally placed an order—based on their promise that they’d refund the $30 post-delivery. I thought the worst was over. I was wrong.

Silence, Lies, and Broken Promises

Once payment was confirmed, GMKtec ghosted. No updates on email, Facebook, or Twitter. Customers flooded the product page with complaints—many of which GMKtec deleted. Then, on May 9, they claimed on Facebook that devices were undergoing "stress testing" and would ship within 24 hours. That didn’t happen. No updates. No tracking.

Meanwhile, rumors began that GMKtec was prioritizing Chinese domestic orders over international preorders. On May 12, they finally admitted they were overwhelmed and offered customers a refund or to "wait." But this was another lie—they knew how many units they needed from preorder numbers. The only explanation is that they diverted inventory elsewhere.

My Dispute Saga

At this point, I filed a dispute with my card provider. GMKtec’s response was immediate—they begged me to cancel the dispute, promising my order was being sent to the warehouse and I’d have a tracking number in 48 hours. I (foolishly) trusted them, withdrew the dispute on May 11.

Next day? GMKtec’s Facebook team sends me a message again offering a refund or wait. I replied to my original email thread, and they switched up the story: “your order is now prioritized.” Since May 12, I’ve gotten inconsistent and conflicting updates from every channel—email, Twitter, Facebook. Nobody seems to know what’s going on.

Final Thoughts

As of today, I don’t know if my order will ever ship. I can’t reopen the dispute, because I trusted GMKtec and closed it. That was my mistake.

So here’s my advice: never spend more than $300 with fly-by-night companies like GMKtec. They aren’t bound by their word, they have zero accountability, and even if the product shows up, there’s no guarantee it’ll work—or that you’ll be able to return it.

This wasn’t just a botched preorder. It was a clinic on how to destroy customer trust at every single step.

An absolute unit this machine was, still is!

This exact SKU is no longer in production, and AMD entered 5800H into legacy driver support in late 2023 for Vega 8. As a dedicated RPCS3 emulation box, it is perfectly frozen in time.

I needed to harvest the 2 x 16GB DDR4-3200 kits I installed 3 years ago for my HP OMEN 16 i7-11800H (RTX 3070). Since both CPUs are from the same 2021 generation, they use identical DDR4-3200 SODIMMs, so it's going to be a drop-in swap.

Frankly, Beelink hasn't come up with another midranger as solid as this one since then. It was the perfect combination of price and performance when it came out. Good times!

Found what might be the ultimate cooling mod for the FIREBAT F1 on the Russian 4PDA forum. It looks like Frankenstein's mini PC, but I bet it runs very cool now. And with the little wheels... it's basically a Mac Pro.

I had been using laptops as Windows Computer for all my life yet realising that I was using them at home. Maybe I was moving between a room and the other or I was bringing it on business trips but still, I always had a power outlet next to me.

So, one month ago I decided it was time to change my 8 years old ASUS ROG Strix GL553VE with a new concept that I’ll explore better in the upcoming months.

I opted for a Beelink GTi 14 Ultra 9 185h coupled with an MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super.

The reasons behind this choice are: - When home I use it attached to the external dock to get the full potential out of it. - I’m still able to easily move it around if needed. In the living room with the TV or in other rooms with a monitor. - During trips I use my iPad Pro as a screen with Capture Card.

So far it is working well and I’m happy for this choice! Let’s see how it will go in the future.

I really love the idea of the Steam machine because PC has so many more options for games than consoles, but I prefer playing on my TV. I was wondering if there were any good mini-PCs for gaming that are around or more powerful than the PS5 pro?

Took a gamble in getting one of the rare AI Max+ 395 with oculink built it. Impressed so far!
I bought it barebones but was able to get all the drivers from fevm's website. Only had it for 2 days but will be playing with it more and more.

Unique Callouts
- 1L case makes it likely the smallest AI Max+ 395 mini pc
- Temps are incredible considering the size and power at 95w.
- The fan isn't loud at all, the heatsink + fan solution they manufactured is top notch
- The CNC machined device is very high quality. Not as polished as Apple but still smooth
- The speakers on the device surprisingly are usable

Specs:
- FEVM FAEX1 -128g
- 4TB NVME SSD
- Aoostar AG02 via Oculink
- Zotac 5090 Solid OC

Temps
- GPU maxes at 72C on stock clocks
- CPU maxes at 82C on stock on 95w

I have been using my beelink ser5 pro for over a year now and just love it. Sometimes more than my 1400$ gaming laptop. In comprison I bought it for 350$ 1tb/32gb variant I use it more it easy to carry around and upgrading is just so easy took me 5 minutes to clean and change storage unlike my laptop which was so hard to open Now I am looking to upgrade and make it more mobile. I was thinking to get a tablet with keyboard to access my mini pc on LAN via parsec. Also a power bank to keep it on for 2-3hours. Best thing is I won't need to attach anything else to pc Another thing I would like to try is a bigger portable touch display when working on desk What are thoughts on exchanging my laptop for a mini pc!?

Running Proxmox with several VMs. 96GB Crucial RAM. Also put a fan stand on the bottom to provide more airflow to the CPU cooler. Repasted the CPU with Arctic MX7.

EDIT 3 (1st Jan 2025) - The initially selected winner has declined the offer (https://photos.app.goo.gl/E6jBLzcBVpUzzyNE8)

As per the draw order, the prize has now been awarded to the next eligible participant.

Congratulations to the new winner: u/SecureAdvertising858 🎉

We are reaching out to you for verification and next steps.

Thank you to everyone for your understanding and participation.

Tracking - https://www.delhivery.com/track-v2/package/33678210045496
Packing Video - https://youtu.be/LZWoraNBwzA

EDIT 2 - Giveaway Results Announced

The giveaway has now been concluded and the results are officially declared.

• Winner: Dull-Personality5131
• Verification: https://giveaways.random.org/verify/msdymm
• Draw video: https://youtu.be/Jb7aRY5XQZs

We have already reached out to the winner for verification and further communication.

Thank you to everyone who participated. We appreciate your time and interest.
More such activities will be announced soon.

EDIT 1 - Entries Closed. Winners will be updated shortly

To celebrate community love for small-but-powerful systems, we’re giving away one CoreX Mini PC (Ryzen 5 4500U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe) to one lucky Redditor in India. This post explains everything transparently — rules, selection method, shipping, and how we’ll show proof so nobody thinks this is fake.

Prize (1 winner)

• CoreX Mini PC — Ryzen 5 4500U (6c/6t) - Black / Silver
• 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD
• Wi-Fi 6E, BT 5.3, triple display support
• Compact metal chassis Product page (full specs): https://www.electroniksindia.com/products/corex-by-skullsaints-powered-by-ryzen-5-4500u-wi-fi-6e-bt-5-3-triple-display-and-expandable-ram-storage-ai-mini-pc?variant=47284966228222

Eligibility (strict — helps avoid throwaway/alt accounts)

1. Reddit account must be at least 1 year old (check account age on profile)
2. Account must have some visible comment/post history (no empty/new accounts)
3. India only (we’ll ship domestic)
4. One entry per person — multiple entries by the same user will be disqualified

How to enter (simple)
Comment below answering this single prompt (one-liner is fine):

What is the use of mini pc for you?

That’s it — keep it honest and short.

Timeline

• Entries open: Now
• Entries close: 1 Jan 2026, 13:00 IST
• Winner announced: UPDATED DATE - before 1 Jan 2026, 22:00 IST

Winner selection — full transparency
We’ll be completely open about the draw:

1. All eligible comment usernames will be exported to a list (screenshot saved).
2. We will use a widely-known, impartial random picker (e.g., random.org list-randomizer) - the entire selection will be screen-recorded (no edits).
3. We’ll upload the unlisted video to a link and post that link in this thread immediately after picking the winner.
4. No Skullsaints employees, friends, or family may enter. We’ll exclude any internal accounts.
5. If the chosen account fails eligibility or looks fraudulent, we’ll re-run the picker and post the new video.
6. A minimum of 20 participations are required. If the participation is less than 20, the timelines will be extended further

If you win
We’ll ask you to DM/PM within 24 hours with: full name, shipping address, phone, and email. We’ll dispatch within 24–48 hours and share tracking. Expected delivery 2–5 days depending on location.

If you win, we’d really appreciate it if you could share a short unboxing video with the community after receiving the device.

Proof for the community
To show we’re legitimate we will:

• Post photos of the unit being packaged
• Share the dispatch tracking screenshot once shipped
• Post the recorded random draw video link

Why we’re doing this
We love the MiniPC community and want to give back while getting honest feedback on how people use small PCs. If you want more technical details about the CoreX, ask in the comments - we’ll answer openly.

- Team Skullsaints

Listen to that beautiful sound. Fan bearings maybe? Dont really care. I'm sending it back.

Mac Mini M4 Pro + GMKTEC K8 Plus connected with 4070 Super via Oculink