Minisforum and Geekom Unveil Powerful Mini PCs with AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and USB4 v2 Support

Minisforum confirms MS-S1 Max with Ryzen AI processor, PCIe expansion, and USB4 v2 ports

Our favorite mini PC maker, Minisforum, has unveiled its forthcoming mini workstation, the MS-S1 Max. Like a growing number of mini PCs, the new release is built around AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, part of the Strix Halo family, offering 16 Zen 5 cores and integrated Radeon 8060S graphics. What's interesting, however, is the processor here will reportedly run up to 160W, which is higher than most Strix Halo mini PCs, which peak at 120W. To keep temperatures under control, the system uses a dual-fan cooling design paired with six heat pipes. There are a couple of other features that set the MS-S1 Max apart. It includes a full PCIe x16 slot, allowing users to install a discrete GPU. This means the system can be configured as a compact workstation or scaled for AI workloads that require more power. The MS-S1 Max also sports dual USB4 v2 ports, each capable of 80Gbps transfer speeds. This puts it on par with Thunderbolt 5 in terms of bandwidth while keeping the familiar USB-C form factor. Alongside this, Minisforum includes dual 10Gb Ethernet ports for high-speed networking. Power is handled by an internal 320W high-efficiency supply that is certified for safety. Since it is integrated, users only need a single cable connection, keeping setup simple. The chassis design supports tool-free access, with a slide-out construction that makes upgrades and maintenance much easier - something we always look for in a good mini PC. Minisforum says that the MS-S1 Max can work in desktop setups or as part of rack-mounted clusters, allowing multiple units to be connected for shared computing tasks. The company notes that the MS-S1 Max is designed for AI workloads. It is described as supporting large-scale models up to 109B parameters. Not all specifications have been revealed - there's no mention of memory or storage capacity in the promotional material, although we've seen hints regarding a possible 128GB AI Max+ 395 beast previously, which is likely to be this one. There's also no word at the moment with regards to pricing or global availability.

Geekom A9 Mega mini PC debuts with Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and dual USB4 ports on Kickstarter

For those keeping track, this is the 20th product so far to feature this 16-core, 32-thread Strix Halo chip, and we're still waiting for Dell to show us what it could do. Geekom is bringing the A9 Mega to market via Kickstarter. Pricing is planned to start around $1,899, and although Geekom is an established name, backers should be aware that crowdfunding is not without its risks. If you prefer to wait until the product arrives in Geekom's store, there's a good chance it may not cost too much more than the Kickstarter price, as the company often discounts its products shortly after launch. For example, the Geekom A9 Max, which runs an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370, is usually priced at $1,299 but is currently available for $999. The A9 Mega's CNC-machined aluminum body measures 171x171x71mm. Inside, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 includes Radeon 8060S graphics and an XDNA 2 NPU capable of 126 TOPS. With support for up to 128GB of LPDDR5X 8000MHz memory, the integrated GPU can act as an accelerator with a large shared pool for AI models such as Stable Diffusion or LLaMA. The system can house two M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSDs, providing up to 8TB of storage. Cooling is managed by IceBlast 5.0, which uses dual fans, copper heat pipes, and thermal controls to sustain a 120W TDP. Geekom says the CPU, GPU, and NPU can run at peak simultaneously without throttling, and wireless support includes Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Connectivity is what you might expect for a system of this size. The front includes two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C for data, an SD card slot, and a power button with integrated fingerprint sensor. On the back, there are two USB4 Type-C ports supporting 40Gbps with DisplayPort 2.1, two HDMI 2.1 FRL ports, two 2.5Gb Ethernet jacks, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, one USB 2.0, a 3.5mm headset jack, and DC power input. The A9 Mega comes preloaded with Windows 11 Pro and is compatible with Linux, as Geekom is positioning it as an alternative to traditional workstations and Apple's Mac Studio. While details on broader availability remain unknown, the A9 Mega mini PC looks like a capable option for compact AI workloads and creative use cases.

Minisforum MS-S1 Max Mini AI workstation teased: AMD Strix Halo APU, USB4 V2 80Gbps port

TL;DR: Minisforum's upcoming MS-S1 Max Mini Workstation features the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU with 16 cores, RDNA 3.5 Radeon 8060S GPU, and USB4 V2 support delivering 80Gbps bandwidth. Designed for AI workloads and compact performance, it offers up to 126 TOPS AI power and PCIe x16 GPU support, launching in late 2025. Minisforum is preparing its new MS-S1 Max Mini Workstation, which looks to be the first Mini-PC system packing the new USB4 V2 standard which provides up to 80Gbps of bandwidth. The upcoming Minisforum MS-S1 Max Mini AI workstation is powered by the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 "Strix Halo" APU that features 16 cores and 32 threads of Zen 5 processing power, and a powerful RDNA 3.5-based Radeon 8060S integrated GPU. Minisforum has its new Mini-PC workstation capped at 160W for peak workloads, all inside of a small 3.2L chassis. If the RDNA 3.5-based Radeon 8060S GPU isn't powerful enough for your liking, the Minisforum MS-S1 Max Mini AI workstation features support for dedicated graphics cards through a PCIe x16 slot, but without knowing how much clearance is inside, we don't know what type of GPU will fit... but the RTX 5090 is definitely ruled out at this size and PSU limits, obviously. Minisforum has a built-in 320W power supply inside, with the design of the system offering a slide-out pull design, which is a tool-free mechanism that makes maintaining your Minisforum MS-S1 Max Mini AI workstation easy. There's a dual-fan cooling system inside with six heatpipes that keep thermal throttling away, and a bunch of ventilation to keep the APU and other hardware cool. One of the key highlights of Minisforum's new MS-S1 Max Mini AI workstation is that it features the updated USB4 V2 standard, which offers a huge 80Gbps of bandwidth. The 80Gbps of bandwidth available lets users hook products up and enjoy the higher Thunderbolt 5 levels of bandwidth, like high-end monitors with high refresh rates, super-fast Gen5 external SSD storage, and more. Minisforum's new MS-S1 Max Mini AI workstation is ready for those AI workloads with the Strix Halo APU and its built-in NPU, offering up to 50 TOPS of AI performance, and up to 126 TOPS of AI performance all up. The new Mini-PC workstation supports large language models, including up to 109B parameter LLMs, offering some huge AI performance inside of a small system that will easily fit on (or under, or behind) your desk. The new MS-S1 Max Mini AI workstation is expected to be released in the second half of 2025, with no word on pricing just yet, but that shouldn't be too far away. Whether it's for gaming -- because you dig the design of the Minisforum MS-S1 Max Mini AI workstation -- for AI workloads, regular work and play, the AMD Strix Halo APU is more than powerful enough. 16C/32T of Zen 5 power with up to 128GB of RAM (no word on how much RAM is supported, but 96GB to 128GB most likely) and the RDNA 3.5-powered Radeon 8060S make this a potent Mini-PC system.

Minisforum Teases AMD Strix Halo-Based MS-S1 Max Mini AI Workstation, Featuring USB4 V2 80 Gbps Port

The MS-S1 Max Mini is likely the first mini PC to feature the latest UB4 version 2 port, which unlocks 80 Gbps bandwidth, and also offers a full-size PCIe x16 slot for graphics cards. Popular mini PC manufacturer, Minisforum, is back with a powerful AI workstation called MS-S1 Max Mini AI Workstation, which is its most powerful mini PC yet. The MS-S1 Max features the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, offering 16x Zen 5 cores and SMT to deliver excellent gaming and productivity performance. Capped at 160W for peak workloads, it's ready to boost the performance whenever required. The MS-S1 Max delivers leading specifications inside a small chassis with a capacity of 3.2L and offers 2U rack mounts. Apart from boasting the fastest integrated graphics, i.e., the Radeon 8060S, the mini workstation is apparently ready to support dedicated GPUs via a PCIe x16 slot available inside the chassis. We don't know how much clearance is available for the dGPUs inside, but it is likely made for low-profile entry-level graphics cards. To ensure the system gets sufficient power, a 320W power supply is deployed to meet the requirements. To allow quick access to the hardware, the MS-S1 Max offers a slide-out pull design, which is a tool-free mechanism that also makes maintenance easier. The system uses a dual-fan cooling design and six heat pipes to keep thermal throttling at bay and has ample ventilation for the hardware. Perhaps one of the most notable features of the MS-S1 Max is the availability of a USB4 V2 interface, which unlocks a staggering 80Gbps of bandwidth. Through this port, users will be able to unlock support for uncompressed visuals on higher resolutions and at high refresh rates. Compared to the USB4 V2, the bandwidth is doubled, making the MS-S1 Max perfect for modern external GPUs like the ASUS ROG XG Mobile 2025 and Razer Core X V2. However, one shouldn't expect speeds like the standard PCIe 4.0 or 5.0 x16 interface. The MS-S1 Max is ready for AI workloads, thanks to the dedicated NPU on the Strix Halo chip, which offers up to 50 TOPS of AI performance and up to 126 TOPS of AI performance overall. The mini PC supports large models, such as up to 109B parameter LLMs, and can offer exceptional AI performance on your desk while also excelling at intensive CPU operations. The MS-S1 Max will be released in the second half of 2025, but there is currently no word on the pricing yet.