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

Cutting-Edge Mini PCs with Advanced AI Capabilities

Minisforum and Geekom, two prominent mini PC manufacturers, have unveiled their latest high-performance compact computers, the MS-S1 Max and A9 Mega, respectively. Both models are 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 1

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Revolutionary USB4 v2 Technology

One of the most significant features of these new mini PCs is the inclusion of USB4 v2 ports, capable of 80Gbps transfer speeds. This puts them on par with Thunderbolt 5 in terms of bandwidth while maintaining the familiar USB-C form factor 1

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. The Minisforum MS-S1 Max is reportedly the first mini PC to feature this technology, marking a significant advancement in connectivity for compact computers 3

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Powerful Performance in a Compact Form

The Minisforum MS-S1 Max is designed to run at up to 160W, higher than most Strix Halo mini PCs, which typically peak at 120W 1

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. To manage thermal output, it employs a dual-fan cooling system with six heat pipes. The system also includes a full PCIe x16 slot, allowing users to install a discrete GPU for additional graphics power 1

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The Geekom A9 Mega, while capped at 120W TDP, boasts similar impressive specifications. It supports up to 128GB of LPDDR5X 8000MHz memory and can house two M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSDs, providing up to 8TB of storage 2

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AI-Focused Design and Capabilities

Both mini PCs are tailored for AI workloads. The integrated XDNA 2 NPU in the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor is capable of 126 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second) of AI performance 2

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. This makes these systems suitable for running large language models with up to 109 billion parameters, positioning them as powerful tools for AI researchers and developers 3

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Connectivity and Expansion

The MS-S1 Max features dual 10Gb Ethernet ports for high-speed networking, while the A9 Mega includes two 2.5Gb Ethernet jacks 1

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. Both systems offer a range of USB ports, HDMI outputs, and SD card slots, providing ample connectivity options for various peripherals and displays.

Market Positioning and Availability

Geekom is bringing the A9 Mega to market via Kickstarter, with pricing expected to start around $1,899 2

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. The MS-S1 Max from Minisforum is anticipated to be released in the second half of 2025, although pricing details have not yet been disclosed 3

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Industry Impact

These mini PCs represent a significant step forward in compact computing, particularly for AI applications. They offer workstation-level performance in a form factor that can easily fit on or under a desk, potentially reshaping how businesses and researchers approach AI development and deployment 1

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As the 20th and 21st products to feature the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip, these releases also highlight the growing competition in the AI-focused mini PC market, with established players like Dell yet to enter this specific segment 2

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