Sunday, December 15, 2024

Build your own super mini PC with this $338 AMD AM5 barebone workstation that has OCuLink, two 2.5Gb LAN ports and can drive four 8K monitors once you add a GPU to its dock

  • Minisforum's customizable MS-A1 has AM5 socket for Ryzen CPUs
  • Compact design with up to 16TB storage, includes OCuLink port
  • Wi-Fi 6E, USB4, and advanced cooling for high performance

The Minisforum MS-A1 is the latest addition to the company's line of powerful mini PCs, and is the spiritual successor to the MS-01 model.

Unlike its predecessor, the MS-A1 introduces the option of swapping CPUs, utilizing an AM5 socket to take various AMD Ryzen processors, including AMD's 7000 series, 8000 PHX architecture (8700G/8600G), and potentially the AMD 9000 series following a BIOS update. It supports up to AMD 8700G APU for graphics.

The Minisforum MS-A1 is available as a barebone system (without a CPU or OS) starting at $259 or as a pre-configured model. At the moment, there’s an offer to save $20, bringing the barebone price down to $239. You can add the Minisforum Deg1 OCuLink graphics docking station when purchasing the workstation for an additional $99, which allows the system to drive up to four 8K screens simultaneously.

Staying cool

The mini PC supports up to 16TB of storage via four SSDs using PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots. There are five USB Type-A ports, a USB4 port capable of 40Gbps, the OCuLink interface, and dual Ethernet RJ45 ports supporting up to 2.5Gbps each.

For display outputs, the device includes HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.0 connections, with the USB4 interface also supporting screen output. Without an eGPU, it can still drive three 8K displays. For wireless connectivity, the Minisforum MS-A1 offers WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.

The mini PC's housing is compact and constructed from a mix of metal and plastic. The Cold Wave cooling system, featuring dual fans and quad heat pipes, prevents overheating even when under load.

With customizable CPU options and affordable eGPU support, the Minisforum MS-A1 offers a flexible, mini PC solution that is ideal for users seeking a compact yet powerful workstation for content creation, multitasking, gaming, or general productivity.

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