Quick overview (with info to be aware of) for AM16 (5700U)

[hsehestedt]

Amazon delivered my AM16 at 4:30 this morning and I've been experimenting with it and familiarizing myself with it ever since.

I do really like the fact that it can accommodate 3 storage devices:

There is the included NVMe.
There is a second M.2 slot, but be aware that this slot requires a SATA drive only, no NVMe.
The system will also accommodate a 2.5" drive.

Under the NVMe is located the WiFi module. This system uses a Realtek WiFi 6 module, but I like the fact that it is easily accessible for swapping, should you wish to do so.

IMPORTANT: Please be aware that WiFi 6e is currently the limit for AMD based systems, at least as far as I know. I do know for sure that the Intel BE200 WiFi 7 module will NOT work in AMD based systems. But if you need a little extra speed or support for the 6 GHz WiFi band, you could replace the Realtek WiFi 6 module with an Intel WiFi 6e module.

Opening the case does involve the peeling off of the rubber feet on the bottom of the system since the screws are located beneath these. It's really not a big deal, although I wish this was not necessary. All the other Mini PCs that I own do not require anything at all to be removed to get the screws, that is if the system even has screws that need to be removed at all. Just be aware of this since you may need some fresh adhesive to reattach these feet.

Another issue to be aware of: I have a VERY fast USB Flash Drive. When I connected it to this system, I was reading data from that drive at a rate of only 40 MB/s. That is crazy slow for this flash drive. Fortunately, I had already closely examined the BIOS in the system, so I homed in on the following setting as a test:

Advanced > USB Configuration > Mass Storage Devices > The_Name_of_my_Flash_Drive

The following 5 options were available for this drive, with the default being set to "Auto":

Auto
Floppy Drive
Forced FDD
Hard Disk
CD-ROM

As a test, I changed this setting to "Hard Disk". That solved the issue. I am now getting well in excess of 800 MB/s!

Please also be aware that this system ships with Windows 11 Home, NOT Pro. I mention this because most of the AceMagic / Ace Magician / Kamrui systems seem to come with the Pro edition of Windows, so you may want to be aware that if you want Pro there will be a little bit of an added expense to obtain a Pro license.

I have not yet had the opportunity to do anything intensive on the system, but in normal usage, it appears to be quick and zippy, and I have no complaints at all with the performance.

As far as noise, in normal operation (not under load), there has been essentially no noise at all, except for a few seconds when the system is first powered on. I had to literally hold the unit to my ear to hear the fan. I'm sure that once I put the system under load, it will make a small amount of noise, but it is clear that this system could easily be kept in a place like the bedroom without causing an annoyance.

I'll be putting this through a stress test in the next few days, so I'll any updates here at that time.

[Gabe]

Great info!

Where is this sold? I can't find it on Amazon in the US, unless I'm looking for the wrong thing.

[pausenklaus]

Thanks for the insights!

Some of the more recent systems come with Windows 11 home preinstalled. This has been discussed in a few other topics aswell and seems to just be a cost savings thing. It should also be mentioned on the sellers page whether it is the home or pro edition of Windows.

[hsehestedt]

Great info!

Where is this sold? I can't find it on Amazon in the US, unless I'm looking for the wrong thing.

Gabe, it is available here:

https://a.co/d/cZtBJUa

It bears the brand name of "AOC". Maybe that is why you were not able to find it?

[hsehestedt]

Thanks for the insights!

Some of the more recent systems come with Windows 11 home preinstalled. This has been discussed in a few other topics aswell and seems to just be a cost savings thing. It should also be mentioned on the sellers page whether it is the home or pro edition of Windows.

For me it's not a big deal. I always keep a few spare Pro licenses on hand "just in case". I merely mention it to make sure everyone who really prefers pro is aware that it will cost just a few extra dollars to get pro on the system.

[Gabe]

Gabe, it is available here:

https://a.co/d/cZtBJUa

It bears the brand name of "AOC". Maybe that is why you were not able to find it?

That and that it says it's an AM06 in the "see more" part of the description. They probably recycled the ASIN, and some of the info from the previous PC under that ASIN, evidently an AM06, hasn't been changed yet. I see recycled ASINs quite often with these mini PCs.

I just saw a video about it on YouTube. It looks like a pretty neat unit! If I needed a new, main PC I'd seriously consider it.