Best AceMagician Mini PCs Ranked
Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 5:07 pm
Here are my top recommendations for AceMagician Mini PCs:
1. $100-$199:
AceMagician AD03/T8 Plus
The AD03 has a DIMM slot for DDR4 memory, supports up to 32GB (which I am currently running), while the T8 Plus uses LPDDR5. Both of these units come with dual LAN so they are very suitable for a home server use. Personally I like the AD03 better since it has a removable DIMM for RAM expansion, and it also supports one 2.5' SATA SSD for file storage. For desktop use, the T8 Plus could be a better choice since it has much faster RAM and much smaller form factor.
2. $200-$299:
AceMagician AM06 Pro (Ryzen 5 5600U/5625U)
I would say this is the best product that AM has put out to date. It is a very balanced system priced at an exceptional value, with powerful CPU and a suitable iGPU for everyday use and light gaming. The thermal solution is adequate and runs very quietly most of the time. The system can be configured to 2x16GB dual channel DDR4-3200 RAM, a PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD, and a 2.5' SATA SSD. Also, the WiFi module is removable so you can upgrade to a better WiFi card for blazing fast wireless networking.
3. $300-$499:
AceMagician AD15 (i7-12450H)
I was the first to give AD15 a test, and I have posted a brief initial review in the AD15 board. This machine has an impressive thermal system that can keep the CPU cool even at the most demanding workloads, so the CPU can run at its full potential without comprimises. However, the AD15 lacks in OEM configuration. The review unit I got came with DDR4-2666 and an SATA SSD, which is very outdated in terms of performance, and does cripple the performance of the whole system, putting that powerful 12th gen CPU to waste. I reflected my thoughts to AM and they have listened and adjusted the price accordingly, so I would make the recommendation for AD15, provided if you are willing to upgrade the RAM and SSD yourself.
On the other hand, I would think the CK10-Plus with Intel i7-10710U would be a good choice if it can install Hackintosh (instailling Apple's MacOS on third party hardware). If AM wants me to do some digging around to see if it would work, let me know.
4. $500-$599:
AceMagician AM08 Pro (Ryzen 9 6900HX)
At this price bracket, users are looking to get more out of their mini PCs, namely gaming performance. The AM08 Pro equipped with AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX with Radeon 680M iGPU is the most capable AMD Zen 3+ based systems out there. I am still waiting to get my hands on a review unit, but looking at the specs, this is the answer until AM comes out with Zen 4 based products.
My Thoughts on Mini PCs
First, if you are buying a mini PC for performance, you will have to pay the premium. What do I mean by that? So, the newest and latest Zen 4 APUs are equipped with Radeon 780M, which is said to rival against the NVIDIA GTX 1650 in terms of graphical performance. If you don't have much idea about the GTX 1650, it is a discrete GPU that can run most of the AAA titles at locked 60 FPS, provided with some settings lowered. Now you can have this kind of performance with an iGPU, for a package TDP less than 65 watts - that's even less than the GTX 1650 itself.
The 7940HS Zen 4 APU is no slouch, either. Packing 8 Zen 4 cores with boost up to 5.2Ghz, it has tremendous performance that no other low wattage mobile CPUs can come close to.
So, what are the asking price for a said system? Inital pricings are between $689 to $789. You can build an ITX PC at this price point with double or even triple the GPU performance, while still having enough CPU performance to handle day-to-day tasks.
Thus, I have to point out, mini PCs do come with a steep form factor premium. However, you probably don't have to over-pay for it. Most of us who chooses to go mini PC won't be rendering in Cinebench 24x7. Then, what's the difference between a 6-core and an 8-core? If you are just using the mini PC for office work, you won't even tell if your iGPU is able to run games at 720p or 4K. A balanced system with great thermal solution would be much more reasonable than those "high-end" systems which generates tons of heat, and the form factor limitation will lead to the cooling fan running at high speeds constantly, eventually results in bad user experience.
I've made my points many times and I would like to reiterate it again here: mini PC prospect buyers should really think about how much performance they "NEED", rather than "WANT". AMD Zen 3 APUs are amazing at everything, while Intel 12th Gen are really good at office work and browsing because of the higher single threaded performance. I can't stress enough that overpaying for performance you won't utilize would be better off buying a cheaper system, and upgrade to larger RAM, faster SSD and WiFi, would give you an overall better experience.
1. $100-$199:
AceMagician AD03/T8 Plus
The AD03 has a DIMM slot for DDR4 memory, supports up to 32GB (which I am currently running), while the T8 Plus uses LPDDR5. Both of these units come with dual LAN so they are very suitable for a home server use. Personally I like the AD03 better since it has a removable DIMM for RAM expansion, and it also supports one 2.5' SATA SSD for file storage. For desktop use, the T8 Plus could be a better choice since it has much faster RAM and much smaller form factor.
2. $200-$299:
AceMagician AM06 Pro (Ryzen 5 5600U/5625U)
I would say this is the best product that AM has put out to date. It is a very balanced system priced at an exceptional value, with powerful CPU and a suitable iGPU for everyday use and light gaming. The thermal solution is adequate and runs very quietly most of the time. The system can be configured to 2x16GB dual channel DDR4-3200 RAM, a PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD, and a 2.5' SATA SSD. Also, the WiFi module is removable so you can upgrade to a better WiFi card for blazing fast wireless networking.
3. $300-$499:
AceMagician AD15 (i7-12450H)
I was the first to give AD15 a test, and I have posted a brief initial review in the AD15 board. This machine has an impressive thermal system that can keep the CPU cool even at the most demanding workloads, so the CPU can run at its full potential without comprimises. However, the AD15 lacks in OEM configuration. The review unit I got came with DDR4-2666 and an SATA SSD, which is very outdated in terms of performance, and does cripple the performance of the whole system, putting that powerful 12th gen CPU to waste. I reflected my thoughts to AM and they have listened and adjusted the price accordingly, so I would make the recommendation for AD15, provided if you are willing to upgrade the RAM and SSD yourself.
On the other hand, I would think the CK10-Plus with Intel i7-10710U would be a good choice if it can install Hackintosh (instailling Apple's MacOS on third party hardware). If AM wants me to do some digging around to see if it would work, let me know.
4. $500-$599:
AceMagician AM08 Pro (Ryzen 9 6900HX)
At this price bracket, users are looking to get more out of their mini PCs, namely gaming performance. The AM08 Pro equipped with AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX with Radeon 680M iGPU is the most capable AMD Zen 3+ based systems out there. I am still waiting to get my hands on a review unit, but looking at the specs, this is the answer until AM comes out with Zen 4 based products.
My Thoughts on Mini PCs
First, if you are buying a mini PC for performance, you will have to pay the premium. What do I mean by that? So, the newest and latest Zen 4 APUs are equipped with Radeon 780M, which is said to rival against the NVIDIA GTX 1650 in terms of graphical performance. If you don't have much idea about the GTX 1650, it is a discrete GPU that can run most of the AAA titles at locked 60 FPS, provided with some settings lowered. Now you can have this kind of performance with an iGPU, for a package TDP less than 65 watts - that's even less than the GTX 1650 itself.
The 7940HS Zen 4 APU is no slouch, either. Packing 8 Zen 4 cores with boost up to 5.2Ghz, it has tremendous performance that no other low wattage mobile CPUs can come close to.
So, what are the asking price for a said system? Inital pricings are between $689 to $789. You can build an ITX PC at this price point with double or even triple the GPU performance, while still having enough CPU performance to handle day-to-day tasks.
Thus, I have to point out, mini PCs do come with a steep form factor premium. However, you probably don't have to over-pay for it. Most of us who chooses to go mini PC won't be rendering in Cinebench 24x7. Then, what's the difference between a 6-core and an 8-core? If you are just using the mini PC for office work, you won't even tell if your iGPU is able to run games at 720p or 4K. A balanced system with great thermal solution would be much more reasonable than those "high-end" systems which generates tons of heat, and the form factor limitation will lead to the cooling fan running at high speeds constantly, eventually results in bad user experience.
I've made my points many times and I would like to reiterate it again here: mini PC prospect buyers should really think about how much performance they "NEED", rather than "WANT". AMD Zen 3 APUs are amazing at everything, while Intel 12th Gen are really good at office work and browsing because of the higher single threaded performance. I can't stress enough that overpaying for performance you won't utilize would be better off buying a cheaper system, and upgrade to larger RAM, faster SSD and WiFi, would give you an overall better experience.
