Between nostalgia and modernity, the AYANEO AM02 is a real little PC with a whole host of assets.
Just a few days after ASUS's announcements in the world of mini-PCs - the firm took over the NUC division launched and then abandoned by Intel - it's AYANEO that adds its stone to the edifice of these small machines. In recent months, if not years, the world of mini-PCs has been growing wings! In the specific case of AYANEO, it's a rather unusual machine, part of a new range geared towards the "retro" trend. Following on from the Apple Macintosh-inspired AM01, and in anticipation of the release of an external battery based on the Super NES console chassis, the AM02 is now up for crowdfunding on Indiegogo.
© AYANEO
Participatory financing is a concept that enables anyone to support a project (IT or other) by making a financial contribution. The size of the contribution depends on the product that is the object of the campaign, and the idea is that at the end of the project - when it has been completed - the donors receive the product. We're not talking about donors for nothing, because in theory, a crowdfunding campaign is not guaranteed: it's quite possible for the project to be interrupted in the middle of development, and for the financial backers never to receive the product they helped finance. In the case of AYANEO, things are a little different.
AYANEO
In fact, production is already underway, and the crowdfunding is there to organize pre-orders for the machines developed by the Chinese company. Although there's no guarantee, there shouldn't be any problem and the AM02 should materialize soon... very soon indeed, since AYANEO is talking about deliveries from the end of February. Returning to the machine itself, it's a very compact mini-PC built around AMD's excellent Ryzen 7 7840HS processor. A processor that integrates a relatively muscular graphics solution that should even enable you to play video games... as long as you remain reasonable.
© AYANEO
The machine adopts a definitively retro look, taking its inspiration from the Nintendo NES, the flagship console of the 80s. Back then, games were played on cartridges, and a flap protected the cartridge drive. On the AM02, the flap is still there, but it serves to conceal the front connectors: AYANEO has indeed placed two USB-A ports and, above all, a USB-C port that can also carry the display like a DisplayPort. A good move on AYANEO's part, which completes things on the rear panel with HDMI, DisplayPort, a USB-C, two USB-A and even two RJ45 connectors, one of which has the good taste to be 2.5 GbE.
AYANEO
AYANEO sets itself apart by integrating a genuine 4-inch diagonal touchscreen into its casing. It is used to display technical information such as temperature and fan speed, as well as to manage certain aspects of the machine, such as ventilation or processor TDP. It can also be used to display the weather or the time. Finally, the last good point of what seems to be a very interesting machine, AYANEO is not too greedy with prices starting at 439 dollars for the barebone version and peaking at 769 dollars for a machine equipped with 32 GB DDR5 and a 1 TB SSD. Please note, however, that the best prices are reserved for the fastest buyers, and shipping costs and potential customs duties must be added, as this is a Chinese product.
