Called MS-A1, this mini-PC boasts rare scalability, with its AM5 socket supporting Ryzen 9000s... or even more in the future.
Minisforum is a well-known name in the mini-PC world, accustomed to "big firsts". So it comes as no surprise to see Minisforum present the MS-A1, an ultra-compact case distinguished by the presence of an AM5 socket on its motherboard, a socket that enables users to take advantage of AMD's Ryzen 7000 and 8000 processors. Better still, Minisforum also mentions Ryzen 9000 compatibility, specifying that its machine is able to " support AMD's 9000 series with a BIOS update". As for the said update, however, we'll probably have to wait until the second half of August for everything to fall into place.
The MS-A1 is already on sale with, for example, a Ryzen 7 8700G version, renowned for the quality of its integrated graphics solution. Minisforum points out a technical limitation of its machine's cooling system: " the processor's TDP must be, at most, 65 watts ". This is hardly surprising, given that we're talking about a chassis measuring just 19.6 x 18.9 centimetres, with a thickness of 4.8 centimetres. Despite these ultra-compact dimensions, Minisforum is able to offer a very complete machine, thanks in particular to the use of DDR5 SODIMM memory modules and M.2 slots for SSDs. Three M.2 2280 slots are available (1x PCIe 4 x4, 1x PCIe 4 x1 and 1x PCIe 3 x4), complemented by a U.2 SFF-8639 slot that can be upgraded to M.2 via an adapter.
There's nothing to complain about when it comes to connectivity - in the broadest sense of the term - either: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 are naturally on the menu, while the front panel features a 3.5 mm combo jack, one USB-A 2.0 and two USB-A 3.2. It's on the rear, however, that things are richer: two RJ45 2.5 GbE, a DisplayPort, an HDMI, a USB-C, a USB-A 3.2 and a USB-A 2.0 are supported by an OCuLink, which allows you to plug in an external graphics card when the need arises. The MS-A1 is already on sale, in barebone version or with this Ryzen 7 8700G supported by 32 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD. In the former case, the price is set at $259, while in the latter, the outlay is $729.
