- Minisforum MS-A2 fits in your hand but bends harder than most desktops in full size
- Double 10Gbe -Ports and 16 cores – this box is built for serious work, not games
- Soldered CPU prevents upgrade but it’s not a problem in this case
Compact systems have long been considered underpowered, but the Minis Forum’s MS series tilts this view.
The company’s latest flagship, MS-A2 Mini PC, uses AMD’s Ryzen 9 9955HX or 7945HX chips, both 16-core mobile CPUs, increasing up to 5.4 GHz and pulling up to 100W, tapping the desktop territory while retaining thermal efficiency.
With a chassis that measures only 196 x 189 x 48 mm, this Mini -PC is supplied with soldered CPUs that prevent future upgrades, but it contains integrated cooling to maintain the performance at high power levels.
A network king
Networking, often a reflection in compact PCs, is a prominent feature in MS-A2. This device is designed with cases of advanced use, such as homemade laboratories, media servers and edge AI installations in mind, and supports double 10GBE via SFP+ and Dual 2.5GBE LAN.
Minisforum MS-A2 has three NVME compatible slots, including two M.2 2280 slots and a U.2 compatible bay. Despite losing an M.2 slot compared to the previous MS-A1, the device still offers up to 15 TB of quick storage through U.2 and NVME slots along with RAID support.
Support for discreet GPUs – although limited to low -profile models via a PCIe 4.0 x8 slot – adds credibility to its workstation requirements.
The system’s design includes bifurcation support that allows advanced users to run computer cards or media accelerators for tasks such as Plex coding or AI inferences. The paired with up to 96 GB DDR5 RAM sets this setup MS-A2 in serious claim as the best workstation in its size category.
The Barebone version of MS-A2 costs $ 839, while the 64 GB RAM version and a 1 TB SSD are priced at $ 1,103 for US customers.
The Minis Forum has a history of pushing boundaries, with models such as MS-01 that support Intel’s advanced mobile CPUs, such as Core I9-13900H, and offers features such as three M.2 slots, a Sata Bay and 10GBE network.
MS -02 continued this trend with a confusing series of settings, including four Ethernet gates – two of which are 10GBE – and support for up to four SSDs.
Via Videocardz
