MinisForum X7 Ti Review: On Life Support

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The MinisForum (AtomMan) X7 Ti mini PC features the latest Intel Ultra 9 185H chip and some neat features, but is undercut by Intel's price threshold and some strange design choices. Let's do some deep-dive testing on this experience and see why this might be a computer worth skipping.
More info: shrsl.com/4ljjy
Mini PC comparison sheet: tinyurl.com/RGCminiPC
GameSir Kaleid Flux controller: amzn.to/4byNSh4
GPD G1 eGPU: • Tiny GPU for Handheld ...
This was a review unit sent to me by the manufacturer. All opinions are my own, they did not see this review ahead of time, and no money was exchanged in any way.
Timestamps:
00:00 introduction
02:33 specs and pricing
04:41 unboxing and impressions
07:28 IO and functionality
09:15 teardown and cooling
12:27 size and touchscreen
15:50 PC game testing
19:27 eGPU and OCuLink testing
21:33 emulation testing
26:13 summary (likes and dislikes)
29:03 conclusion
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This video is for entertainment and educational purposes only.
#miniPC #minisforum #emulation #pcgaming

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Опубликовано:

2 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 155

@CFG-qv7hy 29 дней назад

Considering that the whole idea of mini PCs is they're supposed to be out of the way and not really noticeable, making one with a gimmick that requires it be front and center with all the cabling sticking out the sides is....a choice.

@rjsmith2007 29 дней назад

I really do not understand the use case for this thing...

@brulsmurf 28 дней назад

it seems to have the worst of both worlds. but maybe i miss the usecase for this

@maciejstachowski183 28 дней назад

If you could actually cable manage it, and if it were more functional, it wouldn't be a bad idea - basically having a small side dashboard, with some graphs and blinkenlights, maybe some shortcuts that utilize the touchscreen. As it is... yeah, if I want that kind of clutter I'll just hook a laptop up.

@wooordwooord4712 28 дней назад

Mount it to the wall and it could look cool

@JohnStenborg 28 дней назад

…i like it…as a circuit bent electronic experimental artist…i like it…the visual look…to see the flow inns n outs…thats sculptural…i like it…more of this please…

@soad11dude 28 дней назад

Might seem odd to say, but I'm happy to see a more critical review that usual. It looks bad when reviewers give nothing but praise to products. And this one definitely deserved the criticism.

@logustrate 29 дней назад

Id love a video from you on mini pcs at different price points. Ive been in the market, and i cant decide what my budget should be. Kudos from Canada!

@soad11dude 28 дней назад

On the lower end I really like the beelink amd mini computers. They seem to be clearing out the rest of the 5560u (SER5) ones for about 367$CAD. Gives you 6 cores, 12 threads and a pretty good little GPU for light gaming Word of caution though. I have had issues installing 2.5 inch drives with beelink. I tried to make a file server with one and it completely killed two SSDs.

@nickoldschoolrules52 28 дней назад

The price is out of the range I'm willing to pay. I would really like to see best value mini PC reviews.

@christopher480 9 дней назад

you wont get anything in the range you are prepared to pay that supports an egpu......maybe over usb 4 but occulink is almost twice as fast.......compared to other mini pcs with an occulink port its a decent price and they do not have a screen or a webcam that supports windows hello(face id)

@Lordofturtles 28 дней назад

Bring back the mini PC reviews!

@hardwarebudgeteer1225 28 дней назад

Would have been nice if the I/O ports were on the back so you could hide wires, especially since this is meant to be displayed on a desk.

@KyleRuggles 26 дней назад

Imagine an iMac with cables come out of the sides. lol. I think it's probably a limit of their PCB.

@registerednerd9270 26 дней назад

@@KyleRugglesI was thinking the same.

@revaaron 29 дней назад

I got the 6900hx after you tested it. 1year 3 months so far. It's been my main desktop/editing machine/development machine and I love it. Looking to replace my 2016 9550 dell xps that I'm using as a server/backup machine with a new minisforum.

@soad11dude 28 дней назад

I don't know if minisforum and beelink have much overlap hardware wise, but I had a file server running in a beelink mini S. It killed two SSDs (patriot p210 and a WD blue). So I don't trust the 2.5 inch sata interface anymore. Not sure if it was heat or some kind of voltage spike that killed them.

@revaaron 28 дней назад

@@soad11dude how long? My servers back up incrementally every hour to a DAS.

@soad11dude 28 дней назад

@revaaron I don't remember exactly, but it couldn't have run for more than 6 months before killing each drive. Luckily, they were both replaced under warranty. But after the second one failed, I didn't suspect the drives were the cause anymore.

@D1EGO305 28 дней назад

Great job with this review. Extremely well explained and communicated.

@scizfoshiz 27 дней назад

You have the best reviews Russ!!! Prime just posted an update video on the Legion Go a day ago, but I would like to see your thoughts and review on the new update they just released. Your videos are far more in depth and i really enjoy the quality and how well thought your reviews are!! Thanks for all you do!!

@christopher480 9 дней назад

since when does amazon prime have reviews on computer hardware?

@garou1911 28 дней назад

I'm a big fan of the mini-PC form factor and I appreciate your reviews being straightforward, honest, and thorough. I actually bought my HX99G after watching your review (it's how I ended up subscribing), I wanted to replace my desktop with a mini and watching your breakdown gave me the confidence to take the plunge. Extremely happy I did and I'm grateful that I had your review to reference. I feel like mini PCs don't get enough serious coverage and most of the information about them is through advertising and "fluff articles" that are basically just extended Amazon descriptions

@Rawsavon 28 дней назад

Will you make a 2024 mini PC video in a similar manner to your retro handheld rankings videos? >best of, best value, best cheaper option, etc. factoring in everyday "office" style use, online use, video streaming, current gaming, and, of course, retro gaming I am considering going this route (vs another laptop), and your breakdown/input would be greatly appreciated

@christopher480 9 дней назад

if you dont need the portability of a laptop then dont buy one........compared to other mini pcs with an occulink port its a decent price and they do not have a screen or a webcam that supports windows hello(face id)........and if you have enough grab an egpu thats occulink

@softboilled 17 дней назад

Thank you for the thorough and critical review! Recently I've been disappointed by channels that pump out content with very little critique. Please keep up the hard work.

@RetroGameCorps 17 дней назад

Happy to be of help!

@chadisnotachad 28 дней назад

Charging $600 and not even including ram or storage is an automatic non starter

@manuelrodriguez9972 24 дня назад

I got a Legion Go for $591 and it comes with a screen, so these mini PCs should do better with their pricing lol

@christopher480 9 дней назад

@@manuelrodriguez9972 your legion go didnt come with any where near the cpu that this has.....you are comparing apples and oranges.

@manuelrodriguez9972 9 дней назад

@@christopher480I invested in a better product because it is more dynamic and I can do more with it. This mini PC is not worth it at this price lol

@ThemeParksAndAttractions 23 дня назад

Nice review 👌

@Rawsavon 28 дней назад

Also, this Frankenstein setup reminded me of my Sega Genesis, CD, 32x tower of babel

@maddoggaming1171 28 дней назад

That new simplistic Oculink E-GPU dock looks interesting. I'll have to keep my eye out for your review when it releases.

@Muench13 28 дней назад

I wonder if it also supports thunderbolt 4?

@maddoggaming1171 28 дней назад

@@Muench13 I hope so!

@saltydad2987 29 дней назад

I want a Mini PC to create a Steam console/emulation machine but man it’s hard to know what to get for this project

@MickySarge 28 дней назад

I'm right there with you. I'd love to have something hooked up in the living room, but I already have a Steamdeck and it feels hard to convince myself to buy another device over just hooking that up.

@OmniKrypthos 29 дней назад

This is a relatively good review video.

@ANDREAS-uq9ck 29 дней назад

They should have put the Air Vents at the Side and the Connection Slots at the Back/Bottom. It just looks ugly with all those Cables hanging out left and right.

@KyleRuggles 29 дней назад

Agreed! I keep imagining an iMac with this setup lol.

@jamesng40 28 дней назад

Would love to see a review of the UM890.... Looks like one with a 8945HS chip

@soul3lixir 27 дней назад

I just picked one of these up and I was planning on using that GPD G1 with it. Seems like a good 2nd pc that i can actually lug around and better than a laptop imo.

@Kuriketto 28 дней назад

The current Core Ultra chips are a bit underwhelming, but here's hoping Lunar Lake along with Strix Halo shakes up the mini PC segment, assuming Strix Halo isn't just a rumor.

@jaideepnaik7454 28 дней назад

Russ, love your videos! Can you do a light gun video please!

@remiilatte 28 дней назад

Wait did Russ just say “the Russ of the touch screen”? 😂 I had to rewind to check

@justinwestwood 29 дней назад

Yay mini pcs!!

@irata2006 28 дней назад

Good video! Intel Meteor Lake is the new Pentium 4.

@TrusteftTech 26 дней назад

The webcam looks about average for what you find in most laptops today. I find the easiness to reach the fan to clean it is much more important for reparability than accessing the storage. You will more likely to open this to clean the fan than to keep replacing the RAM and the SSD. I am not saying I am crazy about the time needed to reach them, but from the usual design of being able to reach the storage in 2 min and needing god knows how much, if even possible without breaking anything, the CPU fan, I will take this one.

@RyanParreno 28 дней назад

It's wild how far this swings compared to Minisforum's V3 tablet. The Intel Ultra 9 185H is poorly represented here, and I suspect the upcoming ROG NUC or NUC 14 Performance will better demonstrate what it can actually do. But MInisforum seemed to be going for an IOT deal with this device, and they didn't do enough design work to figure this out. For example, the I/O could have been positioned at the bottom side, such that it's all out of the way instead of spread all over it like a bunch of crab legs. The touchscreen doesn't have to stand in as the computer's main screen, but it doesn't have as much functionality as an Echo Dot or an Apple Watch, so that's another facet that wasn't fully thought out. There's clearly a good idea behind this, but the implementation is just bad. I hope if there's a second generation Atom Man, Minisforum looks at what's actually out there so they can make this a solution that solves problems, instead of going around looking for them.

@buddyfx7026 27 дней назад

you can get white card stock from a hobby supply store, put it to your right and it'll bounce back a lot of that nice soft window light so you're not as much in the shadows!

@Rick-hx1ne 28 дней назад

Similar B550 cpu comes with dock and any video card able to play high end . Cool 😎 video

@nelson2041 28 дней назад

I like this channel, it was super helpful when needing to select devices and configure them. Russ does great content! But as one isn't constantly buying devices, I've stopped watching. I mean I already bought too many devices (that are constantly in a drawer) and forcing myself to stop this 😆. Idea/wishlist, would love coverage of games! Old games, hacks, pico-8, indie/retro.

@arvs7356 29 дней назад

For this form factor, I will wait for the Qualcomm chips instead. Nice built-in Adreno GPU, and early benchmark tests for popular emulation apps are promising.

@johnsducks9816 29 дней назад

I think playing at 900p is a good compromise for modern games. 720p on modern tvs is rough

@bush2137 27 дней назад

I like the idea of having it on a desk with a gpu showcased right next to it, but the oculink bandwith will impact performance. I'll probably just get the minisforum motherboard with the ryzen 9 and make a super compact gaming pc

@rtyghfnmnb9117 26 дней назад

Can you do a review on the super console x5 pro your the most accurate reviewer so Im just waiting on that video🎉🎉

@mattys_room 27 дней назад

Why did RU-vid not show me this upload

@husky_01 28 дней назад

Yes...Kerrygold butter size comparison is back baby. Now its retro.🇮🇪👏👍

@bogey4741 28 дней назад

Can you review the upcoming g7 pt amd certified mini pc when it comes out? It looks more promising!

@brunamartins8522 28 дней назад

I would love to see Russ doing a livestream playing Elden Ring. It’s a personal dream of mine.

@LuisPerez-5 27 дней назад

$800 to play everything on low settings

@STR82DVD 8 дней назад

@@LuisPerez-5 Seems fair.

@LuisPerez-5 8 дней назад

@@STR82DVD . Not at all. For $800 you can build a better PC than this.

@STR82DVD 8 дней назад

@@LuisPerez-5 Of course it's not. Just messing with ya kid.

@esmemater8 28 дней назад

If you manually set up power modes in windows, does the screen change them?

@APEXGuerilla 29 дней назад

I just got a SER8. Hopefully no regrets 😶

@tdome3000 29 дней назад

I doubt that you will have regrets.

@chesster423 14 дней назад

i got the ser5 pro. best purchase of my life.

@familhagaudir8561 26 дней назад

To salvage the classy look of the mini-PC before plugging the cables ruin the effect, it would have to be connected at base in some sort of discrete flat dock where the actual cables would plug in and lay flat on the desk.

@BrianJones-wk8cx 29 дней назад

“A K-Mart version of The Matrix …” I am slain! 😂😂😂

@Punmaster9001 29 дней назад

There are too my options for a proper replacement PC, and I want a small one instead of a massive tower

@stealthassasin22 18 дней назад

What did you think of the final shape DLC?

@JohnStenborg 28 дней назад

…i like it…as a circuit bent electronic experimental artist…i like it…the visual look…to see the flow inns n outs…thats sculptural…i like it…more of this please…

@baksss 28 дней назад

Rg cube guide please!

@GhostLinx 28 дней назад

If that screen could be used for gaming that would be cool😂

@doolittle_ 28 дней назад

"A K-Mart version of the Matrix." EPIC

@MorganEdgy 17 дней назад

You know, when you said "top of the line price" I sort of got scared because I was expecting something over $1000 But under $700 is sort of reasonable, all things considered. In my country these tiny guys would be resold for over $2000 with exchange

@porqpai7082 22 дня назад

Does anybody actually use the headphone jack for microphone input anymore? Like do they even make those outside of gaming headsets? I never see the thing used for anything besides headphones.

@harrifongostudios 27 дней назад

I think this would be an amazing office pc for an actual cubicle office. But would they buy each one of their employees these pcs when their price is 800 bucks? Do they go high? And if they do, is this better than the other options.

@WiiThoko 26 дней назад

Wouldn’t an office be more likely to have laptops?

@josephmolina7007 29 дней назад

That xenoblade emulation glitch is crazy 😂

@federicocatelli8785 28 дней назад

What's the ssd the comes with this unit ?

@ulmwurttemberg1682 28 дней назад

If you sit in front of your monitor with the device off to the side, does the webcam still capture your face?

@Ditto2378 28 дней назад

Can U do a new review for a tablet???

@beamstalk6475 29 дней назад

The price on these mini pc's is always what kills me

@fernandocasillasjr 27 дней назад

Still using my HX99G.

@ryecatcher25 29 дней назад

Mini pc rock with coinops

@AIR-Dmnshn 23 дня назад

I just want a Laptop without a screen why the hell is so hard to find full packed PCs? (Battery included)

@illbelieveanything 27 дней назад

I’d pay to see videos of you shopping and explaining why you bought Brand X instead of Brand Y.

@maciejstachowski183 28 дней назад

12:43 this controller seems like the best thing to come out of Starfield.

@mrbeanbeany 28 дней назад

Butter

@natea.2926 28 дней назад

This wasn’t designed by engineers. My guess is the marketing team.

@christopher480 9 дней назад

if a person bought a few cheap right angle adapters it would look way better.

@joelou 28 дней назад

sorry gang, no permission to snack today

@user-bx1kz8mt9y 28 дней назад

Is that the same screen as powkiddy rgb30?

@X862go 28 дней назад

Wish the screen had more functionality

@manuelrodriguez9972 24 дня назад

I got a Legion Go for $591 and it comes with a screen, so these mini PCs should do better with their pricing lol

@Aiello_ 29 дней назад

Not a bad machine but the support for emulation on AMD is much better i'm really eyeing the new UM890 Pro

@raniel0511 28 дней назад

Mini pcs with screens reminds me of TechDweeb

@tro_celli 29 дней назад

PS5 emulation looks great.

@martincoborn 29 дней назад

Does it play Doom?

@ReneRosa 27 дней назад

If that little screen was a bit larger and could be used a touch screen for DS and 3DS emulation, it would be interesting. Otherwise..... naaaaah lol

@johnsducks9816 29 дней назад

It looks like a "gaming wifi router" from 2014

@syborfical 28 дней назад

cyberpunk like tails from the afternow cyberpunk ?

@Marrro 28 дней назад

Those cables look awful - and all you had to do was put the sockets on the back....

@SamDGR 28 дней назад

It would be cool if you tested Uncharted Games when you’re looking at PS3 Emulation

@0525ohhwell 24 дня назад

It kinda seems like you would be better served getting a ROG Ally...

@DaveVoyles 24 дня назад

As soon as I saw “intel Arc” I thought “I’m out”

@natalya_volochay 28 дней назад

Is there any tiny PC systems, that can be powered from a battery, or some power supply device, like power bank / portable charger?

@hikerclarence7092 29 дней назад

The design of this thing is so odd i half expected them to put in an unconnected battery just so they could use it as a heatsink

@christopher480 9 дней назад

RIGHT ANGLE CONNECTORS....... are peanuts so no they were not on holidays, they assumed we would know enough to buy those kinds of connectors and why shouldn't they since there are a plethora of lil devices like that for cable management in every shape and form.

@MegaKiri11 28 дней назад

Nope. Anything mini AMD only. Until Intel improves their efficiency and iGPU

@dandelsol577 26 дней назад

That is so weird !! The original XBox is the game console that is the closest to a PC in terms of hardware architecture. Intel x86 CPU. NVidia GPU. And Xbox is the emulation that runs the worse on this Intel CPU... That is so odd.. :) Another odd thing is that I heard people often say that Xbox emulation runs better on Linux systems than Windows ones. Again... weird, right? XBox = Microsoft. And it runs better on Linux? :)

@fromabove422 24 дня назад

Avx512 hasn't been in use since 11th gen

@Smailien 28 дней назад

It should be mentioned that for a few weeks now, Elden Ring's performance has been pretty trash on just about any PC. From has even admitted it, but while giving some extremely amateurish recommendations for users to address issues.

@TrevForTheWin 29 дней назад

What a rip off

@dlewis9760 29 дней назад

Personally, small only makes sense up to about 400 something bucks and that's pushing it. The N100s + N97s make perfect sense for a generic computer. Good enough for most things most of the time. I'd take the money for the cost of this thing and bottom feed parts and slap something together. Not as small, but you could make something small enough.

@ev4_gaming 28 дней назад

seems a bit large for a mini pc imo

@allbboss 27 дней назад

Too expensive. What is it with these manufacturers who assume that laptops don't exist or that custom build can't smoke this mini pc for the same amount of money?

@johntroutman7256 28 дней назад

I rather get a Rog Ally and buy a dock.

@sushilsharma1621 28 дней назад

Great price/performance + small form factor where power supply is uninterrupted.

@TheCoolDave 27 дней назад

Ah, here we go again, Ark video performance. I get they are trying to go head-to-head with Nvidia and AMD but, if you're going to release a product/chipset that can't even go close, it's more of a joke than a good video product. Just seeing how bad the MSI Claw is compared to everything else with a crazy price tag, it's going to take quite a while for Intel to get support from vendors on this chipset.

@KyleRuggles 29 дней назад

6:52 this looks ridiculous.. Imagine if an iMac had cables coming out like that. Man, that screen is pointless...14:10 Who is this PC for!!?? I do dig that GPU dock though! 20:34 Wondering if you could test out video rendering, like 1 minute of video with transitions etc, and maybe a bit of raw editing with Lightroom? Great review, but a big pass for me.

@dlewis9760 29 дней назад

With the wires it has a cyber punk vibe like some futuristic retro hardware.

@KyleRuggles 29 дней назад

@@dlewis9760 Yeah I get that but it seems more of a bug than a feature. I think it's the limits of the board they're using. Can't get all the io on the bottom.

@WillSams 27 дней назад

790 pro. No regerts. 😂

@OblivionPrime 29 дней назад

it does look kinda ugly but kinda cool at the time? since it looks different than most pcs

@fillerbunnyninjashark271 29 дней назад

Intel means automatically skip

@SynikPixels 29 дней назад

Updates gonna stop in 6 months

@3godzilla3 28 дней назад

Always amusing to see people dunking on Intel versus AMD. They both literally do the same thing: Make your PC work. Performance difference is negligible, and the average consumer would never notice. It's not as drastic as GPUs!