I can see in my RU-vid analytics that these mini-PCs are incredibly popular right now with viewers. My first video got over 300K views and my 2nd got over 230K...so a lot of people are considering buying these small computers. Have YOU considered buying a mini-PC?
They are very cool to look at. I'm not sure I'd give up the expandability/configurability of my full size PC for one, but if I had serious space constraints or was a light gamer, yeah.. these would be a solid choice. It'd be cool if they experimented a bit with the case design more for more eye candy. If something really looks cool often that's enough for me.
I was considered one but I got the series x, that can emulate up to GameCube and ps2 so I'm happy, after that I have the consoles to play physical games.
4k isn't that big of a deal for me. I'm happy with good frame rates at 1080p. I would much prefer this over an xbox because of steam, mods, etc. It's crazy how powerful these little boxes have become.
this is better then xbox because you can play way more games epic gives away free games no need to pay for xbox live to play online and you can do way more then just gaming on this
This still can't even be compared to consoles because it's even more tinier , way tinier! So it's even more niche and cool due to how small this thing is
I think why Cyberpunk runs so well at 4K is because Medium settings defaults FSR 2.0 "Auto", which lowers the internal rendering resolution what is probably 1080p and then reconstructs the image temporally to get a 4K-like image, this is possible to do in a lot of games, you could probably get a pretty god RE2 experience if you choose FSR Performance in 4K. :)
The amount of power this tiny device has is INSANE... It's mind-blowing! So many gaming generations run soooo well on this thing. Makes me wanna chuck my Nvidia Shield TV into the effin garbage haha! I'm pretty broke right now but I do plan on buying this awesome system later down the road.
Computers really have come a long way. I did a work term with an engineering firm last year and pretty much all of their in-house employees use mini pcs for their engineering work. It makes moving them so much easier. They replaced all the old 20 lb pcs with minis weighing maybe 2 lbs at most. And they were doing heavy work loads at that. Really impressive. Expensive for those versions, but impressive.
There is no reason to go above 1260p as that is the resolution at which if you view your screen at the optimal viewing distance you can't see pixels anymore, but since that is not a common resolution, either take 1080p which is a bit under it, or 1440p which is a bit of an overkill and I personally go for 1080p every time. The panel technology is much more important to me than the resolution. Give me clean, realistic, beautiful colors. Opitmal Viewing Distance for a monitor = Screen Size x 1.6 (to get a 30 degree viewing angle) Optimal Viewing Distance for a TV = Screen Size x 1.3 (to get a 40 degree viewing angle)
This is me exactly. My PC is ancient and upgrading a PC is expensive. But I have a 1080ti. That GPU still mops the floor with this minisforums. I have heard the miniforum's integrated gpu to be described as on par with a 1050ti.
I think with how good upscaling is getting these are going to get more and more popular.... I have a gaming PC I built not long ago and I was checking out FSR 2 "Ultra Performance" at 4k which is just 720p upscaled to 4k last night and I was honestly shocked with how good it looks.... Obviously it's not perfect but it's getting better and better.
Nice video, thanks. Regarding the performance improvements from the model you had from last year - I thought the percentage increase numbers you quoted in the video seemed a bit low, and so I checked the numbers and unless I'm missing something it looks like the increases are a bit more than you quoted. Multi core CPU was 13285 and increases to 16698, meaning an increase of 3413 above the original 13285, which represents a 26% increase (3413/13285) rather than 22%. Single core CPU was 1394 and increases to 1806, meaning an increase of 412 above the original 1394, which represents a 30% increase (412/1394) rather than 25%. Graphics score was 23458 and increases to 31553, meaning an increase of 8095 above the original 23458, which represents a 35% increase (8095/23458) rather than 29%. All the best.
Doom Eternal at 60 fps? If you want to be able to do quick 180 degree turns (in the blink of an eye) and still feel like butter then you'll want 90+ fps for that. I run it at 120 fps or higher and it's very smooth.
like 5 years ago we had APU like 2400g in desktops that could run so many games at 60fps 720p now we have tiny pc like this running games at 1080p is amazing
These mobile APU’s have come such a long way from where they used to be. If you get one of these mini PC’s, make sure you get it with dual channel memory (both ram slots are being used instead of a single slot) this can heavily affect the graphics performance because it can hinder the bandwidth of the GPU. I generally recommend getting these with 32gb of ram because since there is no dedicated graphics memory, it shares the system ram and these newer games with their hi fidelity textures can really eat up the graphics memory or with this mini PC, it’s ram. I would also be curious to see how metal Jesus thinks it looks and performs when using AMD’s RSR (Radeon Super Resolution), its like FSR and dlss but it’s built into the AMD adrenaline software and is a driver based AI upscaler that you can use on any game. You just have to go into the AMD adrenaline software to enable it, then set the in game resolution to a lower resolution than your monitor and it will upscale it to the monitors native resolution.
Great review! I also think the mini-pc form factor, low noise, low power usage (relative to desktops) option is great as a simple dual-use device (pc & reasonable gaming). It's so small that you can easily bring it with you while traveling.
Even better than a laptop if you only game in the hotel because you don't have to worry about the screen getting too much pressure in the bag or suitcase nor worry about hard hits as much.
4k 60 fps reddit just feinted 🤣 All joking aside this looks pretty flippin sweet. I mostly game on Steam Deck/Switch but had thought about something like this in the past. Super cool, thanks for sharing it!
I definitely could use one of these to be able to fit two screens on my computer desk as I have very limited space the way I have my setup now with a full-tower PC.
Yup, this is my next computer. I only play in 1080p, and I live off grid where power is a huge deal for me with limited battery capacity on my current solar setup. This fits the bill and costs so little it’s a no brainer. I sold all my high end crap before I bought my property.
Yeah but emulation can be done by pretty much any modern computer from a cheap Raspberry Pi to a Laptop or Tower PC. Even PS2 games dont req that much power to emulate.
@@SecretOfMonkeyIsland784 yeah for older systems but ps3 emulation actually needs quite a powerful cpu to run decently. But yeah ps2 runs on about anything.
@appolospbvxr back in like 09 maybe 10 I had a mytouch 3g with the keyboard when you slide it up😂phone and had N64 games on it. I loved the pressing of buttons because it made it feel like a REAL game🎉
@@Joe-vi3wt I recommend getting a cheap second hand PS3 Slim for 50$ and hacking it for the best experience, the PS3 emulator is horrible and unaccurate so far.
I want one of these -- with 2x NICs, and 6-8x SATA, 2-3x m.2.. preferably the possibility of adding in some more SATA controllers. Would make an excellent little server, especially with those mobile processors.
Great video as usual! I find these mini PCs right now as an interesting option if you're looking for an emulation machine but I wonder what the future models will be capable of in the next few years.
These mini PC's are great and they are only going to get better and better!! Having a full sized gaming PC is sometimes just a PITA, if you know what I mean. 1440jp-1080p gaming is more than fine for me at this price point, plus can run all the emulators.
I have a moderate mid tower build running at 1080 on my TV. To be honest 1080 is great. The weird thing is when you compare it to a Series S. For example Plague Tale Requiem, you can turn everything on high, set it to1080 and it looks more like a lower resolution version of the Series X game than the Series S game because it doesn't have all the fog and limited draw distances and stuff. 4k is great if you're staring at something but in the middle of gameplay it, at least to me is barely noticeable even more so sitting 8 - 10ft away on a TV. I think most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference unless they were sitting side by side. This little PC is incredible, it's amazing how far we've gone!
This looks like exactly what I’m after. I don’t play many pc games. But want to dabble where I can. Also, I’d love something like this that was more dedicated to old dos games, as that is what I’m really interested in. Though I’m assuming dosbox etc would work fine.
Yeah, those iGPUs that are Radeon 680M or 780M are a huge leap over prior iGPUs. They do encroach into dGPU space, if toward the lower end. SUPER impressive though. Anyone looking for small, quiet, or power thrifty... These things rule!
@@mrchico2621 Oh not at all. It's amazing to see an iGPU perform in that GF1050Ti/GF1060 kind of area. I long for more of this! I want a day where I dont need a dGPU.
I've been playing on mini PC like this one for a year now. It's amazing. I mostly play old games anyway so it's perfect. It runs newer titles on low or medium too. Can't complain really and I'm not going back to those massive cases again
Mini PCs are not gaming PCs. You need a mid size or larger case with full size graphics card to play games at their native and best resolutions. It's stupid to limit games and their proper capabilities. Also these mini PCs get hot, and can never be cooled properly, such as in a mid size or larger case with liquid CPU cooling and multiple fans.
@kuarentakilla863 It runs emulation up to the PS3 and Switch quite well. I don't have any PC games to test, but it seems like it can run most at 1080p. You can game on this if you don't max out the settings. I have an Xbox for more demanding games, but this is great for emulation. Maybe in 2-3yrs the next AMD chip will handle PS4 graphics. But it's not there yet.
I picked up the Eglobal Cheap Portable Mini PC i7 from Ali-Express and a Dell Latitude i7 from Ebay used. I paid less for both of these PC'S put together than the cost of that one. I am happy with performance. One is Windows 10 and one is Windows 11. I personally am very interested in the Orange Pi 800 with its VGA beside the HDMI. I would probably run Android 12 on it and put different Emulators on it. I love Keyboard Computers. PSSP and ReDream are definitely possible on the system. VGA is great for retro games.
I recently purchased a beelink 8 core mini PC strictly for emulation of older games at the suggestion of RGT 85 and I was throughly impressed with its power. Glad I I got one of these powerful little machines.
and like 5 years ago we had APU like 2400g in desktops that could run so many games at 60fps 720p now we have tiny pc like this running games at 1080p is amazing
I love these mini pc reviews. I would love to see this run steam os, turn it into a modern day steam machine. Id also like to see how this would run with an external gpu.
I guess you should've disabled V-sync for the video because these are kinda benchmarks for the device. Some games can run above 60 fps but thanks to v-sync, we can't know how far it can go.
Mobile gaming chipsets and graphics are finally getting to that sweet spot , waiting for the day when we can somehow use our phones as external graphics cards for our laptops
This is so cool to see. Thanks! I was seriously thinking of buying this system for its compactness, but the advancement since last year makes me think how much better next year it will be. When it can do 4K with steady with high fps that is when these systems can take over the gaming system.
11:30 you can get 60 fps in NFS The Run if you turn off v-sync 👍. There is a catch: there’s a dust/snow bug in Vegas and Colorado that makes the game a bit more challenging.
Hey thanks for the review MJ. I am thinking about getting one of these to replace my 2019 surface pro 6 that I occasionally use for streaming and video editing. It just doesn't hold up well anymore, and these new mini PCs seem like they might be perfect
the 16gb ram definitely limits these things, since the iGPU shares system memory. Daniel Owens demonstrated that doubling the memory gives about another 25% performance bump. For your benchmarks, what were the settings? You were running Cyberpunk at "4k" - was that with FSR2?
I just got a laptop with the 7940h/780m and a rtx 4070 and I'm really suprised how often it just keeps using the 780m for 1080p gaming and performs well especially with emulation. With PS1/PS2 and Gamecube emulation the 4070 just sleeps no matter what improvements I enable at 1080p and it runs so quiet with the 780m doing the work. I'm so impressed that I'm not even using or missing my rtx 3090 desktop and 1440p for gaming, I'm definitely realising 4K isn't affecting the enjoyment of gaming.
Spec Ops lowering to 30fps was because you had vertical sync enabled. It limits to the displays refresh rate of 60, except if it dips too far between it goes down to 30.
these things seem to be a no brainer for folks looking for an htpc with a little extra grunt and a negligible physical footprint. could even slap it behind the tv itself, downscale the resolution to 1080p (most people who've brought a TV in the last five years will have a 4k one), and do some cozy couch gaming with nearly no additional living room clutter, at a comfortable framerate. gotta love it.
I will also add another huge problem that cannot be overlooked: Mini PCs are not gaming PCs. Also, these mini PCs get hot, and can never be cooled properly, such as in a mid size or larger case with liquid CPU cooling and multiple fans. Desktop cases will never die, and very much necessary, just like a cell phone can, and will NEVER replace an actual true computer.
@MetalJesusRocks so cool that you showed Nanotek Warrior! When we got our ps1 That was our first game and we bought it at blockbuster. To this day I still love playing it.
I have the Beelink version, but if you were waiting to buy....now is a great time. It'll take a few years for PS4/PS5 emulation but the others below work great.
if anyone is interested or wants to know. The 780M GPU built into this APU is just 200 points shy of an rx6400 or a GTX 980 Mobile video card! thats pretty impressive (Passmark benchmark website has the details)
Bought one of these puppies last week, will use it for a bit of gaming, but mainly for containerisation projects. Got the 64GB one, so going to run a ton of containers on this thing.
I have the Beelink GTR7 Pro. Same specs. Greati pc for the price. It runs Switch emulation well. I tried Wii U games and it runs good, but it hiccups when I was playing Donkey Kong. Zelda Took ran fine. Give it 2 more years and the next AMD processor will be almost perfect for games made 2022 and below. I'll upgrade when that happens, but for now it does what I want and even exceeds that. Also, it plays PS3 games very well. I actually own the games, but my PS3 broke and I wanted to use a save file for Zelda. Support the developer if you like their game.
I think a good reason for having one would be for games that you enjoy on consoles and play a lot but have modded realms which can only be accessed with a PC. That’s the reason I’m thinking of getting one at the moment.
Use it for PS3 and below, wait a few years for the better model. You can always put this in a spare room for older games and buy a newer one. It's always gonna get better but for me this hit the spot. I'll be busy with Switch 2 next year so I can skip 2024 model. Maybe until 2026 to get the best bang for my buck. But this was a no brainer for me.
4:35 If I take 34,553 divided by 23,458, I get a 34.5% increase in graphical performance, not 29%. The CPU was only about 17%, making the overall "Night Raid" score a 30% increase.
Since it can handle 4k at nearly 30fps, it should be great at 1440p which is about twice the resolution of 1080p. I'm getting mine in a couple of days to replace my old Dell XPS 8300 that just broke down after 12 years. I picked the UM790 with 1 TB SSD and 64 GB DDR5
my 10 year old pc died about 2 months ago and ive been using my i7 gpd win 3 with rx 580 in an egpu. it runs everything i play on it great. mostly league of legends in 4k. i bet that mini pc with a decent egpu set up would be phenomenal.
These 780M powered APUs are finally giving people a taste of power of the Subor Z+'s APU had it released officially. I don't think it's a coincidence that the U-series and Z1-series are codenamed "Phoenix Point" nor that AMD is branding an entire line of APUs as "custom for the use of console PCs" APUs for the first time. Especially since they are given the name "Z1", almost like a reference to the Z+ that they now mstch the gaming performance of.
I am considering buying one of these mini PCs to use as an encoding box, as I've seen tests where a 5950X will render a 1 hour episode in AV1 in about an hour and 52 minutes, and the Beelink GTR7 will render it in about 2 hours 33 minutes, which isn't much longer, while using barely any power and freeing up my m ain machine. I just can't decide between this one at the GTR7 [Pro]. I like that the UM790 Pro has WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 and comes as a Barebones option so I could pick my own SSD(s) and RAM, but I like the IO better on the GTR7 [Pro].
To think that thing is smaller than a GameCube and only 20 years apart. 🤯🤯🤯 I remember being 8-9 and seeing my older brothers friends play Halo 1 on the Xbox and becoming ungovernable 😂😂 tech is gonna be so frikn cool in 50 years
Thanks for this video. Had mine ordered as soon as they were available. Sadly shipping to germany will only start in the next couple of weeks. I'm upgrading my current Lenovo Mini PC in my living room because that already struggles with the emulation of 6th Gen. consoles.
It looks great. I love my gaming pc and maybe next year I'll look into upgrading my gaming pc. I will look forward to see maybe next year you cover the next more upgraded models for gaming pc's. Cool video. ^_^
Awesome coincidence. My HD is just about fried in my laptop so I'm playing around with the idea of getting one of these. I want something that can run Adobe and if it can game too, even better. Thank you for the review, think I might be getting one of these next.
Why spend so much time testing 4K? I mean who buys a mini PC expecting to game in 4K? Kinda wish you had spent more time focusing on performance and emulation. Oh and setup! Like any lag if I plug this into a HDTV instead of a monitor? I'm thinking of getting one of these for my living room along with that 8bitDo controller. :D
I guess I wanted to compare this to a current gen console, which is why I did that...to make sure nobody went into it expected 4K level of performance....but maybe you are right. Next time I'll just assume everybody already knows that. 👍
@@MetalJesusRocks I honestly don't think anyone would at that price but you probably did the right thing and stopped a lot of people from making a purchase they would have regretted. I really enjoy your videos MJR. Keep it up!
Asset Assetto has a ton of mods that bring a 4090 to its knees. Are you as disappointed with the way the Toombs raider trilogy was handled. First 2 games were amazing and then shadow drops and was as if it forgot the last 2 games. I couldn't finish it and I've tried a million times to replay it. Spec-ops might be the sand physics. It runs perfect on mine. Where can the run be found now?
Hi Metaljesus, I wonder if you have ever heared of the Summer homebrew Showcase from Matt Hughson. Would love to see you reaction or if you saw it allready know your opinion. I watched it and it blew my mind, it is crazy what is going on in that scene in the showcase were the amazing amount of 140 titles.
For me personally I would most definitely consider buying one. Sitting that close to a gaming monitor I wouldn't want 4k unless I would either use it on a TV screen or shell out $1000 for a gaming monitor by Alienware that's where the dedicated firmware would be useful. Considering what these mini PCs are capable of that's not a bad price.
From everything you've described this sounds like tge perfect statem for me. Im just looking for simething that can run emulation up to the later stuff with no issues and some steam gameing. 4k isnt all that important. 1080p with graet Frame rate us all i neeed. Hopefully i can pick something like this up soon.
