07-14-2020, 07:06 AM
https://www.tomshardware.com/features/mi...c-hands-on
Quote:Keeping in mind that the Minisforum DMAF5 we saw is an early sample, it has some promise in the mini PC niche. If you’re looking for an AMD alternative to the Intel NUC, it’s here, and compared to the NUC, it’s fairly affordable.
As of this writing, on Intel’s own site, a NUC with a Core i3-10110U, 1TB HDD and 16GB of Intel Optane memory along with 4GB of RAM and Windows 10 is $587.26, more expensive than even the most expensive version of the DMAF5. However, the NUC is also available as a barebones kit to bring your own storage, RAM and OS. That NUC as a kit is $299.00. Intel also has a clear warranty, while Minisforum is less proven.
If the choice comes down to price, the Minisforum is a winner here. It is giving Intel some much-needed competition in this space with similar levels of upgradeability. Hopefully, this leads to options with more tiny computers with a larger variety of AMD processors, including the latest ones. The company told Tom’s Hardware that it is in contact with AMD and plans to start developing computers based on the Ryzen 4000 series.
It’s hard to say what final shipping models will be like. After all, the company already changed the specs once before the Indiegogo to fund and sell it even began. They should be shipping sometime soon, as our unit came in near-final packaging.
But if mini PCs are your thing, there’s room for the space to get more interesting.