Minsiforum enters the mini server market - laptop processor packing box bristles with network connectivity starting at $549

Minisforum MS-01 Mini WorkStation
(Image credit: Minisforum)

Minisforum has launched its first mini workstation, aptly called the MS-01, powered by laptop processors going up to the Intel Core i9-13900H. The Mini Workstation's primary purpose is for those who need the fastest possible network speeds, good expansion options, and plenty of internal storage in a compact form factor. Currently, the Minisforum has the MS-01 on pre-order but according to the official press release the device will be available for retail on Jan. 23, priced from US$549.

Minisforum states that its first mini workstation is tailored for 'tech-savvy gamers' who can choose from three CPU variants and up to 96EU Intel Iris Xe graphics. The MS-01 can be configured with the Intel Core i9-13900H or the 12900H, both with vPro Enterprise support, or the Core i5-12450H. 

Thanks to the 2.5G LAN ports and two 10G SFP+ ports, you have ample options for wired network connectivity. These SFP+ ports also support link aggregation. There are multiple USB port configurations. Users can channel video output through the USB4 ports, and the USB4 ports in the rear I/O section allow simultaneous support for 20 Gbps Thunderbolt Ethernet. There is also an HDMI-out for video output. 

An active cooling system is fitted for the mobile H-series CPU, rated for cooling up to 80W, which should be fine for handling the laptop CPUs central to the Minisforum Mini workstation MS-01. The cooler also provides direct contact for the two SO-DIMM DDR5 RAM modules. 

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Full MS-01 specifications are as follows:
Sub ModelsS1390/S1290/S1245
CPUS1390: Intel Core i9-13900H (With vPro Enterprise Support)
Row 2 - Cell 0 S1290: Intel Core i9-12900H (With vPro Enterprise Support)
Row 3 - Cell 0 S1245: Intel Core i5-12450H
GPUS1390/S1290: Intel Iris Xe Graphics eligible
Row 5 - Cell 0 S1245: Intel UHD Graphics
Max Memory Size64GB DDR5-SODIMM
Max # of DIMMs/ Channels2/ 2
ECC Memory SupportedNo
Storage1 x M.2 2280 NVME SSD (Alt U.2)(PCIe 4.0x4)
Row 10 - Cell 0 1 x M.2 2280/22110 NVME SSD (PCIe 3.0x4)
Row 11 - Cell 0 1 x M.2 2280/22110 NVME SSD (PCIe 3.0x2)
Wireless/ BluetoothYes/ Yes
Video OutputHDMI ×1/ USB4 ×2
Audio OutputHDMI ×1/ Audio Jack ×1
Ports & Buttons10G SFP+ Port x 2 / 2.5G Ethernet RJ45 Port x 2
Row 16 - Cell 0 USB3.2 Gen2 Type-A Port ×2 / USB3.2 Gen1 Type-A Port ×2 / USB2 Type-A Port x2 / USB4 Port ×2(Alt DP) /
Row 17 - Cell 0 HDMI ×1 / Audio Jack ×1
Expansion1 x PCIe Port (Support to half height single slot x16 width) (Speed up to PCIe 4.0x8)
PowerDC5.5 x 2.5 (19V-9.47/12.6A)
SystemWindows 11 Home (Supports Windows 11/Linux)
Product Dimension/ Weight196 x 189 x 48mm / 1.42kg

Internally, there is a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot but due to the limitation on the form factor, you can only use a half-height single-slot PCIe card like the NVIDIA RTX A2000 GPU, though one would be curious if it can fit a fanless version made by an enthusiast. In addition to the three M.2 storage slots, you can also use a U.2 drive which provides PCIe 4.0 x4 bandwidth.

Due to the configuration of the MS-01, this looks to be very versatile for a home server. This is Minisforum's first venture into a mini workstation so it will be interesting to know what would people use this for and what their experience is with respective CPU variants. As mentioned in the intro, product pre-orders can be made via Minisforum's website

Roshan Ashraf Shaikh
Contributing Writer

Roshan Ashraf Shaikh has been in the Indian PC hardware community since the early 2000s and has been building PCs, contributing to many Indian tech forums, & blogs. He operated Hardware BBQ for 11 years and wrote news for eTeknix & TweakTown before joining Tom's Hardware team. Besides tech, he is interested in fighting games, movies, anime, and mechanical watches.

  • bit_user
    Minsiforum enters the mini server market...
    ECC Memory SupportedNo
    Fail.
    Reply
  • rluker5
    With the network /storage expansion option with the pcie4x8 slot this seems like a pretty OP mini home server.

    I like it when some company like Minisforum just opens up all of the capabilities a CPU has since it makes everybody else look like they were milking us for things like all that little box has.

    Shame I don't have a use for it.
    Reply
  • ingtar33
    rluker5 said:
    With the network /storage expansion option with the pcie4x8 slot this seems like a pretty OP mini home server.

    I like it when some company like Minisforum just opens up all of the capabilities a CPU has since it makes everybody else look like they were milking us for things like all that little box has.

    Shame I don't have a use for it.
    no, it's not an op home server
    -windows home (doesn't even have the right OS)
    -no ECC memory
    -no RAID card
    -tiny box, granted you could set up a SCSI drive in a networked solution for it's storage, but that again, highlights what a failbox this is.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    bit_user said:
    Fail.
    Yeah, thanks Intel! The only laptop CPUs that support ECC are ones with R in the suffix.
    rluker5 said:
    With the network /storage expansion option with the pcie4x8 slot this seems like a pretty OP mini home server.

    I like it when some company like Minisforum just opens up all of the capabilities a CPU has since it makes everybody else look like they were milking us for things like all that little box has.

    Shame I don't have a use for it.
    It's not bad, but the lack of ECC kneecaps its potential. It'd be decent for router and local service hosting, but I wouldn't want to use it for storage or anything critical.
    Reply
  • HideOut
    bit_user said:
    Fail.
    The system simply cannot. Its not a fail. Its not possible with the CPU class. You can use more of a server class system, but then lose lots of other features to only get ECC.
    Reply
  • HideOut
    I wish they 7mm hight limit for the U2 slot was a normal 15mm. There are almost no 7mm drives around at all. In 15mm you can even get optane based drives.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    HideOut said:
    The system simply cannot. Its not a fail. Its not possible with the CPU class.
    Not true. AMD's Z1 Extreme supports ECC.
    https://www.techpowerup.com/cpu-specs/ryzen-z1-extreme.c3276
    HideOut said:
    I wish they 7mm hight limit for the U2 slot was a normal 15mm. There are almost no 7mm drives around at all. In 15mm you can even get optane based drives.
    Yeah, but is it going to have adequate cooling for those? P5800X can burn up to 20 W and need to be kept below 70 C. NAND-based U.2 drives aren't much better.

    IMO, for the type of people who want U.2 drives, this thing is too much of a toy.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    STH put up their review for it and it sounds like a fantastic device for what it is, but I feel like you'd need the use case before pulling the trigger and again I wouldn't trust it with my storage without ECC.

    https://www.servethehome.com/minisforum-ms-01-review-the-10gbe-with-pcie-slot-mini-pc-intel/
    edit: to add Intel sells mobile CPUs that support ECC they're just rare and probably cost more real world https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/235076/intel-core-i7-13800hre-processor-24m-cache-up-to-5-00-ghz.html
    Reply