Ayaneo’s Retro Mini PC AM01 uses older-gen AMD APUs - but its $149 price is also cheaper than we expected

Ayaneo has shared specifications and pricing for its first-ever range of Mini PCs. In an email to Tom’s Hardware and via a newly launched IndieGoGo campaign, we learned the Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01 would feature either the AMD Ryzen 3 3200U or Ryzen 7 5700U and be priced from $149 for early bird pledges. Below is the pricing matrix for the various RAM and SSD configurations.

Unveiled earlier this month, the Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01 turned heads with its tiny Apple Mac Classic styling, but the launch was light on specifics. Now we have the full specifications to share, and while you are reading them, keep in mind the accessible pricing structure.

As the Retro Mini PC AM01 can be re-configured with various RAM, storage, and OS options, probably the biggest decision facing a potential buyer is whether to go for the AMD Ryzen 3 3200U or Ryzen 7 5700U. If we ignore the bare bone and look at the 8 GB / 256 GB option as a baseline, the processor choice has a $120 impact (on both early bird and regular pricing).

As a reminder, AMD’s Ryzen 3 3200U features 2C / 4T using the Zen+ architecture, boosts up to 3.5 GHz, and packs in Radeon Vega 3 graphics. Meanwhile, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U features 8C / 16T using the Zen 2 architecture, boosts up to 4.3 GHz, and packs in a Radeon iGPU with 8 CUs. If a buyer isn’t clear about what APU would suit them best, it might be worth a look at those linked articles and thinking about what they will use the little AM01 for. Ayaneo mentions that the Mini PC can also run various Linux OSes like SteamOS and Chimera OS and can even be configured as a router or NAS device.

As part of the IndieGoGo campaign, Ayaneo has a ‘backers gift,’ including badges, stickers, a nameplate, and a mouse pad. Those willing to pay extra for more frills may be interested in the ‘perks package,’ which comes in three tiers, mixing NuPhy keyboard, custom table mat, and 8BitDo controller permutations. However, adding these packages can add between $105 and $145 to the checkout price (early bird prices).

Lastly, even though Ayaneo has a good track record, please remember that backing a crowdfunding campaign isn’t equivalent to buying a retail product. It is more like an investment, and timescales can slip, or even worse, projects can be canceled. You might pay more if you wait until a product hits the market proper, but you will benefit from a regular retail process and probably have product reviews to back up your purchase decision.