Minisforum Details Ryzen 5-Powered Mini PC, Future Ryzen 4000 Model (Update)

By Les Pounder
published

Ryzen 5 PC that fits in your hand

Minisforum DMAF5
(Image credit: Minisforum)

Update 7/6/2020 08:15 PT: An email sent out by Minisforum to all of their subscribers reveals that the M.2 2280 SATA SSD will be upgraded free of charge to an NVMe SSD. A very welcome upgrade for no extra cash.

Update 7/2/2020 02:25 PT: The Minisforum team have responded to our email confirming that the specifications are correct and provided a link to their INDIEGOGO page.

Original Article:

The Minisforum DMAF5 was a big surprise when the company launched its AMD Ryzen-powered mini PC that should provide decent low end gaming. We’ve learned from the official MinisforumClub Facebook group that the base configuration is expected to be priced around $399 when it is made available from mid July via INDIEGOGO, and that the company has a Ryzen 4000-powered model coming in the future.

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Minisforum DMAF5
(Image credit: Minisforum)

Looking around the case we can see four USB 3.1 ports, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, USB C which can also be used as an additional video output, giving us three video outputs all capable of driving 4k screens at 60Hz.  Getting inside the case is tool free thanks to a release system which pops the lid off. Inside we see an AMD Ryzen 5 3550H, quad core mobile CPU with a base clock of 2.1GHz with boosts up to 3.7GHz. Graphics duties are handled via a Radeon Vega 8 running at 1200MHz. Dual DIMM slots support up to 32GB of DDR4-2400 SODIMM RAM. There’s also a SATA M.2 2280 SSD and a SATA cable ready for use with a 2.5 inch drive.

The base model will be released at a “super early bird” price of  $399 and features a single 8GB DIMM. Storage is provided by a  256GB M.2 SATA drive. A higher spec model will also be available for a “super early bird” $529 and comes with the same CPU but with 16GB of RAM, but there is no confirmation if this is a single stick or two 8GB sticks or RAM. Storage is bumped up to 512GB.

Gaming performance is admirable, but this will not be your main Cyberpunk 2077 rig. In a series of YouTube videos we’ve seen titles such as GTA 5, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, The Witcher 3 and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey run with average performance. Oh, and yes, it does run Crysis, the original version!

We have been scouring the Minisforum Facebook page for more information and we have read that a higher spec version of this machine could be available, including a Ryzen 4000 series CPU option.

Les Pounder
Les Pounder

Les Pounder is an associate editor at Tom's Hardware. He is a creative technologist and for seven years has created projects to educate and inspire minds both young and old. He has worked with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to write and deliver their teacher training program "Picademy".

12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • King_V
    I'm definitely fascinated by the fact that a number of Ryzen-based mini PCs are coming out, and this one's no exception. The tool-less case is definitely a bonus.

    Of course, being new, they probably have to start with a medium/medium-high spec machine (relative to the size and power constraints). Because of my obsession with putting together my Micro Machine (see sig) a while back when the ASRock A300W came out, finding more of these, that may compete with even my ultra-cheap price of putting it together, is fascinating.

    I hope that this takes off well enough that they can make, say, Ryzen 3 or even Athlon versions at lower price points. I know, I keep looking at these and thinking "Could this have been my Micro Machine if the A300W wasn't the only option I had available at the time?"

    I do think the single-8GB stick is an odd choice... though maybe it's about giving the option to upgrade easily to 16GB later by adding an (identical) 8GB stick?
    Reply
  • TCA_ChinChin
    The future Ryzen 4000 series model seems like it has so much potential.
    Reply
  • Rdslw
    TCA_ChinChin said:
    The future Ryzen 4000 series model seems like it has so much potential.
    Even this is a great choice for vesa mounted pc behind monitor. As shown it can even game which is not common in this size.
    Reply
  • NightLight
    but does it run Crysis Remastered?
    Reply
  • King_V
    NightLight said:
    but does it run Crysis Remastered?
    :LOL::LOL::LOL:
    Reply
  • PeterDru
    There are at least two addresses related to Minisforum one "19H Maxgrand Plaza, No.3 Tai Yau Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon Hong Kong"...
    Reply
  • PeterDru
    ....and another more mysterious listed on their FB in Guangdong, China.
    The situation in Hong Kong is changing dynamically... It is worth to consider other products, maybe from Taiwan.
    Reply
  • King_V
    So "don't buy it, because it's coming from Hong Kong" is what you're saying?
    Reply
  • 2Be_or_Not2Be
    Just from the performance difference between Ryzen 4000 vs 3000 in the mobile/APU versions, I would definitely wait for the 4000-series model.
    Reply
  • ron baker
    Sorry to ... on your chips, but what thee mini-pCs lack is NOT CPU power , but GPU power. They could get away with the 4c/8t CPU if they doubled or trebled the GPU power . But that is V difficult in these low TDP/watts boxes. Getting there tho.
    Reply