Minisforum NAG6 Melds i9-12900H and RX 6600M in 2.7-Liter Case
Mobile parts make it much smaller than the newest Intel NUCs.
Minisforum has revealed a new high-end mini-gaming PC destined to join its Neptune series. Dubbed the Minisforum NAG6 mini PC, the design packs an Intel Core i9-12900H and AMD Radeon RX 6600M into a very compact 2.7-liter chassis. At the same showcase event in Japan, PC Watch mentions that the Hong Kong-based mini PCs maker also updated its HX90G with a newer gen AMD Ryzen ‘Rembrandt’ processor.
The source publication says that the Minisforum NAG6 is still being developed, so the specifications and design shared may change before the release date. However, the specs we know at this stage already make the design an appealing pre-built or barebones mini PC choice - as long as the price is right
The new Minisforum NAG6 looks in some ways like the established HX90G. The HX90G is a member of the Neptune series and was announced in May before going up for sale in September. The new NAG6 is also shown standing on a pedestal mount and appears to be almost the same size (2.7 liters) which means it might also be 8 x 8 x 2.5 inches (without a stand). However, there are some notable differences in this Intel-powered design, like the more powerful array of fans (three rather than two) and larger heatsink. The case looks extensively vented to help with cooling.
Some may comment on the resemblance between the Minisforum NAG6 and the new Intel NUC 13 Extreme 'Raptor Canyon'. However, Intel’s compact PC is a much larger (less NUC-like) dual-chamber 13.9-liter design and offers the flexibility of desktop parts like socketed CPUs and discrete GPUs. Minisforum users have similarly limited upgrade options to laptop users, which is fair considering the 2.7-liter size and the laptop parts used.
In addition to the headlining Intel Core i9-12900H and AMD Radeon RX 6600M, the Minisforum NAG6 features 32GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, quad video outputs, and 2.5G LAN. On the front is a power button, a USB-C and USB-A port, as well as audio in and out. Images of the rear show that two of the four video outs are HDMI ports, and the other two are USB-C using DP-Alt mode for video. There are also four USB-A ports on the back.
Lastly, in Japan, we have an indicative price for the Minisforum NAG6 configured above. The Y158,900 price tag is roughly equivalent to $1,140 at the time of writing. The NAG6 is expected to reach retail by Feb 2023.
Minisforum HX99G
The aforementioned Minisforum HX90G has been upgraded to a newer-generation Ryzen mobile processor. The new HX99G updates the Ryzen 9 5900HX with a Ryzen 9 6900HX. To understand what this means for performance, please check out some of our coverage of the Ryzen 6000 series mobile processors (APUs), which have onboard RDNA 2 graphics. Other than that, the discrete GPU remains the same (RX 6600M), but the rear ports have been changed, with the two DP ports swapped out for two USB-C ports supporting DP-Alt mode.
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A fully configured Minisforum HX99G will be about $150 more expensive than the HX90G, priced at Y182,980 (or approx $1,300), according to the Japanese presentation slides. The new HX99G is due to become available next month.
Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.