Confirmation Found on Leaks of the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 Mini PC, Equipped with Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Processor
The much-anticipated Minisforum EliteMini AI370 mini PC, set to be released in the coming weeks, boasts impressive specifications in line with expectations for this product category. However, it falls short in one key area - external GPU (eGPU) expansion. The EliteMini AI370 does not support OCuLink, a feature that could provide more external GPU performance than a USB 4 or Thunderbolt 4 connection.
Without OCuLink support, the EliteMini AI370 cannot leverage the high-bandwidth, nearly lossless PCIe connection that OCuLink offers. This means the PC offers USB4/Thunderbolt compatibility for external GPUs, but typically results in lower bandwidth and higher latency compared to OCuLink.
In contrast, mini PCs with OCuLink interfaces provide nearly lossless external GPU performance through a much faster data connection directly to the PCIe lanes. This higher bandwidth means the external GPU can perform closer to what it would achieve if installed internally, supporting high-end graphics workloads without bottlenecks.
The EliteMini AI370, with its USB4 connectivity, is expected to deliver significantly lower external GPU performance than a mini PC equipped with OCuLink due to bandwidth constraints. The specific bandwidth is estimated to be approximately PCIe 3.0 x4 (about 4 GB/s), while OCuLink can provide a PCIe 4.0 x8 or higher connection with bandwidths potentially doubling that, allowing near-native GPU performance in eGPU setups.
Despite this limitation, the EliteMini AI370 is a powerful and compact system with excellent integrated GPU performance for 1080p gaming and AI workloads. The Radeon 890M iGPU in the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 offers roughly a 30% boost in graphics performance compared to the best last-gen iGPU used in mini PCs and handhelds (Radeon 780M).
The mini PC also features a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU, a 12-core, 24-thread CPU based on AMD’s Zen 5 CPU core design. It comes with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM rated for 7500 MT/s, and 1TB of NVMe PCIe 4 SSD storage. The rear I/O includes two additional USB 3.0 ports, one HDMI port, one DisplayPort, two Ethernet ports, and an additional audio port. There's an extra NVMe slot, allowing for a total SSD capacity of 4TB when both slots are occupied.
The size of the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 is 5.1 x 5 x 1.85 inches (130 x 127 x 46.9 mm), making it a perfect fit for small spaces. The front I/O includes one audio port, one USB 4 port, and two USB 3.0 ports.
In conclusion, while the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 is a powerful mini PC with excellent integrated GPU performance, its lack of OCuLink support limits its external GPU expansion potential, resulting in significantly reduced eGPU performance compared to mini PCs equipped with OCuLink interfaces.
The lack of OCuLink support on the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 means it struggles to match the high-performance external graphics capabilities offered by other mini PCs, making it a less ideal choice for heavy-duty graphics workloads. On the brighter side, the AI370 boasts impressive internal technology like a powerful Ryzen CPU and smart-home-devices-compatible gadgets, making it a compelling option for AI workloads and everyday computer usage with gadgets in a smart-home setup.
