Minisforum AI X1 Pro Gets New, More Affordable Ryzen Options in China - Affordable Power
Has it been remembered by you about the Minisforum AI X1 Pro mini PC that launched in March. The powerful little beast was launching with that spectacular processor, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, initially. The good news is that those who want an identical performance without bearing the heftier cost won't be disappointed; Minisforum has just introduced some new, less costly variants for the Chinese market.
Meet the New Contenders: Different Flavors of Ryzen Power
Minisforum isn't just giving one new flavor. It's got three different configurations, each tailored for a different budget and performance need. Let's take a closer look:
- The Strix Point Sibling: First up, there's a version packing the Ryzen AI 9 365. This chip is still part of AMD's impressive Strix Point family but sits just below the original HX 370. It comes with the Radeon 880M integrated graphics (instead of the 890M). This model is paired with a generous 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. In China, this will set you back around CNY 5,368 (roughly $745 USD).
- Hawk Point Power: Next, we have a configuration built around the Ryzen 7 260 from AMD's Hawk Point series. This means you'll get the capable last-generation Radeon 780M iGPU. This version also includes 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, with a Chinese price of about CNY 4,389 (approximately $609 USD).
- The Most Budget-Friendly: For those of you wanting the most accessible entry point, there's a model featuring the Ryzen 7 255. This Hawk Point processor is thought to be a rebadge of the Ryzen 7 8745HS. Like the others, it comes with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, and it's the most affordable at CNY 3,859 (around $535 USD) in China.
Same Great Features, Just More Processor Choices
But the really great news is that apart from the processor differences, all the other really appealing characteristics of the original AI X1 Pro seem to be retained in these new configurations. You are still enjoying that sleek, slim form factor that has become synonymous with Minisforum. The chassis also brightly employs a fingerprint scanner facility for enhanced security.
Connectivity remains strong as the aforementioned ports bring in an OCuLink port (hello, external graphics card expansion), two USB4 ports for high-speed data transfer and display capabilities, two 2.5G wired network ports, HDMI 2.1, and DisplayPort 2.0. Wireless needs are covered too, with support for WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
Internally, these mighty minis pack a built-in 135W power supply. They can support up to 64GB of dual-slot DDR5 memory and offer impressive storage flexibility with three M.2 PCIe 4.0 bays, allowing for up to 12TB of storage and RAID Array configurations.
Future Availability
It is a very good time to have Minisforum extending the AI X1 Pro line so that these powerful and compact systems will be made available to more people. Well, these new configurations were released for the Chinese market, so we will have to watch them to see if they launch globally.
