ZDNET's key takeaways Minisforum's AI X1 Pro retails for $1,129.
It's a powerful mini armed with top-tier hardware for creators, programmers, and coders looking to interface with AI at lightning-fast speeds.
Don't count on relying on the device's built-in speakers or mic, and it's one of the chunkier minis. View now at Minisforum View now at Amazon more buying choices
All three configurations of the Minisforum A1 XI Pro are on sale, with the 2TB SSD model receiving a $280 discount.
When Apple upgraded its Mac Mini with the M4 processor last year, we saw some renewed interest in the mini PC category overall. All the power of a desktop, but packed into a tiny frame? Yes, please. Apple isn't the only one making impressively bite-sized computers, however.
Purveyor of minis, Minisforum released its AI370 EliteMini, a device we reviewed and praised for its 8K monitor support, 4TB of storage, and powerful hardware for under $1,000. Similarly, the G7 Ti Mini had impressive raw power, but I noted its noisy fans.
Also: 400 million Windows PCs vanished in 3 years. Where did they all go?
Now, the brand's latest Mini PC -- the Minisforum AI X1 Pro -- ups the ante with some serious hardware: AMD's Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, an AMD Radeon 890M GPU, up to 96GB of RAM, and 4TB of storage, all in the same size as a Mac Mini and at a competitive starting price of $1,129 (on sale right now starting at $899).
As a designated Copilot+ PC (yes, that is a Copilot button on the action front of the device), the aptly named AI X1 Pro is specifically designed to compete with the Mac Mini M4, particularly when it comes to AI features, high-resolution external monitors, and gaming.
Also: I finally found a Windows mini PC with enough power to attract my attention - and it's $230 off
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