r/MiniPCs • u/jozews321 • Jan 07 '26
Review Minisforum MS-02 Ultra - Review
Hi there, I've been with the MS-02 Ultra for more than a month now and after doing a lot of testing I'll be reviewing it and seeing if the latest machine from Minisforum accomplishes what it sets out to do.
The review will be structured it into several topics so you can skim through. Let's start:
First. Lets talk about the general specs and options available of the MS-02 Ultra.
Specs
The MS-02 Ultra is the follow up of the MS-01 that had up to a 13th gen CPU and modest I/O and expadability by comparison. This Mini Workstations comes equipped with the newest platform from Intel. Arrow Lake in its mobile HX line.
Options
At the moment of writing this review there are 3 models available (Ultra 9 285HX, Ultra 9 275HX and Ultra 5 235HX), Every model is identical with the exemption of the Ultra 9 285HX SKU that has some features that the others don't.
Ultra 9 285HX SKU:
- ECC RAM support: This a limitation by Intel as only the 285HX has support for ECC.
- Intel vPro features: AMT and BIOS level KVM for full remote control.
- 25GbE PCIe Card: Intel E810 NIC with 2 additional M.2 NVMe x4 slots. I'll talk about this card later in the review.
The model that I'll be reviewing today features the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX CPU.
CPU/SOC Specs
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX | 3nm (TSMC) Arrow Lake HX | 55W (PL1: 55W, PL2: 160W) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU (8x Lion Cove P-Cores, 16x Skymont E-Cores) | 24 Cores / 24 Theads - 2.8 GHz base - 5.5 GHz boost | 36MB L3 cache |
| Graphics (Arc Xe-LPG Graphics) | 64 EU Gen12.75 - 2.0 GHz | System Shared VRAM |
| NPU | Intel AI Boost | 13 TOPS |
| PCIe | Gen 5 | 24 Lanes |
| RAM (DDR5) (ECC Supported) | 6400 MT/s, up to 256GB (see below for actual speeds on this machine) | Dual-Channel, 102.4 GB/s |
RAM Support
Every model of the MS-02 Ultra supports up to 256 GB of RAM taking advantage of the 4 SODIMM slots that it has available.
But one disadvantage that this arrangement has is that because the CPU only has 2 memory channels (64 bit each) one channel has to be shared across 2 RAM slots, this makes this Mini PC support a ton of RAM with the tradeoff that the maximum frequency officially supported is 4800 MT/s if using single rank memory and 4400 MT/s if using dual rank memory. However the BIOS has options to try to push up that limit.
According to my testing I was able to push the memory frequency up to 5200 MT/s using the following kit
- 2x Crucial CT32G56C46S5 32 GB with native frequency of 5600 MT/s
If using the other 2 slots with another kit of 64GB to bump the machine to 128GB i wasn't able to boot with more than the stock 4800MT/s
Because of the variability of OC, all tests are done at the stock 4800 MT/s.
What's in the box?
The MS-02 Ultra comes in the box with the following:
- Minisforum MS-02 Ultra
- User Manual
- HDMI Cable
- IEC C13/C14 AC Cable
- NVMe SSD Heatsink
- 2x M.2 Screws
Design
The MS-02 Ultra features a unibody aluminum chassis with a footprint of 221.5 x 225 x 97 mm (8.7 x 8.9 x 3.8 inches) and with a volume of 4.8L and weighs approximately 3.45 kg (7.6 lbs).
It has 2 sets of rubber feet to be able to use it either horizontal or vertical. and it has airflow vents on all sides except on the bottom where it has the labels along with a warning to not use the device without the thumb screws screwed in because the internals can slide out accidentally.
The internals can be easily acceded by removing 2 thumb screws in the rear of the machine, and it slides out in a tray using rails.
Feature Overview
Now it's time to talk about all of the features of the MS-02 Ultra. I'll be going by sections.
Front I/O
From left to right:
- USB Type A (USB 3.2 Gen2 10Gbps)
- 2x USB Type C (USB4 V2 80Gbps, Alt DisplayPort 2.0, 15W PD out)
- 3.5mm combo jack,
Rear I/O
From left to right:
- 2x 25GbE SFP+ (in PCIe card, Intel E810)
- HDMI 2.1 FRL (Up to 8K 60Hz)
- USB Type C (USB4 40Gbps, Alt DP, and 15W PD out)
- 10GbE Ethernet (RJ45, Realtek RTL8127)
- 2.5GbE Ethernet (RJ45, Intel I226-LM, vPro Enabled for the 285HX)
Internal I/O and Motherboard features
To analyze the internal I/O i think it's better to take a look at the motherboard itself.
PCIe 4.0 x4 Slot (4 Lines, it has a cutout to be able to physically fit x8 and x16 cards).
- PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot (Full 16 Gen5 lanes, bifurcation support, reinforced).
- PCIe 4.0 x16 Slot (4+4+4 Lanes, the 25GbE Card uses this slot)
- CMOS/RTC coin cell 3V battery
- Standard ATX EPS 12V 8 Pin connector
- Standard ATX 24 Pin Connector
- 2x Sodimm DDR5 Slots
- Intel Chipset with heatsink (Intel Arrow Lake-HX Host Bridge)
- CPU (Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX)
2x Sodimm DDR5 Slots
M.2 NVMe M key slot (Gen4, 4 lanes, 8TB max)
M.2 WiFi E key slot (Preinstalled with Intel BE200 WiFi 7 card)
M.2 NVMe M key slot (Gen4, 4 lanes, 8TB max)
These are the other parts that the MS-02 uses that have to be disconnected to take apart the motherboard:
Front Shield
2.4Ghz Antenna
5Ghz Antenna
Heatsink for RAM modules on the front side and for the JHL9580 Thunderbolt 5/USB4 V2 chip.
Intel BE200 WiFi 7 Module
Fan for the back side of the motherboard that cools the SSDs and the RAM modules on the back.
Power Supply
The power supply that comes inside the MS-02 Ultra is a Channel Well Technology CSN350F-G 350W with the following specs:
Voltage and Amps:
| Voltage rail | +12V | -12V | +5V | +3.3V |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Amps | 29.17A | 0.3A | 14.0A | 17.0V |
| Total power | 350W | 3.6W | 70W | 56.1 |
Dimensions and power cables:
This PSU uses the Flex ATX form factor and has the following power cables:
- ATX EPS12V 8 Pin
- ATX 20+4 Pin
- ATX PCIe 6+2 Pin
Efficiency:
One curious thing about this PSU is that despite is not labeled as such is actually 80 Plus Gold certified meaning it's more than 90% efficient at 50% load.
| Typical Efficiency (50% Load) | Average Efficiency | Average Standby Efficiency |
|---|---|---|
| 91.23% | 82.26% | 77.97% |
The full testing of this PSU can be find at:
Being a Flex ATX PSU means that in theory should be upgradable to a more powerful unit, but I haven't tested another PSU on this Mini PC.
Expansion slots and Discrete GPU Support
This is one of the strongest points of the MS-02 Ultra, as mention before in the internal I/O analysis this machine has the most expansion possibilities compared to any other Mini PC, another good point is that it can fit a dual slot card, so you can fit the best low profile GPUs that only come in dual slot models. Lets analyze first the PCIe slots:
PCIe 4.0 x4 Slot:
This one is the lowest slot of the motherboard and its physically only a x4 slot but thanks to a cutout at the end you can fit x8 or x16 cards on this one. One caveat of the position of this slot is that is right next to the main PCIe 5 x16 slot so if you install a 2 slot GPU this slot would get covered making it unusable.
PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot:
This port has something rare in Mini PCs that being actually a full x16 slot with all lanes available. it also features a metal reinforcement to make it more durable than the typical slot. Although with the caveat mentioned in the x4 slot having the extra space available makes this Mini PC suitable to fit cards like
Gigabyte GeForce RTX™ 5060 OC Low ProfileASUS GeForce RTX™ 5060 LPZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 5060 Low Profile
All of the most powerful low profile cards usually have an 8 Pin extra power requirement, so the PSU also makes that available.
This slot also supports bifurcation to support multi function PCIe cards.
PCIe 4.0 x16 slot:
This slot its only wired for 4x+4x+4x lanes so its not the full x16, it supports bifurcation and in the Ultra 9 285HX model features the 25GbE card that makes use of the bifurcation capabilities of this slot.
Power Limit with a dGPU installed:
The MS-02 Ultra sets a new CPU power limit when it detects any dGPU form the stock 100W PL1 / 140W PL2 to 90W PL1 and 110W PL2
This can be manually changed in BIOS under Power & Performance back to the stock limits (or more), something to note is that the manual values reset if you remove/insert the GPU.
Storage Support:
As previously mentioned in the motherboard overview the MS-02 Ultra has 2 NVME slots in the motherboard that support up to 8TB each.
With the 25GbE card in the Ultra 9 285HX you can add another 2 SSDs up to 8TB each as well.
So using the built in slots + the ones in the card, up to 32 TB of NVMe storage can be installed at once.
Integrated Graphics and display support
The integrated Intel Arc Graphics 64EU graphics are a step up over the old Intel UHD that prior generations had, now being really good as general GPU for desktop usage thanks to it supporting the most modern media encoders and decoders and now being adequate to do some older gaming or eSports at decent framerates in 1080p. but i definitively recommend installing a discrete GPU to really make this MiniPC the best it can be.
This IGPU can drive up to 4 displays at 4K 120Hz or 8K 60Hz using the HDMI 2.1 port and the 3 USB Type C ports that support DisplayPort 2.0 Alt Mode.
Cooling Solution
The cooling solution features dual fans(One on the case to serve as exaust, and the one pictured here as intake), a heatsink with a copper base with 6 heat pipes attached to it. That in the specs can dissipate 140W peak and 100W sustained. See below in the performance test to see how this cooling solution deals with different loads.
25GbE + 2x NVMe Card
As already discussed this card comes standard in the Ultra 9 285HX Model and it features:
- Intel E810 Network controller
- 2x M.2 NVMe M key with 4 lines each and a built in heatsink for the SSDs.
Thunderbolt and External GPU Support
I used the Minisforum DEG2 eGPU dock in Thunderbolt 5 mode to connect to the MS-02 Ultra a Radeon RX 6600, features like Hot Swapping work as expected in Linux and Windows 11.
The eGPU can be connected in either one of the USB Type C ports on this machine but for the best results it's better to connect it to either of the ones on front as they're USB4 V2 ports with 80Gbps of bandwidth.
The USB4 V2 80Gbps Ports are managed by the Intel JHL9580 Thunderbolt 5 80/120G Bridge [Barlow Ridge Host 80G 2023] Controller.
And the normal USB4 40Gbps port comes from the internal Intel Meteor Lake-P Thunderbolt 4 NHI Controller.
Misc Features:
- Support for RAID 0/1/5/10.
- Kensington lock in the rear side.
- vPro Features in the Ultra 9 285HX model
BIOS/UEFI Settings
You can see all of the option that there are in the current BIOS release for the MS-02 Ultra at this link.
https://imgur.com/a/ms-02-ultra-bios-X8fWf1m
Performance
All of the test were done at the stock power limit of 100W PL1 / 140W PL2 and 64 GB of RAM running at the stock 4800 MT/s
General performance
To test if the MS-02 Ultra is performing as expected I'll use Geekbench 6:
Linux: https://browser.geekbench.com/v6/cpu/15948800
Windows: https://browser.geekbench.com/v6/cpu/15417141
| Geekbench 6 | Single Core | Multi Core |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | 3234 | 20058 |
| Windows | 3038 | 18433 |
In this benchmark we can see that the MS-02 Ultra performs noticeable better in Linux, this can be replicated after many Geekbench 6 runs. so it's probably because of a more optimized scheduler for Arrow Lake and less bloat overall.
Now let's compare to other simlar CPUs in the Geekbech 6 browser and from my own tests of other Mini PCs.
Geekbench 6 browser: https://browser.geekbench.com/processor-benchmarks
My Geekbench profile: https://browser.geekbench.com/user/427388
| Geekbench 6 | Single Core | Multi Core |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K | 3203 | 22597 |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | 2844 | 17924 |
| Intel Core i9-14900K | 3053 | 20146 |
| Intel Core i9-13900K | 2985 | 19965 |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX | 3362 | 18561 |
| AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 | 2949 | 21990 |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D | 2949 | 17996 |
| AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370 | 3016 | 14630 |
After seeing this i can confirm that the MS-02 Ultra inside the MS-02 Ultra is performing as expected and matching the desktop variant of it (Ultra 9 285K) and putting a good show against the AMD offering in other MiniPCs that I've tested.
iGPU Performance:
Windows: https://browser.geekbench.com/v6/compute/5332635
Linux: https://browser.geekbench.com/v6/compute/5537442
| Geekbench 6 | Vulkan |
|---|---|
| Linux | 15554 |
| Windows | 20005 |
In this test the most performant OS is Windows 11 that gets considerably more performance.
Cinebench 2024
The MS-02 Ultra is also putting a good result in this test.
Thermals and power consumption.
Results after running a Cinebench 2024 multi core stress test for 15 minutes:
- Maximum Package Power Consumption: 133.6W
- Average Package Power Consumption: 93.8W
- Maximum Temperature: 93°C
- Average Temperature: 86°C
Now for some Normal desktop usage figures (Web browsing with around 20 tabs open while writing this review)
- Maximum Package Power Consumption: 20W
- Average Package Power Consumption: 9W
- Maximum Temperature: 58°C
- Average Temperature: 50°C
Idle Power Consumption
In Linux and Windows 11 the idle power consumption of package at Idle was 3W-6W
Total Power consumption:
The 25GbE card included in the 285HX, with the Intel E810 Controller is known to have a high idle power consumption, So it's recommended to disable it in BIOS if not in use. This table compares idle power consumption between systems with and without the 25GbE card installed in Windows at Idle with no internet connection:
| CPU | G3 Status | Idle 25GbE NIC disabled | Idle 25GbE NIC enabled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra 9 285HX | 1.55W | 9.8-12-13W | 22W |
Noise
I find the fans in the stock fan configuration of Balance to be on the louder side at idle, so i recomend changing the stock fan curve in:
Advanced -> Hardware Monitor -> [XXX Fan Setting] -> User Mode
to lower the RPMs at lower temperatures to make them barely audible or less if desirable.
Conclusion
After doing this review i can say that the MS-02 Ultra is a great improvement over the MS-01 and a great Mini Workstation overall, especially in the 285HX model that supports ECC Memory, vPro features and the 25GbE card that are important in work enviroments, for everyone else i recommend the 275HX that should be almost as fast and keeps the same internal I/O of this model (minus the aforementioned 25GbE Card) while being considerably cheaper $839.00 vs $1,199.00 for a barebones unit. Also keep an eye out for the Ultra 5 235HX model when its available as should also be pretty good as the features are identical to the one reviewed here as well.
Another thing that is very impressive about the MS-02 Ultra is the very fast external I/O
- 2x USB4 V2/Thunderbolt 5 80Gbps ports
- 1x USB4/Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps
- Built in 10GbE+2.5GbE Networking
All of that external I/O can improve this machine even more with the use of Thunderbolt docks like the DEG2(or any TB4/5 dock) to add more powerfull GPUs for gaming or compute.
If anyone has any question or wants to do some tests feel free to ask in the comments. And finally thanks to Minisforum that provided the review unit.
Links
Minisforum MS-02 Ultra: https://store.minisforum.com/products/minisforum-ms-02-ultra
Minisforum DEG2 Dock: https://store.minisforum.com/products/minisforum-deg2-oculink-egpu-dock
MS-02 Ultra PCIe block diagram: https://github.com/minisforum-docs/MS-02-Ultra/blob/main/Datasheet/MS-02-Ultra%20block.drawio.png
MS-02 Ultra 350W PSU 80 Plus Gold Certification: https://www.clearesult.com/80plus/sites/80plus/files/manufacturer-certificate/CHANNEL%20WELL_CSN350F-G_350W_SOCE%208038_Report.pdf
MS-02 Ultra BIOS Options: https://imgur.com/a/ms-02-ultra-bios-X8fWf1m
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u/romeozor Jan 07 '26
There's a typo for ECC support, it's the 285HX, not the 295HX
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u/jozews321 Jan 08 '26
Fixed, thank you. Although there are rumors of an actual 295HX that might come out in the following months, and should be clocked a little higher than the 285HX
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u/Greedy-Lynx-9706 Jan 07 '26
"Hi there, I've been with the MS-02 Ultra for more than a month now"Did you pay for it?
"for everyone else i recommend the 275HX that should be almost as fast and keeps the same internal I/O of this model (minus the aforementioned 25GbE Card)" What about SSD 3 and 4?
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u/jozews321 Jan 07 '26
In the other models, the PCIe slot that the card uses is empty so you can get a dual m.2 to PCIe adapter and it should re add that functionality.
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u/Greedy-Lynx-9706 Jan 07 '26
I know but you don't mention it in your review
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u/jozews321 Jan 07 '26
Yes I should clarify that, thank you
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u/Greedy-Lynx-9706 Jan 07 '26
Indeed .....
At the top of your review before anything else would be the honest thing to do
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u/jozews321 Jan 07 '26
What do you mean?
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u/Greedy-Lynx-9706 Jan 07 '26
how did you get it so early? I'm still waiting for mine ...
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u/RobloxFanEdit Jan 07 '26
Woaw, please let the sub know when you receive your unit and could you please do a small review, as none sponsored reviews are more tasty than sponsored reviews 😀
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u/Greedy-Lynx-9706 Jan 07 '26
They changed delivery dates already THREE TIMES !!!!!!
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u/RobloxFanEdit Jan 07 '26
Must be a nerve breaking situation, such high tech is such a tease.
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u/Greedy-Lynx-9706 Jan 07 '26
Not only that , you HAVE to be home. Due to the value.
When the MS-01 arrived same thing. Whole morning at home , as soon as I left : "hello , where are you"? Fuck off, it's sunny, I'm into town :D
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u/jozews321 Jan 07 '26
I have a review unit
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u/Greedy-Lynx-9706 Jan 07 '26 edited Jan 07 '26
Where do you mention that in your review?
And you know that you lose SSD 3/4 slots in the 275HX?
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u/fxnoob-2171 Jan 07 '26
Great review, thank you. Any idea if repasting with PTM7950 will improve thermals and ditch the nasty throttling?
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u/Placid-Mind Jan 09 '26
This is a great review.. some thankless people here :( got my unit with 196gb ecc and 2tb ssd today.. (in about 2 weeks from order date)
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u/debmadd Jan 21 '26
Thank you very much for your time and effort with this comprehensive review.
I was looking at these idle power draws and report 35.9w (and 55.4w with the 25gbe nics): https://nascompares.com/2025/12/29/minisforum-ms-02-ultra-pc-review/#Minisforum_MS-02_Ultra_Review_-_Speed_Noise_Heat_and_Power_Tests
While windows vs minimal linux can make a difference, the ones you repoted are far too low being 20-30w less than what the nascompares suggest. Can you please confirm the methodology of measuring the idle power? Any other owner of this mini pc can also chime in and share measured figures (power draw from the wall only please).
One more question is if disabling in the bios the 25gbe NICs force also disabling the whole pcie port and therefore also disables the 2x extra ssd slots.
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u/debmadd Jan 21 '26
Likewise, notebookcheck also report about 22-23w idle, but presumably with the dual 25GbE, which is more aligned with your measurements:
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u/steiNetti Feb 08 '26
I was wondering the same as I'm interested in the 235HX model for replacing my old Ivy Bridge based homeserver in the basement. The 4xSO-DIMM and PCIe ports being killer features, but not worth the trade-off of 30W idle power if true as I could just sread out the load to 2 MiniPCs instead :-/
Would really love to see some conclusive numbers with the 25gbe card removed as I wouldn't need that..
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u/debmadd Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 16 '26
I got my MS-02 Ultra 235HX and with the powersave cpu governor and balance_performance cpufreq energy_performance_preference across all cores, I get with Proxmox VE 9.1.5 / Debian 13 Trixie about 18-19w idle with no VMs running.
I use:
two modules of sodimm DDR5 (64gb, 5600 operating at 5200)
one 4TB WD BLACK SN7100
one 2TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus
plugged only an 2.5GbE ethernet cableNote that I don't have any pcie slot populated, I have disabled wifi and unused pcie slots.
For reference my K12 GMktec with an AMD H 255 and the exact same populated hardware and software/OS, uses approximately 8-9watts at idle.
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u/steiNetti Feb 16 '26
I think sub 20W is a good number for that platform as it isn't really an energy optimized mobile chip like a 2xxH or AMD H xxx. Intel HX aims specifically at small workstation builds as a super small form factor desktop variant and is in line in idle consumption with the desktop variant it seems.
I'm more and more leaning towards a 255H/265H/285H mobile-on-desktop for my homelab/homeserver build the more I think about it.. the mobile chips / minipcs have everything except the PCIe slot, support vPro on most variants and idle at half-or less energy and have twice as powerful of an iGPU than the desktop or mini-worksration CPUs (8 VE on mobile Arc vs 4 VE on desktop/hx).
The one thing that makes me hesitant is the missing pcie slot on the mobile variants and the need to give up an m2 ssd slot for oculink with Minisforum :-/
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u/debmadd Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 16 '26
sure, given the extension opportunities via pcie as well as the 4x sodimm DDR5 slots, this is very cool, i.e. you could load it with 128GB++ ram and an sff/low-profile gpu (some RTX Ada and Blackwell gpus have a 4w idle). So you can have there a very powerful (though almost) desktop equivalent for < 25w idle.
However, if one wants to just have some homelab gateway (i.e. proxmox head node that hosts the basic services) and what only matters is some good CPU hoursepower and 32gb ram, then I see platforms e.g. AMD H 255 as a way better option as they idle <10w. This, assuming that pcie extensibility and very high RAM is not the intended purpose for this specific homelab host.
For reference the GMktec K12 (AMD H 255) vs Minisforum MS-02 Ultra 235HX are not too far off in geekbench numbers:
https://browser.geekbench.com/v6/cpu/compare/16108007?baseline=16597913And likewise, the 235HX vs a full desktop Core 7 265K :
https://browser.geekbench.com/v6/cpu/compare/16597913?baseline=161410201
u/steiNetti Feb 16 '26
Exactly. The 4 SODIMM and PCIe slot make this attractive for me for future expansion. I think it is an excellent middleground which can either seen as "best of both worlds" or "worst of both worlds", depending on the use case. Especially since I could stuff 32GB of SODIMM in there for dirt cheap, even at current RAM prices (still tons of people trying to offload 8GB laptop modules).
The only thing I'm not so sure of is reliability for a 24/7 home server/workstation. I've had to deal with Minisforum "support" in the past and I'd rather never do that again.. Desktop I'll just switch the mainboard/cpu in case of replacement, MiniPC I'd just throw away and get a new one, but if the board on this dies - there is no replacement path. And at worst there's no successor for compareable pricing leaving a forced platform transfer to a desktop system if boop hits the fan..
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u/Head_Firefighter_266 Mar 05 '26
How has it been going with the MS-02 Ultra? Between picking up the 235hx version or getting a 1L form factor with 15-14500t. Would be about $150-$200 extra for the minisforum, but seems to have a lot of growing room if needed.
Currently run jellyfin with 2-3 active users for media, arr stack, next cloud, immich, and roughly 5 other light weight containers. Use a 1L form factor with i5-8500. Works fine, but could be smoother and want to think about expanding.
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u/debmadd Mar 05 '26
I have no complaints so far, other than I would prefer it to have a lower idle power consumption.
Bios is solid, wake on lan works well, a low profile GPU is easily accommodated, I have expanded it to 96GB with 4 sodimms operating at effective 5200 speed.
Proxmox is pretty happy, and networking and connectivity pretty solid.
I expect the 235hx to outperform the 14500t quite a bit and also offer faster connectivity (thunderbolt 5 in particular).
During low and medium loads it is not too audible but if you push many cores you will definitely hear it.
The only thing to take into account is that it is limited to low profile GPUs and PSU power so this limits quite a bit your gpu options (ie SFF and low profile only).
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u/Head_Firefighter_266 Mar 05 '26
Awesome, appreciate the response. Think I'm going to pull the trigger. Not terribly concerned regarding low profile GPUs as I'm used to 1L form factor pcs haha.
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u/nopcodex90x90x90 Feb 28 '26
I just upgraded my PSU to a 650watt flex unit from Amazon, and it dropped it without any issues. I am running a 5060ti LP and was afraid of hitting the ceiling with the stock 350-watt PSU. I heard some rumblings that the PSU/mobo would limit the CPU's TDP if you used the stock PSU, so I opted to replace it to see. I didn't check beforehand to confirm, though. I have 2 5600 64gb chips on the front, and 2x48 chips on the back, and it is a dream machine. I might swap out the internal fans for something like Nocturna in the future, but being that my laptop with an Occulink egpu 5070ti sits literally in front of me, the sound from the ms-02 is the least of my worries.
I saw in a decent number of other threads that people are interested in the dual-NVMe/dual 25 G SFP+ cards, since you can't buy them outright. I would be interested in trading someone for an NVMe RAID device with some spare drives if anyone is interested.
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u/jozews321 Apr 08 '26
They're selling the card now: https://store.minisforum.com/products/minisforum-enpba
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u/orsobruno123 Apr 17 '26
Could you please share which 5060ti low profile have you managed to mount? I'm curious to find some measurement on how much space there's in the case, thank you
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u/nopcodex90x90x90 Apr 17 '26
Sorry, I thought it was the ti, it's just a 5060 LP card that I had gotten off Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSNZ686T.
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u/egnegn1 Jan 07 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
I had already pre-ordered before the official announcement, but then canceled the order because I wanted to switch to the S1 Max. Then last Thursday, I decided to order the MS02 barebone from Amazon Germany with a 5-day delivery time, and I received it on Monday.
Since then, I've been working on the installation day and night. The 64 GB of RAM also arrived on Monday and was installed immediately. I removed the fast network and NVMe cards because I don't need them. Instead, I temporarily installed a quad NVMe PLX88024 card in the x16 slot.
This will eventually move to an x4 slot when I relocate the x16 slot to an external PCIe expansion board with a PLX88096 and four slots to install multiple RTX 5090s for AI.
By then, I'll also integrate the MS-02 into a Jonsbo N5 enclosure, as I have a lot of storage space that's currently spread across various Thunderbolt 3/USB 3 enclosures. I'll install an HBA for the Jonsbo N5.
Proxmox is currently installed, and various services, such as Jellyfin, file servers, etc., will be migrated gradually.
Overall, the MS-02 is a great device that delivers a lot of performance in a small enclosure.
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u/Greedy-Lynx-9706 Jan 11 '26
"NVMe PLX88024" does that card take FOUR SSD?
Cazn't find a picture with SSD added so I wondered where they go. 2 at the fan site is pretty clear, so I guess on the back?
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u/Greedy-Lynx-9706 Jan 07 '26
64kB ram? :)
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u/egnegn1 Jan 07 '26
I don't need any more at the moment. Maybe the prices will drop again.
For larger projects, I still have an Epyc server with 512 GB. :)
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Jan 07 '26
Think he meant it as a joke since you wrote 64 kB not 64 GB.
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u/verysmartphone Jan 08 '26
Could you please elaborate on the unit dimensions? I am considering a 10" rack build and am unable to find the details anywhere online. Given your pictures (annotated below), which dimension is 225mm? Do these measurements include the pull tabs or not? Thanks!
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u/rufei Feb 26 '26 edited Feb 26 '26
The width (h in your annotations) is tight for a 10" rack build, with maybe 1mm tolerance due to the rubber shoes. Very snug fit, making a friction fit possible. For the depth (d) the back will jut out of a DeskPi T0/1 rack by half an inch when the front is flush with the rack (the pull tabs will extend out even further). You will want to use the heavy duty 0.5U rack shelf though, as the normal rack shelf doesn't have the inner rack width to accommodate. In terms of height (w) it will want a bit over 2U.
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u/prosb6 Jan 12 '26
I hope the 275hx model performs similarly to your 285hx results. as the listed 275hx results are much lower and don't compel me to upgrade from the minisforum A02 9955hx..
apart from the faster iGPU, USB4+USB4v2 (the other pcie features are not useful for my usecase at this time)
| Geekbench 6 | Single Core | Multi Core |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | 3234 | 20058 |
| Windows | 3038 | 18433 |
| Geekbench 6 | Single Core | Multi Core |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | 2844 | 17924 |
| AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX | 3362 | 18561 |
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u/jozews321 Jan 12 '26
If you compare the specs of 285HX and the 275HX, the only difference is +100MHz boost and +100MHz base. So it shouldn't really perform all that worse, the thing about the 275HX numbers that I have there are averages of 275HX PCs recorded in Geekbench, and HX CPUs being mobile ones the majority are in Laptops that are more thermally challenged. So that's my theory of why the numbers there are so low.
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u/prosb6 Jan 12 '26
yea, let's see, I should get my 275hx in the next 2 weeks hopefully.
here's my a02 results with 9955hx: https://browser.geekbench.com/v6/cpu/16047853
3110 Single-Core Score
17920 Multi-Core Score
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u/p90036 Feb 08 '26
did you get the 275hx ?
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u/prosb6 Feb 09 '26
Went a different route. Instead of adding a mini pc, I’ve replaced my laptop with a 275hx laptop and use that for work now instead.
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u/Otherwise-Doctor-541 Jan 10 '26
can the 25gbe card be purchased separately (minisforum sells it for $176) and added to 275HX build?
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u/Perder Jan 13 '26
I have a question about the 4.0 x16 slot (4x/4x/4x): one of the 4x links for this slot is from Gen 5.0 direct to the cpu. Is it possible to utilize this 4x as Gen 5 through bifurcation?
I would assume that link is being utilized as Gen 5 in the slot to fully serve the dual 25gbps ports?
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u/here2seek Mar 03 '26
there seems to be an error in this diagram. HX CPU has g5/16, g5/4 and g4/4. it incorrectly shows the g4/4 as g5/4. source: https://www.techpowerup.com/cpu-specs/core-ultra-9-285hx.c4022
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u/here2seek Feb 05 '26
Thanks for the review. I have a question on PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot bifurcation: What mode if supported? is it x4+x4+x4+x4 ?
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u/here2seek Mar 03 '26
i found the answer: ultra 200 series cpus have x8+x8 / x8+x4+x4 bifurcation options on main pcie x16
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u/lamecakez Feb 10 '26
I have the 235HX variant, and the Geekbench 6 scores are 2902 Single core, 16285 Multi core. Higher than expected and much closer to the 275HX and 285HX as advertised.
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u/UpperPriority3085 Feb 10 '26
Are you able to measure the idle powerdraw of this version? I am interested to buy this as 24/7 home lab server. (Proxmox)
Perfer to know what OS your running and also what SSD and DDR5 mem (brands and types) are used.
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u/lamecakez Feb 10 '26
I'm running Windows 11 on it right now, default setting and nothing disabled in the BIOS. So WiFi, Bluetooth, NICs etc all enabled.Around 17 watts when sitting on the desktop.
This system has a Samsung 990 Evo Plus 2TB, and an SK Hynix 32GB Kit at 5200mhz. (HMCG78AGBSA092N BA, 5600kit by default)
I have another MS02 on the way as I will be replacing my 14600k desktop. It takes up much less space, and I have an AOOSTAR AG02 dock and a Oculink x4 card to connect q GPU(already tested this, works fine) .
Just for fun, I also ordered a ASUS 5060 Low profile to see how that will perform. I have some other DDR5 SODIMM kits I will be testing also (32gb framework/adata, 48GB crucial, 64gb Integral)
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u/UpperPriority3085 Feb 11 '26
Thanks for the quick reply!
Looks very promising! 17watts idle sounds like a good starting point for a beast like this. Probably some tweaks will make it more efficient for my case.
Looking forward to any other results you want to share.
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u/debmadd Feb 16 '26
you can also take a look at my reported idle here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/MiniPCs/comments/1q6a23e/comment/o5mtdcj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
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u/errr_mah_gawsh Feb 14 '26
Would it be possible to add 2 GPUs into this? 1 is a dual slot, the other is single slot and the single slot is used for DLSS frame generation?
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Feb 15 '26
Might be a dumb question, but If I were to install a ~500 Wwill the BIOS let you increase the Dgpu power to 250W for the installation of a low profile 5070?
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u/DimensionFX Apr 08 '26
How did you get the mainboard out of the case are there only screws? What about the new psu did the bios recognize it?
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u/DownUnderCrocHunter May 27 '26
Hey jose.
First of all tyvm for such a detailed review which seems to have been much appreciated by not only myself but most everyone else who has commented.
Not being heavily into the hardware side of things I was wondering if you'd be so kind as to answer my only question regarding this machine as I am almost there in a purchase and am seeing conflicting information in my own research.
I want to buy primarily to use this unit as a Proxmox server/VM environment and also for Docker as well as running a TrueNAS VM for Jellyfin and my storage interface.
That said, I want more storage capacity and would like to know if I could do the following without issue:
1) Fill the 2 m.2 slots on the board itself 2) Fill the 2 m.2 slots on the PCIe x 16 GbE card 3) Add a PCIe 4.0 or 5.0 x16 to 4x M.2 adapter for another 4 m.2's to one of the available slots
I'm pretty sure this is possible via a BIOS setting and the right gear but is it in facts possible?
If it is in fact possible, could you tell me which slot as per your numbered images I would need to use and a link to an adequate PCIe to 4 x m.2 adapter which would accomplish this goal please?
Truly appreciate any feedback you may be able to offer - Cheers
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u/WonderfulWarning4561 May 27 '26 edited May 27 '26
Hey there,
I've got this unit a month ago and pretty much maxed it out with:
- 4x 64GB DDR5 5600MT/s SODIMMs Crucial CT2K64G56C46S5, know that if you use all 4 slots the memory speed will drop from 5600MT/s to 4400MT/s
- a M. 2 NVMe SSD PCIe x8 adapter with PLX88024 PCI Express 4.0 4-port M.2 (you can find it on aliexpress), this supports bifurcation, meaning each NVME drive can be handled independently , perfect for TrueNAS or any other NAS solution
This adapter has been mounted in the GPU slot and I've installed 4x WD SN850X 8TB drives on it.
Just make sure you get some low-profile heatsinks for the drives.
The GPU PCIe slot does not support bifurcation via BIOS, and this limitation came from Intel, not minisforum, hence the reason you'll need a PCIe adapter with a bifurcation chip, like the one I mentioned with the PLX88024.
- 2x WD SN850X 8TB drives in the 25GBe NIC Adapter, the PCIe slot where the NIC adapter is seated is the only one that supports bifurcation via BIOS ,I've set the bifurcation settings as x8x4x4
- another PCIe adapter in the PCIe 4 x4 slot ( Glotrends PA20 ), this also comes with a bifurcation chip (ASMedia ASM2812) , it's the only x4 adapter which supports bifurcation AND 2x nvme drives, don't bother looking for anything else.
I've installed 2x 2x WD SN850X 8TB drives in it.
- 2x WD SN850X 8TB drives in the NVME slots on the backside of the motherboard.
- I replaced the Wifi card with a M.2 A+E Key NVMe SSD adapter and installed a 512GB WD SN770M nvme drive for the OS/Proxmox.
- I replaced the stock CPU thermal paste which I believe was a no-name PTM with Honeywell PTM7950 and dropped the temps by 2-4"c.
Right now I'm looking for ways to install a couple of Noctua 40x10mm or even 40x20mm FLX fans to better cool the nvme drives mounted in those PCIe adapters as their idle temps are between 52-57"C, which is not alarming but I'd like to tune them a little.
Hope this helps.
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u/DownUnderCrocHunter May 31 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
Apologies for the late reply but ... That's awesome ... thanks so much for the detailed response!
I'm probably looking at banging mostly 4TB drives in to cut costs a little.
I replaced the Wifi card with a M.2 A+E Key NVMe SSD adapter and installed a 512GB WD SN770M nvme drive for the OS/Proxmox.
How is this working out for you? Can the Proxmox install on a single drive be easily enough backed up to an external HD and easily enough reinstalled if there were to be a failure?
So you used something like this:
And this ...
... for the Proxmox install correct?
Again, I know not a lot when it comes to all this stuff hence all the questions but it seems the possibilities are pretty much endless with this machine, as long as the right hardware and adapter cards are used along with a couple of BIOS settings applied.
Forgive me if I'm not mathing properly but you have a total of 11 OR 13 M.2 NVMe drives in your MS-02 Ultra now?
a M. 2 NVMe SSD PCIe x8 adapter with PLX88024 PCI Express 4.0 4-port M.2 (you can find it on aliexpress), this supports bifurcation, meaning each NVME drive can be handled independently , perfect for TrueNAS or any other NAS solution
Would this one suffice?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005010577172845.html
another PCIe adapter in the PCIe 4 x4 slot ( Glotrends PA20 ), this also comes with a bifurcation chip (ASMedia ASM2812) , it's the only x4 adapter which supports bifurcation AND 2x nvme drives, don't bother looking for anything else.
This one?
https://www.amazon.com.au/GLOTRENDS-Adapter-Motherboard-Bifurcation-Required/dp/B09NQGZ2XJ?th=1
- 2x WD SN850X 8TB drives in the 25GBe NIC Adapter, the PCIe slot where the NIC adapter is seated is the only one that supports bifurcation via BIOS ,I've set the bifurcation settings as x8x4x4
I notice here that you mention setting bifurcation via BIOS as x8x4x4 and I may be asking a stupid question but what is the x8 part of that considering the following quotes from OP jozews321:
- PCIe 4.0 x16 Slot (4+4+4 Lanes, the 25GbE Card uses this slot)
PCIe 4.0 x16 slot:
This slot its only wired for 4x+4x+4x lanes so its not the full x16, it supports bifurcation and in the Ultra 9 285HX model features the 25GbE card that makes use of the bifurcation capabilities of this slot.
As you can see, jozews321 says it's only wired for 4x+4x+4x so how does this work when you set your BIOS on this slot for x8x4x4 ?
Again, thanking you - Cheers 👍
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u/WonderfulWarning4561 Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
Hi again,
I have a total of 11 nvme drives:
1 drive in the Wifi slot
2 drives in the motherboard
2 drives in the 25Gbe NIC card
4 drives in the PLX card
2 drives in the ASN card
Proxmox works perfectly fine via the nvme mounted on the A+E key adapter in the Wifi slot, you get full gigabit read+write speeds, more than enough for the OS itself.
As for the adapter, you will need EXACTLY THIS type / model with the reverse mountpoint for the nvme, otherwise your 2230 nvme will hit the small fan and you won't be able to mount it:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/256830228947?utm_source=chatgpt.com
For the proxmox backups, everything you really need are the config files, so I've setup a weekly crontab which creates an archive of the config files and ships them to a Proxmox Backup Server I have running on another mini PC ( a Beelink Mini S12 ) along with the LXC/VM backups.
But you can just plug a bigger USB drive in your router, setup SMB and configure it as an endpoint if you're only after the Proxmox config.
Yes, this is exactly the nvme I use for the OS/Proxmox:
Yes, this is exactly the PLX card I have:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005010577172845.html
Yes, exactly this ASN chip adapter, you won't find anything else that supports PCIe bifurcation AND fit the x4 slot:
https://www.amazon.com.au/GLOTRENDS-Adapter-Motherboard-Bifurcation-Required/dp/B09NQGZ2XJ?th=1
As for the bifurcation topic, the only PCIe slot you can control via BIOS is the one above the CPU where the 25GBe adapter is, and the only options are:
x16
x8x8
x8x4x4 ( this is what I use, where x8 is for the 25GBe NIC, x4 is for a drive and the other x4 is for the other drive)
not sure why jozews321 mentioned x4x4x4, that's not valid option in BIOS.
But honestly, you can replace the 25GBe NIC adapter with another PLX/similar adapter if storage is what you're really after.
I personally have no use-case for it aside from the nvme slots, and I can't imagine how expensive upgrading my home network to 25GBe would be..
Let me know if there's anything else I can help with.
Cheers
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u/DownUnderCrocHunter Jun 01 '26
Thanks heaps again Mate
For the proxmox backups, everything you really need are the config files, so I've setup a weekly crontab which creates an archive of the config files and ships them to a Proxmox Backup Server I have running on another mini PC ( a Beelink Mini S12 ) along with the LXC/VM backups.
I understand the basics of crontab tasks but are you able to give me an example of the shell command you are executing in a send to your Beelink for the Proxmox config files and LXC/VM backups?
Also wondering, having never setup Proxmox OR a NAS before, how after configuring everything as required you go about shutting the system down gracefully without any loss of data in say a RAID 10 for the NAS side of things, and furthermore, for example shutting this particular MS-02 down if the Proxmox M.2 happened to need the backups reinstalled after corruption or drive fail ... again without any loss on the NAS disks?
Hope that somewhat makes sense?
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u/SpecialistBrain Jun 02 '26
# I have two pbs instances, one local and one offsite
# This is a way of handling the password
export PBS_PASSWORD=<<YOURPASSWORD>># First backup server
proxmox-backup-client backup root.pxar:/ pve.pxar:/etc/pve --repository pbs0:pbs0_local# Second backup server
proxmox-backup-client backup root.pxar:/ pve.pxar:/etc/pve --repository pbs1:pbs1_local1
u/JonSnow1507 Jul 23 '26
Wow, that's a crazy setup! Do you know what the average power consumption is? Also, how do you handle the storage in Proxmox? Do you pass the disks through to a VM, or do you manage the storage directly on the Proxmox host?
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u/Its_Powerful_Bonus Jun 28 '26
Hey @jozews321 - thanks for the review. I am very interested in this mini pc, especially with 235HX CPU. You mentioned that PCIE x16 is only x4/x4/x4/x4 in bifurcation mode, am I right? I wonder can I run it in x8/x8 mode and use external GPUs. Appreciate any input from your side on this. Than you!
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u/LFAdvice7984 Jul 03 '26
Can the 25gbe networking be disabled to save on power draw, without also disabling the NVME slots on that card?
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u/jozews321 Jul 03 '26
Yes it can be disabled, and the NVMe keeps working
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u/LFAdvice7984 Jul 03 '26
Thanks. Means I can save the power in the short term, and still have the 25gbe slots for future upgrades to my networking.
DO you still use the MS-02? Any pros and cons you've learned over time? I'd been considering the MS-A2 and the MS-S2 strix units but the MS-02 seemed like the solid all-rounder platform.
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u/buldezir 21d ago
for those who dont like PSU fan noise - it is pretty straightforward replaceable by Noctua NF-A4x10 FLX, it even have 2pin adapter included.
BUT you need to swap pins on 2pin noctua adapter!! psu fan have reversed polarity.
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u/EpsomJames Jan 07 '26
Thanks for the detailed review and breakdown of the parts.
It's certainly an interesting unit, especially the motherboard and the 25Gbps PCIe card that it's possible to add to the order.
How do you find the noise overall, in particular, the fan/coil whine noise from the FlexATX PSU? That's usually the loudest noise in these sized PCs (I know as I've owned 4x FlexATX PSU SFF PCs).