Do good things really come in small packages? That’s certainly what AceMagican would like you to think when it comes to its AMR5 Mini Gaming PC.
At just under 6 inches tall and under 2 inches thick 15cm and 5cm for you folks on the metric system, the AMR5 is a true pint-sized marvel over traditional desktops.
Don’t let its small size fool you, though.
The AMR5 is surprisingly capable for a mini PC thanks to a processor that packs quite a punch. In fact, if it weren’t for its more limited graphics capabilities, its performance could rival a fully-fledged desktop PC.
It’s part of the never-ending trade-off of cost and performance every time you build a PC. Now let’s look at what exactly you get with the AceMagician AMR5 Mini Gaming PC.
AceMagician AMR5 Mini Gaming PC: Design and Hardware
The AceMagician AMR5 Mini Gaming PC comes in a neatly packaged small black box.
Inside you will find the AMR5 mini PC, an HDMI cable, a power supply and a plug.
The AMR5 mini PC itself weighs around 1.5 pounds, so it’s pretty light. It almost looks like a plug-in external hard drive.
The AMR5’s design has an almost retro quality to it, almost like a PlayStation 2 made love to a 90s camcorder. I also like the decision to use matte plastic and a brushed metal feel for the outer case because it makes the AMR5 Mini PC more resistant to dust and fingerprints.
By the way, the AceMagician AMR5 Mini gaming PC comes with Windows 11 Pro.
Here is a rundown of the available ports and connection slots for the AMR5 mini PC:
- USB 3.0 (Type A): 4 ports with 5Gbps speed.
- USB C: 1 port with 10 Gbps+ speed and doubles as a display port that supports 4K, 60 hertz/60 frames per second.
- Dedicated Display Port: 1 port supporting 4K/60Hz.
- HDMI 2.0: 1 port.
- Gigabit Ethernet: 1 port at 1 Gbps speed.
- 3.5mm slot: 1 port for audio in and audio out.
- DC Power: 1 power adapter port.
It would have been nice to have faster USB 3.1 ports, but having four Type-A slots is still good. You can even connect multiple monitors if you like.
Another advantage is the ease of opening the device in case you want to upgrade its components such as memory or RAM. It’s definitely good for people who like to tinker.
The AMR5 mini PC also features a dial built around the power button to quickly adjust performance. You have three options: Silent, Performance and Auto, depending on your needs. For example, you may want to switch to Silent when you browse online or do light work or watch movies. You can then increase it up to Performance when you’re multitasking or playing a video game.
Of course, you can’t have a gaming PC without LED lighting. This can be a plus or minus depending on whether you like or hate LED lights. I happen to fall into the former camp because I like my bling.
AceMagician AMR5 Mini Gaming PC: How does it work?
The AceMagician AMR5 Mini Gaming PC comes with the choice of two different processors.
There’s the Ryzen 5 5600U model, which starts at $499.99, although I’ve also seen it on sale for $399.99 on AceMagician’s official online site and $449 on Amazon. There is also a version that comes with the more powerful Ryzen 7 5800U processor for people who want more cores and threads.
For this review, I tested the Ryzen 5 model.
With six cores and 12 threads, the Ryzen 5 5600U performs quite well compared to other mini PCs. It is a very capable mid-range processor.
It also comes with 16GB of RAM which is a lot for typical computing tasks. It certainly has more than enough horsepower to function as a daily driver for the office or school.
Where it fails a bit is in GPU-intensive tasks.
The integrated Radeon graphics are competent but not exactly a powerhouse for, shall we say, hardcore gaming. Yes, the brand says it’s a mini gaming PC and the AMR5 performs well compared to many mini PCs. Ultimately, however, this is still a mini PC with integrated rather than dedicated graphics.
It will run any mobile game through an emulator like Bluestacks without any problems. It can also play games like Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak very well on medium settings. Try boosting performance beyond that, however, and just like Houston during the Apollo 13 mission, you’re going to have a problem with your frame rates.
Also, you don’t buy a $400-$500 mini PC like the AMR5 for hardcore gaming. You get a compact PC with a small footprint that does a good job with normal computing tasks as well as some video streaming and light or, technically, medium gaming on the side.
Final thoughts on the AceMagician AMR5 Mini gaming PC
The AceMagician AMR5 Mini Gaming PC is a surprisingly capable mini PC that is great value for money.
The Ryzen 5 processor performs very well and can handle an assortment of computing tasks. It also comes with loads of ports for connecting various peripherals.
Radeon graphics could certainly be better, especially for users who want to play at higher quality settings. For a mini PC in its price range, however, the AMR5 punches its weight.
Check it out if you’re looking for a small laptop that’s easy to move around the house or take with you on the go, and works well as a laptop alternative.Jason Hidalgo covers business and technology for the Reno Gazette Journal and USA Today Network. He also writes game and gadget reviews as part of the RGJTech & Gaming section of Technobubble.
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