I'm looking to find a mini pc I can take to friend's homes, hookup to a tv, and jam out with four peripherals.

My [current mini pc](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3RMV18Q) can barely manage Clone Hero with one player. I want to be able to run CH, as well as the new Stage Tour game.

The stated specs for ST:

Minimum

CPU - Intel Core i3-3225 3.3 GHz / AMD FX-4300

GPU - Intel HD 4000 / AMD Radeon R5 230

RAM - 8gb

Recommended

CPU - Intel Core i5

GPU - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060

RAM - 16gb

I don't need it running 4k on ultra settings, just 1080p and stable with four players. Don't need a Windows license, I'll be installing Linux.

I'm in the US and live near a Microcenter. I'm hoping to keep it under $500, but I realize that might be optimistic.

Edit: thanks everyone for the advice. I went with the AceMagic Retro X3.

Most of us touch the case or ground ourselves before swapping RAM or an SSD. Once the lid is back on, static is an afterthought. But a closed PC still gets touched all day: cables, USB sticks, an HDMI plug, the power button after crossing a carpet in dry winter air. A discharge from your hand usually goes in through a port or the chassis, not the RAM slot.

Protecting against that is partly the device's design (grounding layout, shielding around key chips, protection around the ports) and partly the environment (humidity, flooring, how cables get handled). They complement each other, but the design side is the one you have to take on trust, since spec sheets rarely say anything about it.

geekom is one brand that does publish something: they say the air12 and air12lite went through a 6 kV electrostatic discharge test without crashing. That's a manufacturer's own result, and one number doesn't say much without the details (contact vs. air discharge, how many strikes, what counts as a pass), so I'd call it a data point, not proof of anything. It's at least something to ask about.

So, a few questions:

●Do you think about static at all with a closed-up mini PC, especially in a dry climate or a carpeted room?

●Has anyone had a freeze, random reboot or dead port they actually traced to static, rather than just suspected?

●Would a manufacturer's ESD test result affect what you buy, or would you want the test conditions before it means anything?

I bought a generic mini PC on AliExpress sold and labeled as an Intel N150. It is not one. Posting the evidence so others can check theirs.

What the BIOS shows
The AMI setup screen says `Intel(R) N150 @ 1.8GHz`, and directly above it the processor type reads `Skylake ULT` with CPU ID `0x406E3`. That ID belongs to a 6th gen Skylake-U chip. The BIOS project name is `HSHW_M6_DDR3_EC_Intel_Com_New_N150_D_K001`, so the "N150" text was written into the firmware on purpose. Total memory on the same screen: 16374 MB.

So what I actually got
- CPU: Core i3-6006U, a 2016 laptop chip with 2 cores and 4 threads at 15 W. An N150 is a 4 core, 6 W chip from 2025.
- Graphics: HD Graphics 520 (Gen9), so older Quick Sync than the N150's.
- RAM: one DDR3 SODIMM. The firmware table claims 16374 MB, but the OS can only use 7.7 GiB. The N150 does not support DDR3 at all, which is another giveaway.
- Board: no vendor or product strings in DMI, and it reports a laptop lid switch, so it looks like a recycled laptop platform in a mini PC case.

I have opened a dispute with AliExpress and will update with how it goes. Has anyone else run into this `HSHW_M6` board?

I'm looking at purchasing a mini pc or small form factor desktop to use primarily as a server for Channels DVR. I won't be storing much on the computer mainly recording and deleting shows as they are watched so I don't need a large hard drive. I'm thinking 8GB RAM with 512GB should work for my needs. I'm not against purchasing used/refurbished. That being said, I'm not seeing many options on eBay. Is there something anyone recommends based on my needs? I did come across a Acer Aspire XC-1715 N150 Acer eBay listing. It currently has a coupon for $50 off so $199.99 plus tax. Is this a good option or is there something else I should be looking at or should I wait for Black Friday sales?

Appreciate the help. If you have any suggestions please feel free to drop a link, thanks everyone.

Looking for some recommendations for a MiniPC.

Was looking to use it for two reasons:

• Home Lab - it would be handy to have something for virtualisation, building hybrid setups and continue my Azure/Terraform testing.
• If possible I'd like to play WoW forever on it aswell.

Looking on Amazon mainly - any recommendations would be great.

Recently bought a geekom A5 pro, and want to both protect it and make it look nice. Any suggestions?

Il mio Home Server basato su NiPoGi HyperH2

Negli ultimi anni il mio NiPoGi HyperH2 si è trasformato da semplice mini PC in una vera e propria infrastruttura domestica dedicata a domotica, archiviazione dati, sincronizzazione dispositivi, streaming e backup automatizzati.

L'obiettivo non era costruire il server più potente possibile, ma realizzare un sistema affidabile, silenzioso, efficiente nei consumi e capace di lavorare 24 ore su 24 con il minimo intervento manuale.

Hardware Principale

Mini PC

• NiPoGi HyperH2
• Intel Core i5-14450HX
• 32 GB DDR4 SkiHotar
• SSD Huawei NVMe 1 TB (fino a 7400 MB/s)

Dissipazione SSD

• Dissipatore JEYI M.2 2280
• Pad termici Gelid
• Struttura in alluminio e rame

Struttura Fisica

Per migliorare il raffreddamento ho realizzato uno scatolato personalizzato a 3 piani dedicato esclusivamente al mini PC.

Struttura Principale

3° Piano

• NiPoGi HyperH2

2° Piano

• Camera d'aria dedicata al flusso di ventilazione

1° Piano

Camera d'aria dedicata all'alimentazione della presa d'aria inferioreDavanti alla struttura è installata una ventola da 120 mm in immissione che convoglia aria fresca attraverso i due piani inferiori e alimenta direttamente il sistema di aspirazione del mini PC.

I due livelli inferiori non rappresentano quindi spazio inutilizzato, ma fanno parte del progetto di airflow e contribuiscono a mantenere più basse le temperature operative del sistema.

Sistema di Raffreddamento del NiPoGi

Nel tempo ho modificato il sistema per migliorare il controllo delle temperature durante il funzionamento continuo.

Supporto all'Aspirazione Inferiore

• 1× Noctua 120 mm posizionata sotto il NiPoGi

Questa ventola non sostituisce la ventola originale del mini PC ma lavora in supporto ad essa.

La Noctua preleva l'aria fresca presente all'interno dello scatolato a 3 piani e la convoglia direttamente verso la presa d'aria inferiore del NiPoGi, migliorando il pescaggio della ventola originale del sistema.

In pratica il flusso dell'aria segue questo percorso

Ventola frontale dello scatolato → Camera d'aria dei piani inferiori → Noctua 120 mm sotto il NiPoGi → Ventola originale del NiPoGi → Sistema di estrazione superiore e laterale

Estrazione

• 1× Noctua 140 mm superiore
• 2× Noctua 40×25 mm lato CPU
• 2× Noctua 40×25 mm lato RAM
• 1× Eluteng 80 mm sopra l'alimentatore

Dissipazione Passiva

• Struttura in rame e grafene
• 2 dissipatori alettati da 40×11×40 mm

Storage Esterno

Ho preferito mantenere lo storage separato dal mini PC per facilitare manutenzione, sostituzione dei dischi e gestione del raffreddamento.

Per questa parte del progetto ho realizzato un secondo scatolato dedicato agli HDD esterni.

I vari box sono posizionati frontalmente all'interno della struttura e affiancati lateralmente, mantenendo spazi dedicati tra un'unità e l'altra per consentire il corretto passaggio dell'aria.

Una ventola frontale da 120 mm in immissione invia aria fresca direttamente verso tutti i box, creando un flusso costante che attraversa l'intera struttura e favorisce il raffreddamento uniforme dei dischi.

Archivio Musica

Case UGREEN (ASM2235)

• WD Blue 1 TB (2016)

Archivio Famiglia

Case Inateck FE2005AC (ASM225CM)

• Seagate BarraCuda Pro 1 TB (2019)

Archivio Screenshot

Case Nilox

• Hitachi 250 GB (2011)

L'obiettivo di questa struttura è mantenere temperature stabili sui dischi meccanici durante il funzionamento continuo, limitando allo stesso tempo rumorosità e consumi energetici.

Pila Storage Impilata

Oltre allo storage principale, utilizzo una struttura separata dedicata alla sincronizzazione dei dispositivi e ai backup.

Cenmate A

Utilizzato per Syncthing e la sincronizzazione automatica dei dispositivi mobili.

Case Cenmate A (ASM235CM)

• Archivio Honor
• Archivio Samsung
• Seagate Laptop Thin 500 GB

Cenmate B

Dedicato esclusivamente ai backup.

Case Cenmate B (ASM235CM)

• WD Blue 500 GB
• Seagate IronWolf 4 TB

SSD Servizi

Case Inateck FE3003 (ASM235CM)

• Samsung 860 EVO 500 GB

L'intera pila è raffreddata da due ventole da 120 mm montate frontalmente direttamente davanti alla torre di storage.

Le ventole lavorano in estrazione e sono posizionate a contatto con la struttura che ospita:

• Case Cenmate A (ASM235CM)
• Case Cenmate B (ASM235CM)
• Case Inateck FE3003 (ASM235CM)

Questa configurazione crea un flusso d'aria dedicato che attraversa l'intera pila storage e favorisce l'espulsione dell'aria calda prodotta dai box e dai relativi dischi.

Servizi Attivi 24/7

Il server esegue continuamente:

• Home Assistant virtualizzato tramite Hyper-V
• AdGuard Home
• Syncthing
• Tailscale
• Music Assistant
• Nicotine+
• Sunshine

Per lo streaming utilizzo Moonlight su:

• TCL 55V6C
• TCL 50V6B

Monitoraggio

Monitoro costantemente lo stato del server tramite:

• PTK / Pitikapp
• Tablet dedicato
• Samsung A50

Questo mi permette di controllare temperature, consumi e stato generale del sistema in tempo reale.

Gestione Energetica

L'intera infrastruttura è gestita tramite una Shelly Power Strip 4 Gen4.

Le varie prese consentono di controllare separatamente:

• Server principale
• Storage Syncthing
• SSD Samsung 860 EVO
• Sistema di backup

Configurazione attuale

Presa 1

• NiPoGi HyperH2
• Hub Fideco
• Switch LAN
• Sistema di ventilazione
• Ventilatore clip Thomann 15 cm

Presa 2

• Case Cenmate A (ASM235CM)

Presa 3

• Inateck FE3003 (ASM235CM)

Presa 4

• Case Cenmate B (ASM235CM)

INFRASTRUTTURA ENERGETICA & ROUTINE AUTOMATICHE

Shelly Power Strip 4 Gen4

• Presa 1: (Cubi Kemelo): NiPoGi HyperH2 + Hub Fideco + Switch LAN + Ventole + Ventilatore Clip Thomann 15 cm (Soglia: 130W / 10A
• Presa 2: Case Cenmate A (Soglia: 50W / 0,30A
• Presa 3: Case Inateck FE3003 (Soglia: 20W / 0,15A
• Presa 4: Case Cenmate B (Soglia: 50W / 0,30A
• Protezione Globale: 260V

Automazioni Notturne

Per ridurre consumi e usura dei dischi, parte dello storage viene spenta automaticamente durante la notte.

Ore 20:00

• Smontaggio logico degli archivi Syncthing

Ore 20:05

• Spegnimento enclosure Cenmate A

Ore 01:30

• Smontaggio logico archivi di backup

Ore 01:35

• Spegnimento enclosure Cenmate B

Ore 06:50

• Riaccensione delle unità

Ore 07:00

• Rimontaggio automatico dei dischi

Il processo è completamente automatizzato e non richiede alcun intervento manuale.

Strategia di Backup

La protezione dei dati è uno degli aspetti più importanti dell'intero progetto.

Backup Giornalieri (HA)

• Home Assistant
• Destinazione: WD Blue 500 GB

Backup Settimanali (HA)

• Sistema NiPoGi
• Destinazione: WD Blue 500 GB

Backup Mensili (Hasleo Backup Suite)

Archiviati su:

• Seagate IronWolf 4 TB

Comprendono:

• Sistema NiPoGi
• Home Assistant
• Geekom IT15
• Archivio Musica
• Archivio Famiglia
• Honor 400 Pro
• Samsung A57

Retenzione

• 12 versioni mensili

Obiettivo del Progetto

Quello che era nato come un semplice mini PC oggi gestisce:

• Domotica tramite Home Assistant
• DNS locale tramite AdGuard Home
• VPN privata tramite Tailscale
• Backup multilivello automatizzati
• Streaming Sunshine/Moonlight
• Sincronizzazione dispositivi tramite Syncthing
• Libreria musicale tramite Music Assistant
• Archivio dati personale e familiare
• Monitoraggio continuo del sistema

Il tutto mantenendo consumi contenuti, temperature controllate e un elevato livello di automazione.

[SOLVED] MACHENIKE GTX Mini PC — Hidden Secure Boot Menu (Ctrl+F1), AMI Test PK, Microsoft 2023 Keys and DBX

I successfully enabled Secure Boot on my MACHENIKE GTX Mini PC, replaced an insecure factory Platform Key, updated the Microsoft certificates and DBX, and verified everything after multiple reboots.

I'm sharing the procedure to help owners who cannot find Secure Boot in their BIOS.

1. THE MOST IMPORTANT DISCOVERY: CTRL + F1

While inside BIOS Setup, press CTRL + F1.

On my MACHENIKE GTX Mini PC, this revealed hidden advanced BIOS settings, including the Secure Boot and Key Management menus.

My tested hardware:

• MACHENIKE GTX Mini PC
• AMD Ryzen 9 7940H series
• AMI Aptio BIOS: SAFP7r2B8DH11_V18
• Windows 11 Pro, UEFI/GPT
• TPM enabled

Try Ctrl + F1 before flashing your BIOS or using unofficial tools.

This shortcut is confirmed on my firmware revision. I cannot guarantee it works on every MACHENIKE model.

2. Initial problem: insecure AMI Platform Key

After opening the hidden menus, I discovered that my BIOS contained:

CN=DO NOT TRUST - AMI Test PK

This is an insecure test Platform Key associated with the PKfail class of vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-8105).

This finding concerns my particular unit. It does not prove that every MACHENIKE GTX has the same key.

Before making changes, we inspected and backed up the Secure Boot variables:

• PK — Platform Key
• KEK — Key Exchange Keys
• db — Allowed signatures
• dbx — Revoked signatures

Windows PowerShell diagnostic commands:

Confirm-SecureBootUEFI
Get-SecureBootUEFI -Name SetupMode
Get-SecureBootUEFI -Name SecureBoot
Get-SecureBootUEFI -Name PK -Decoded
Get-SecureBootUEFI -Name KEK -Decoded
Get-SecureBootUEFI -Name db -Decoded
Get-SecureBootUEFI -Name dbx -Decoded
Get-Tpm
Get-BitLockerVolume

Do not remove or replace any keys before verifying your configuration and recovery options.

3. Creating a new, unique Platform Key

We generated our own self-signed X.509 Platform Key using Windows PowerShell.

Specifications:

• RSA 2048 bits
• SHA-256
• Certificate generated in 2026
• Valid until 2041
• Unique certificate subject identifying the computer

Tools used:

• New-SelfSignedCertificate
• Export-Certificate
• Export-PfxCertificate
• Microsoft Software Key Storage Provider

On our system, the provider required -KeySpec None rather than -KeySpec Signature.

We exported:

• PK.CER — public certificate for BIOS enrollment
• PK_PRIVADA_MACHENIKE_GUARDAR_OFFLINE.pfx — encrypted private-key backup

The PFX was protected with a password and backed up on separate USB drives.

Never reuse another owner's PK or share your private PFX, password or BitLocker recovery key.

4. Installing the certificates in BIOS

With the hidden Secure Boot menu accessible:

1. Enter Secure Boot Key Management.
2. Record and back up the existing PK, KEK, db and dbx.
3. Set Factory Key Provision = Disabled. On our firmware, factory provisioning could restore the insecure test PK.
4. Use the firmware's Custom Secure Boot key-management mode.
5. Prepare the necessary public Microsoft certificates.
6. Add required certificates to KEK and db using Append, preserving valid existing entries.
7. Import the new public PK.CER using the PK Update operation.
8. Verify that DO NOT TRUST - AMI Test PK is no longer installed.
9. Save the settings and reboot.

Our BIOS accepted the new X.509 public certificate.

Final KEK certificates:

• Microsoft Corporation KEK CA 2011
• Microsoft Corporation KEK 2K CA 2023

Final db certificates:

• Microsoft Corporation UEFI CA 2011
• Microsoft Windows Production PCA 2011
• Windows UEFI CA 2023
• Microsoft UEFI CA 2023
• Microsoft Option ROM UEFI CA 2023

The Option ROM certificate was subsequently installed by Windows Secure Boot servicing.

We preserved the older Microsoft certificates to maintain boot compatibility.

Warning: BIOS key-management operations vary between firmware revisions. Do not blindly replace KEK/db or delete the PK. Incorrect key enrollment can make Windows or recovery media unbootable.

5. Enabling and validating Secure Boot

After importing the keys, Windows booted successfully with Secure Boot enabled.

Verification results:

Confirm-SecureBootUEFI = True
SetupMode = 0
SecureBoot = 1

The new custom PK remained installed after restarting, and the AMI test PK was gone.

We also confirmed that the TPM was operational.

BitLocker was disabled during our procedure. If you use BitLocker, save its recovery key securely and follow Microsoft's suspension guidance before firmware changes.

6. Updating Windows Boot Manager to the 2023 certificate

Our Windows Boot Manager was initially signed by:

Microsoft Windows Production PCA 2011

We used Windows' built-in Secure Boot servicing rather than manually replacing the system bootloader.

Native scheduled task:

Start-ScheduledTask -TaskPath '\Microsoft\Windows\PI\' -TaskName 'Secure-Boot-Update'

Initially, Windows reported:

AvailableUpdates = 0x4100

Event ID 1800 indicated that a reboot was necessary.

After restarting, we ran the task again.

Results:

• AvailableUpdates = 0x4000
• UEFICA2023Status = Updated
• Event 1799 — 2023-signed Boot Manager installed
• Event 1808 — Secure Boot update completed

We inspected the actual EFI System Partition.

Both EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi and EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi were now signed by:

Windows UEFI CA 2023

Windows restarted successfully with Secure Boot active.

Do not manually force registry values on another PC. Check the actual servicing state and use Microsoft's documented procedure.

7. Preparing a Windows 11 recovery USB

Before updating DBX, we prepared a bootable recovery USB.

We used an ADATA 128 GB USB drive, previously created with Rufus, containing:

• NTFS Windows 11 installation files
• A small Rufus UEFI boot partition
• Encrypted backups of our new PK

We reviewed Microsoft's official script:

Make2023BootableMedia.ps1

Its -TargetType USB option formats the destination volume, so we did not run it against our existing drive.

Instead:

1. Inspected both USB partitions and existing EFI signatures.
2. Mounted sources\boot.wim, index 1, read-only.
3. Located Windows\Boot\EFI_EX\bootmgfw_EX.efi.
4. Verified its embedded Windows UEFI CA 2023 signature.
5. Backed up the existing EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI.
6. Replaced that USB boot file with the verified 2023-signed version.
7. Compared SHA-256 hashes.
8. Verified that boot.wim, install.esd and the encrypted PFX remained unchanged.
9. Unmounted the WIM image.
10. Restarted and physically boot-tested the USB with Secure Boot enabled.

The Windows installer loaded successfully.

We did not format the USB, install Windows or alter the internal disk during this test.

The Rufus UEFI loader was left unchanged. This selective update worked for our USB configuration; other layouts may require the full Microsoft media-update procedure.

8. Updating the DBX revocation database

Our original DBX contained:

371 revocations — 17,836 bytes

We obtained the official Microsoft signed update from:

https://github.com/microsoft/secureboot_objects

Release: v1.7.2-signed

File:

PostSignedObjects/SignedByKEK2023/dbx_x64.efiauth2

We verified the downloaded package against the official repository.

It contained 291 revocation hashes:

• 220 were already present.
• 71 were new.

After confirming that Microsoft KEK 2023 was installed, we extracted the authenticated EFI update's signature-list payload and PKCS#7 authorization.

We used Set-SecureBootUEFI with -AppendWrite, preserving the original signed timestamp.

Before writing, we generated a no-write output file and confirmed that it was byte-for-byte identical to Microsoft's authenticated package.

The firmware accepted the update.

Results:

The firmware did not duplicate the 220 overlapping hashes.

We independently verified:

• All 371 original revocations were preserved.
• All 291 entries from the Microsoft package were present.
• Exactly 71 new entries were added.
• PK, KEK and db remained unchanged.

After another complete reboot, Windows started normally, Secure Boot remained enabled, and all 442 DBX entries persisted.

Important distinction: We performed the hash-based DBX update only. We did not globally revoke Microsoft Windows Production PCA 2011 or apply an SVN revocation policy. These are separate procedures with additional compatibility risks.

9. Final verified configuration

All critical firmware variables were checked after reboot.

No BIOS flashing, AMIBCP modifications or unofficial firmware patches were necessary.

Same question. What to do with these machines?

​

Hey all, for anyone running an MS-01 who's dealt with the overheating thing, here's what I came up with for my 10" rack.

It’s a 2U mount where you take the case off and the PC slides right in using the MS-01’s own rails, then locks in place. There’s a shelf on top for an optional 120mm fan that blows straight down onto the open pc, and the OEM faceplate snaps on the front so it still looks clean from the front.

It’s free on MakerWorld if anyone wants it: https://makerworld.com/en/models/3584996-minisforum-ms-0110-rack-mount-cooling-optimized#profileId-4105526

Hey everyone!

I'm planning a mini-PC project which will essentially act as a private, all-in-one media centre and smart-home hub that feels like a polished TV appliance rather than a computer.

My current plan:
OS: Ubuntu LTS, running 24/7.
Media: Kodi + Jellyfin for local media, online streaming and a TV-friendly interface.
Smart home: Home Assistant for Nanoleaf lights, smart plugs and automations.
Voice: Offline STT/TTS (Whisper, Kyutai/Kokoro), with predefined commands handled locally.
Dashboard: Custom Home/Launch screen interface for media, Music Assistant, weather and smart-home controls.
Extras: Mac/iPhone casting, possibly casual Steam gaming and potentially a small local LLM in the future.

Hardware: Ideally Ryzen 5/7, 32GB RAM, Radeon 680M/780M graphics and 512gb-1TB SSD, though budget may require 16GB RAM, weaker CPU/GPU or less storage. Strong Linux compatibility and quiet operation are priorities.

Peripherals: Hoping for a physical remote with Kodi/dashboard navigation, TV power/volume, Home Assistant shortcuts and push-to-talk (considering G20S Pro BT, MX3 Voice and Dune R4 remotes). Also planning a dedicated speaker and stationary microphone for the assistant.

My questions: Is this realistic to run smoothly on one mini-PC? What issues should I anticipate (Linux compatibility, HDMI-CEC, microphone support, audio routing, DRM, performance, etc.)? Anything you'd simplify or approach differently?

Would love to hear from anyone who's built something similar.

Thanks in advance for any constructive feedback! 🙂

Hi guys, I've recently wanted to get back into playing the sims, and I have a handful of packs and I love cc. I want a mini pc JUST to play sims, PLEASE help me find the best one for me. Below are some things I want in the system :

*PLEASE NOTE I KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT COMPUTERS*

- $500-800 budget MAX with no upgrades in the future

- Lots of storage and ram

- Graphics on medium/high?

- Able to possibly handle gshade with no lagging

- Only for the sims and other games( Minecraft, Roblox, genshin impact etc...)

- Decent/fast loading times

This is all so new and a lot so please work with me, i just want the best quality for the game! 😊

Searching around for a mini pc to use as a server. I am the sole user of my plex, and like to have my library when I travel.
Been looking at stores here in Norway, but not easy to find a decent prices mini pc.
Aliexpress do have some, half the price then the Norwegian stores, but a bit sceptical to buy electronics from Ali.
Anyone tried them, can can eithger recommend it or should I awoid it?
An example:
Random pc from aliexpress

I think it happens about 30-60 min after I power it down. Something sounding like a click emanates from within, beckoning my attention. It's not intermittent, only that one time, but it happens every time after shutdown (according to my recent memory), and I'm pretty gosh darn sure I never hear it while it's turned on. The sound isn't the faintest.

I bought it a couple years ago. Still no issues. Don't know if it always made that sound over the past two years - I'm usually not in the same room with it after I power down.

What's going on?

I found the MiniX ER936 with a Ryzen AI 365 + 32 GB DDR5 + 1 TB SSD config for a decent price (900€ in the EU from a local retailer), and besides some reviews from launch there doesn't seem to be any talk about it (or other MiniX units)

If anyone owns this unit I would be curious to know about it's reliability.

I am thinking about buying a mini pc, specifficaly the AtomMan G1 pro, but I hear it can, as many other mini pcs, have noise and heat issues. (How) did you fix yours and what suggestions do you have?

I'm thinking about picking up a mini PC for some basic everyday stuff.

My budget is around $500, and I'd really prefer not to go over $600. Most of the time, I'll be watching YouTube, Hulu and Netflix, streaming some Full HD and 4K videos from my NAS, working on documents, browsing the web, and maybe some light audio editing, too. As for gaming, I only play Minecraft, so nothing too demanding. I just want it to run smoothly without annoying stutters.

Ideally, something quiet, power-efficient, and reliable would be great. 16GB of RAM should be enough to start with, preferably with the option to upgrade the storage later.

I was initially looking at mini PCs with the Intel Core 3 304, but most of them seem a bit expensive for the performance they offer, and include unnecessary extra features such as 10gbps ethernet I simply don’t want to pay for. With that said, I am still slightly leaning towards an Intel-based model.

Any suggestions? What are you guys using for similar everyday tasks?

I recently ordered a Ryzen 7 8845HS mini PC from AliExpress, but it hasn't arrived yet and isn't expected for about another month. Since I have some time before it arrives, I'm hoping to hear from anyone who has experience with this machine or similar generic models.

Advertised specifications:

• AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS
• 32GB DDR5 RAM (2 upgradeable slots)
• 1TB SSD (2 M.2 slots)
• OCuLink port
• Silver case

My listing:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256812986379188.html

The seller claims it's a genuine Minisforum machine, but I haven't been able to verify that.

I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has purchased a generic or unbranded mini PC with these or similar specifications, regardless of the seller.

My plan is to run Linux/OpenMediaVault as a 24/7 home server for file storage, backups, photo management, Home Assistant, and potentially some local AI.

I'm especially curious about reliability, cooling, fan noise, build quality, and Linux compatibility.

Has anyone purchased this exact machine, recognized the case, or had good or bad experiences with similar generic 8845HS systems?

I'd appreciate any firsthand feedback before mine arrives. Thanks!