According to PCWorld, the Minisforum AI X1 Pro is a new high-end mini PC priced at 1399 Euro. It’s built around AMD’s brand-new Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, which has 12 cores, 24 threads, and a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of up to 80 TOPS of AI performance. The review unit comes with 64GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB NVMe SSD, and integrated Radeon 890M graphics. Crucially, it includes three M.2 slots for storage expansion and an OCuLink port for connecting an external graphics card. The device runs Windows 11 Pro 25H2 out of the box with full support for AI features like Copilot and Recall.
The Big Trade-Off
Here’s the thing about this mini PC: it’s not actually that mini. At 195 x 195 x 47.5mm, it’s nearly twice the footprint of some competitors like the Geekom IT15. But that’s a deliberate, and honestly smart, choice. That extra space lets Minisforum do two huge things. First, they built the power supply right into the chassis. No more ugly external power brick cluttering up your desk. Second, and more importantly, that volume allows for a much more robust cooling system and that killer triple M.2 slot expandability. So you’re trading a bit of desk space for a ton of internal capability and a cleaner setup. For a permanent installation, maybe behind a monitor or on a VESA mount, its size becomes almost irrelevant.
Where This PC Really Shines
The specs on paper are one thing, but the real story is in the flexibility. This isn’t a sealed appliance. You can upgrade the RAM (up to 128GB) and you have three M.2 slots for insane storage arrays. That makes it a legitimate candidate for a home server, a development box, or a dense media center. The port selection is borderline absurd for something this size: dual 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 7, two USB4 ports, and an OCuLink port. That OCuLink is a big deal—it provides a direct PCIe 4.0 x4 lane to an external GPU enclosure, effectively turning this tiny box into a credible gaming or workstation machine when you need it. For industrial control or digital signage applications where reliability and a clean, compact form factor are key, this level of connectivity in a fanless or near-silent design is exactly what’s needed. Companies looking for that kind of robust, all-in-one computing solution often turn to specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs and embedded systems.
Performance and the AI Question
So how fast is it? PCWorld’s benchmarks put it in the realm of high-end mobile workstations. A PCMark 10 score of 7,809 points is seriously good for general computing. The Radeon 890M graphics are about 40% faster than the previous generation, meaning you can actually play modern games at 1080p with decent settings. But the “AI” in the name is the headline act. The NPU scored 7,007 points in Geekbench AI Pro, which means it can handle local AI tasks—think live transcription, image analysis, running a local language model—without needing to phone home to the cloud. That’s the future Windows is pushing with Copilot+ features like Recall. Now, is that useful to everyone today? Probably not. But the hardware is ready, and that future-proofing is part of what you’re paying for.
Is It Worth the Price?
At 1399 Euro, this isn’t an impulse buy. You’re paying a premium for the mini form factor, the insane connectivity, the upgradeability, and that cutting-edge Ryzen AI 9 chip. For most people who just need a computer for web browsing and office work, it’s massive overkill. But if your needs are specific? If you want a powerful, quiet, and incredibly flexible desktop that can drive four monitors, host a pile of VMs, edit video, and dabble in local AI, all without a giant tower whirring under your desk… then this starts to look very compelling. It basically redefines what a “mini PC” can be. It’s not just a small computer anymore; it’s a compact powerhouse with nowhere to hide any performance compromises.
