Acemagic AM18 review: Gaming mini-PC in eye-catching cyberpunk look with AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS and 32 GB RAM
Acemagic's extensive portfolio includes the AM18, a very eye-catching model not primarily intended for office use. On the hardware side, we see the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, a well-known SoC from AMD. The manufacturer has dispensed with a dedicated graphics card and instead uses the AMD Radeon 780M, which is currently considered to be a convincing iGPU. More on how well the iGPU performs in our test sample later. The modern connectivity also allows the use of external graphics cards, which we also tested. The remaining features of the 659-euro device include 32 GB DDR5 RAM and a 512 GB SSD. An alternative configuration with other processors or a different memory configuration is not currently listed by the manufacturer. However, other configurations can be found on Amazon. The Acemagic AM18 is currently available there with more storage space for 679 euros, while our test configuration is priced at 649 euros.
The following table shows the competitors against whom we pitted the Acemagic AM18 in this review.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Memory | Weight | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82.3 % v7 (old) | 04 / 2024 | Acemagic AM18 R7 7840HS, Radeon 780M | 32768 MB | 600 g | 58 mm |
| 87.3 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2023 | Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX R7 7840HS, Radeon 780M | 32768 MB | 750 g | 52.3 mm |
| 85.1 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2024 | Minisforum Mercury Series EM780 R7 7840U, Radeon 780M | 32768 MB | 238 g | 43 mm |
| 83.4 % v7 (old) | 04 / 2024 | Acemagic F2A Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Core | 32768 MB | 768 g | 57 mm |
| 82.8 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2023 | Geekom AS 6, R9 6900HX R9 6900HX, Radeon 680M | 32768 MB | 753 g | 58 mm |
| 82 % v7 (old) | 06 / 2023 | ACEMagician Ace Magician AM08 Pro R9 6900HX, Radeon 680M | 32768 MB | 874 g | 188.5 mm |
| 81.9 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2024 | Aoostar GOD77 R7 7735HS, Radeon 680M | 16384 MB | 603 g | 58 mm |
| 79.5 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2024 | Maxtang MTN-FP750 R7 7735HS, Radeon 680M | 16384 MB | 601 g | 52 mm |
Acemagic AM18 with AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS in detail
Case - A plastic scenery with RGB lighting
Visually, the Acemagic AM18 is immediately reminiscent of the Aoostar GOD77. No wonder, as both have the same housing, just with different branding. As a result, there are also the same advantages and disadvantages. The primary use of plastic is not wrong, but it does look a little cheap in places. Overall, the AM18 is sturdy, although the underside does give way a little in places. Visually, the Mini-PC stands out with its illuminated fan. The colors can be changed using a small button on the front; no additional software is required to control the lighting. However, if you are not a fan of RGB lighting, you can switch it off completely.
In terms of space requirements, the Acemagic AM18 and the Aoostar GOD77 are slightly larger. In terms of weight, we note 600 grams for the device itself and 295 grams for the power supply unit. The Acemagic can also be attached directly to a monitor. The appropriate mounting bracket is included.
Equipment - Good selection with USB4
The external connections are located on the front and rear. The available selection is satisfactory. Many USB ports are available and Acemagic has installed a USB4 port on the front, which expands the range of applications. In total, the AM8 can control three screens simultaneously, although many other devices can also do this. However, it should be emphasized that 4K with 144 Hz is also possible. This sets the Acemagic AM18 apart from many other mini-PCs.
The equipment also includes the pre-installed Windows operating system. Knowing about incidents of malware-infected devices, we took a closer look at our test device in this regard, but could not find anything unusual. A complete reinstallation after purchase is recommended to be on the safe side.
Communication
The built-in Wi-Fi module comes from Realtek and cannot impress with its high performance. Due to its results, our test sample only achieved last place. The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 was used as the test router. It is also worth mentioning that the built-in wireless module can only work with 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies. However, if you need a faster wireless connection, you can replace the WLAN module. The identical device from Aoostar shows what is possible. Alternatively, the Acemagic also offers two LAN ports, which enable speed of up to 2.5 GBit/s.
Scope of delivery
In addition to the device itself, the delivery includes the 100-watt power supply unit, as well as an HDMI cable and a power cable. A connection cable, which is intended for use with a 2.5-inch mass storage device, and the VESA mount are also included.
Maintenance
As Acemagic does not offer the AM18 as a barebone version, you do not necessarily have to open the device to install RAM and SSD. However, this is possible by removing the base cover. The screws are hidden under the glued-on rubber feet, which is not user-friendly. After tearing them off, there is a risk that they will no longer stick properly. In the meantime, we have already seen many other devices that offer good alternative solutions. Once the four screws have been unscrewed, the base plate can be easily removed. The RAM and SSD are then accessible and can be replaced if necessary. However, the Acemagic AM18 can only be expanded with a 2.5-inch mass storage device. To do this, however, the small fan on the underside must be removed.
The CPU fan, which is located on the top, is much easier to access. All you have to do is unscrew the four silver screws on the top of the case to remove the cover.
Performance - AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS with 8 Zen4 cores
The AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS offers solid performance with its 8 cores and 16 threads and is based on the Zen 4 architecture. With the AMD Radeon 780M, the SoC also has a powerful iGPU, which is also increasingly being used in modern handheld gaming PCs. As a result, the choice of processor is a good one given the intended use.
Test conditions
All performance tests were carried out with the balanced
energy profile. We did not change the limits concerning the SoC's power consumption but left them in the factory settings according to the BIOS settings. Other energy-saving plans were only used for the energy consumption measurements, and the noise measurements according to our Test criteria.
Processor
The AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS is an economical 8-core processor and operates with up to 54 watts in the Acemagic AM18. Under prolonged load, it can still reach 45 watts. Our test sample only narrowly loses the direct duel with the Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX. Both models are equipped with the same SoC, although the cooling in the Minisforum model appears to do a slightly better job. In the AIDA64 tests, the two models powered by the Ryzen 7 7840HS can clearly set themselves apart from the other competitors. However, here too it is only enough for second place for our test sample.
For further comparisons and benchmarks, please refer to our CPU comparison table.
| Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Maxtang MTN-FP750 | |
| Minisforum Mercury Series EM780 | |
| Geekom AS 6, R9 6900HX | |
| Aoostar GOD77 | |
| ACEMagician Ace Magician AM08 Pro | |
| Acemagic AM18 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX | |
| Acemagic F2A | |
| WinRAR - Result | |
| Acemagic F2A | |
| Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX | |
| Geekom AS 6, R9 6900HX | |
| ACEMagician Ace Magician AM08 Pro | |
| Aoostar GOD77 | |
| Acemagic AM18 | |
| Maxtang MTN-FP750 | |
| Minisforum Mercury Series EM780 | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX | |
| Acemagic AM18 | |
| Aoostar GOD77 | |
| ACEMagician Ace Magician AM08 Pro | |
| Maxtang MTN-FP750 | |
| Acemagic F2A | |
| Geekom AS 6, R9 6900HX | |
| Minisforum Mercury Series EM780 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Minisforum Mercury Series EM780 | |
| ACEMagician Ace Magician AM08 Pro | |
| Geekom AS 6, R9 6900HX | |
| Maxtang MTN-FP750 | |
| Aoostar GOD77 | |
| Acemagic F2A | |
| Acemagic AM18 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX | |
| Acemagic AM18 | |
| Acemagic F2A | |
| Minisforum Mercury Series EM780 | |
| Aoostar GOD77 | |
| ACEMagician Ace Magician AM08 Pro | |
| Geekom AS 6, R9 6900HX | |
| Maxtang MTN-FP750 | |
| Average of class Mini PC | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX | |
| Acemagic AM18 | |
| Minisforum Mercury Series EM780 | |
| Acemagic F2A | |
| Aoostar GOD77 | |
| Geekom AS 6, R9 6900HX | |
| ACEMagician Ace Magician AM08 Pro | |
| Average of class Mini PC (646 - 51004, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Maxtang MTN-FP750 | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX | |
| Acemagic AM18 | |
| Minisforum Mercury Series EM780 | |
| Acemagic F2A | |
| Aoostar GOD77 | |
| ACEMagician Ace Magician AM08 Pro | |
| Geekom AS 6, R9 6900HX | |
| Average of class Mini PC (350 - 26952, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Maxtang MTN-FP750 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Acemagic AM18 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX | |
| Minisforum Mercury Series EM780 | |
| Acemagic F2A | |
| Geekom AS 6, R9 6900HX | |
| ACEMagician Ace Magician AM08 Pro | |
| Average of class Mini PC (4408 - 50500, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Aoostar GOD77 | |
| Maxtang MTN-FP750 | |
Acemagic AM18 vs. Cinebench R15 multi-loop
The Cinebench R15 continuous loop simulates a recurring continuous load and gives us a first indication of the performance of the built-in cooling unit at this point. As you can see from the data, the power consumption is strictly limited to 54 watts, although an average of just under 42 watts is achieved. At 85.5 °C, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS does not reach a critical temperature range. During the course of the test, we only document a very slight loss of performance at the beginning.
System performance
The Acemagic AM18 performs excellently in all system performance tests. However, all devices perform quite well in everyday use and there is no noticeable difference. However, the comparison with the Acemagic F2A, which is already equipped with Intel's Meteor Lake, is very interesting. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H cannot keep up with the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS in this comparison.
Our test device also took first place in the RAM tests. Acemagic equips the AM18 with DDR5 RAM 5,600 MT/s.
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Acemagic F2A | |
| Minisforum Mercury Series EM780 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (44.9 - 184.8, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX | |
| Geekom AS 6, R9 6900HX | |
| Acemagic AM18 | |
| ACEMagician Ace Magician AM08 Pro | |
| Aoostar GOD77 | |
| Maxtang MTN-FP750 | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC latencies
Basically, the Acemagic AM18 does not fail when it comes to DPC latencies. Compared to the comparison devices, we see the lowest latencies in our test sample. However, we only reached the maximum value documented here after starting Prime95. The latencies were slightly lower when playing our 4K test video and also when surfing with the Edge browser. We also documented a few dropped frames during video playback, which did not only occur at the beginning of the video. Due to the small number of frames, playback is nevertheless problem-free.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Acemagic F2A | |
| Geekom AS 6, R9 6900HX | |
| ACEMagician Ace Magician AM08 Pro | |
| Aoostar GOD77 | |
| Minisforum Mercury Series EM780 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini UM780 XTX | |
| Maxtang MTN-FP750 | |
| Acemagic AM18 | |
* ... smaller is better
Mass storage
Acemagic provides our test sample with a 512 GB SSD from Rayson. In the test, the SSD delivered a solid performance, which should be sufficient for most users. There were no problems with the installed model in the test. However, we documented relatively high temperatures, but this did not lead to a reduction in transfer rates. The device itself can also accommodate an additional 2.5-inch mass storage device. However, the pre-installed fan has to make way for this.
For further comparisons and benchmarks, please refer to our comparison table.
