Minisforum EliteMini AI370 review: The mini PC sets new standards with an AMD Zen 5 Strix Point APU

The Minisforum EliteMini AI370 shows how much power can be packed into a compact footprint. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 370HX delivers consistently high performance without noticeably increased power consumption. On the contrary, the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 is one of the most efficient devices we have tested to date. The device is well equipped with its 32 GB of RAM—but it unfortunately can't be upgraded and Minisforum doesn't offer a 64 GB version. The Minisforum EliteMini AI370's compact and robust case is ideal for space-saving setups. Its simple finish ensures a professional appearance that makes a good impression in offices or creative environments. The only thing to criticize is the choice of materials because, in relation to the mini PC's price, a metal case should really be the standard.

Its selection of connections is good, but not outstanding. USB4 is the most modern connection on the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 and is only available once. Its cooling manages to cope well with the predefined limits when it comes to its power consumption. Under load, however, the mini PC is sometimes louder than other devices. This can be remedied by adjusting the fan profile in the BIOS. This manual adjustment ensures a significantly reduced sound pressure level under load and is our recommendation if you already have a Minisforum EliteMini AI370. The Minisforum EliteMini AI370 is in the upper price segment, which is certainly justified in view of its compact design and powerful hardware. Compared to other mini PCs in this performance class, our test sample is by no means out of line. Nevertheless, its MRSP of $1,399 is certainly a factor that will put many people off for the time being.

You can currently purchase the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 directly from the manufacturer for $1,099.

The mini PC market continues to grow in popularity, especially among users looking for powerful hardware in a compact size. The brand new Minisforum EliteMini AI370 takes this device class to a new level and delivers noticeably more performance thanks to its state-of-the-art processor architecture. As a result of its enormous performance, the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 is not only suitable for classic office and multimedia applications, but also for creative professionals, developers and occasional gamers. In this review, we'll find out whether the mini PC can live up to this claim. Its basis consisting of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 promises a lot, and thanks to its AMD Radeon 890M, it now boasts further improved iGPU performance.

At $1,399, the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 is by no means a bargain, but in this configuration, it comes with 32 GB RAM and a 1-TB SSD. Comparable devices such as the Asus NUC 14 Pro+ or the Geekom GT1 Mega cost a similar amount at market launch. Currently, the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 is only available in one configuration.

The Minisforum EliteMini AI370's case features a sleek silver finish. Still, it should be mentioned that this is only a simple plastic case. Minisforum has used better cases in the past, which have attracted attention through their high-quality metal surfaces. Many competitors have now followed suit in this respect, as is also the case with the comparison devices we have selected for this review. In terms of feel, the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 cannot hold a candle to its competitors. This is a bit of a shame, as we expected much more at this point considering its purchase price. Nevertheless, its case looks super robust and is relatively scratch-resistant thanks to its matte surfaces. A positive side effect is the PC's relatively low weight of just 472 grams. Its external power supply unit weighs in at 273 grams, which is about the same weight as with most mini PCs in this performance class. In terms of space requirements, the Minisforum EliteMini AI370 is also in line with most other devices.

We used an ADATA SE920 external SSD to check the USB4 connection's performance, and it achieved excellent values during the test. Even so, it wasn't quite good enough for first place. The combination of our test SSD and the Asus NUC 14Pro+ as well as the Khadas Mind 2 delivered a slightly better performance.

The Minisforum EliteMini AI370's scope of delivery includes the device itself as well as a 120-watt power supply unit and a small VESA bracket with mounting materials. There are no other accessories such as a keyboard or mouse included.

The Minisforum EliteMini AI370 is currently only available in the configuration we tested. Conversely, this means that the device doesn't necessarily have to be opened. However, if you want to replace or clean components, you can still open it up. There are four screws on the underside that secure the case cover. Once these are removed, you can take off the top quite easily. However, only the mass storage and WLAN module can be replaced, or more precisely expanded. The RAM is soldered in place and cannot be expanded via an additional module. There are two fans in the mini PC itself, which are accessible should cleaning be necessary. To access the CPU fan, the circuit board must be removed from the case, but with a little skill and care, this isn't an impossible task.

The device's packaging consists mainly of paper and cardboard and is only slightly larger than the mini PC and accessories themselves. The manufacturer doesn't advertise any special sustainability efforts.

We carried out all performance tests using the performance profile Balanced. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370's profile can be adjusted in the BIOS. We carried out all tests in the default Balanced setting. Deviating from this and without influencing the PC's overall evaluation, we carried out some comparative benchmarks using the other performance profiles to illustrate the differences in performance. Information on this can be found in the respective test sections.

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is currently one of the fastest mobile processors on the market, delivering excellent performance inside the Minisforum EliteMini AI370. Both its single and multi-core performance have been increased compared to the AMD Ryzen 9 8945H. Now boasting 12 cores, AMD has been increasing the number of physical computing units for a long time, in turn providing the possibility of better multi-core performance. The available power consumption and the installed cooling unit both have a major influence on the processor's performance. The factory default setting delivered a good average value, which could only be slightly improved by activating Performance mode in the BIOS. Even Quiet mode, which reduces the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370's power consumption to 35 watts under continuous load, delivered excellent performance.

For further comparisons and benchmarks, please refer to our CPU comparison table.

The processor's outstanding performance unfortunately wasn't fully reflected in the system benchmarks. The Minisforum EliteMini AI370 gained a major performance advantage from its fast RAM.