Minisforum MS-A2 launches globally with new Ryzen 9 HX CPU and dGPU support
Minisforum first introduced the MS-A2 at the Japan IT Week Tokyo Spring Show, and now, the mini workstation is available globally. Being the successor to the MS-A1, it sees a noticeable jump in terms of the CPU. To be specific, while the predecessor can be equipped with up to an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X processor, the MS-A2 packs the newly released Ryzen 9 9955HX.
This CPU is a high-end option from the AMD Fire Range series, and it features 16 Zen 5 cores and the Radeon 610M. Although that iGPU isn't anything to write home about, like the predecessor, the MS-A2 can be equipped with a discrete GPU (dGPU), thanks to the built-in PCIe x16 slot with support for PCIe 4.0 x8.
However, given the compact nature of the 1.78 L chassis, the Minisforum MS-A2 can only hold a low-profile, single-slot GPU (single-slot Yeston RTX 3050 available on Amazon). This PCIe slot also has support for splitting, allowing 2x PCIe 4.0 x4 configurations for network cards or other expansion options.
The Ryzen 9 9555X of this SFF (Small Form Factor) PC can be paired with up to 96 GB of DDR5-5600 RAM. As for the storage, it has 3 M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots that can hold up to a total storage of 12 TB. It supports U.2 NVMe as well, with support for up to 15 TB of single-drive storage. Connectivity-wise, there is a rich selection of ports, including:
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- 1x HDMI 2.1
- 1x 2.5G LAN with Realtek RTL8125
- 1x 2.5G LAN with Intel I226-V
- 2x 10G SFP
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
- 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
- 1x USB 2.0 Type-A
When it comes to the price, the barebone variant of the Minsiforum MS-A2 currently costs $839, while the configuration with 64 GB of RAM and 1 TB storage is going for $1,103. It's expected to start shipping by the end of May 2025.
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