Minisforum UH125 Pro review: AI mini-PC with Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, 32 GB DDR5 RAM and 1 TB SSD comes at a price

The manufacturer itself advertises the Minisforum UH125 Pro as a powerful AI mini-PC with OCuLink connection. The processor is an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, which can definitely offer a certain added value with its separate NPU. However, we can now also find this option in other SoCs. Minisforum does not offer other CPU configurations for the UH125 Pro. When purchasing the Minisforum UH125 Pro, the buyer is faced with the decision between the barebone variant and our test configuration. Without RAM and SSD, the device can be pre-ordered for 499 euros. The regular price, however, is 629 euros. If you want to purchase the Minisforum UH125 Pro with 32 GB DDR5 RAM and a 1 TB SSD, you will have to dig deeper into your pockets: The RRP is currently 879 euros. However, Minisforum is offering the device for 699 euros during the pre-order phase.

In terms of price, the Minisforum UH125 Pro stands out neither positively nor negatively. The competitors against whom we pitted the Minisforum UH125 Pro are listed in the following table.

Note: We have updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7 here available here.

The Minisforum UH125 Pro is sold exclusively in black color. The manufacturer relies on a mix of aluminum and plastic for the materials used. The latter can be found on the top and bottom, although the main part of the case is made of metal. This gives the device excellent stability, which is also accompanied by impeccable workmanship. The power button and the Copilot button are located on the top. The latter is simply a button to start the Copilot assistant. However, it is questionable whether this feature will be used often in practice.

The Minisforum UH125 Pro takes up slightly more space on the desk than its competitors. In terms of height, our test device ranks in the midfield, although the 49 millimeters do not make the device appear bulky. In relation to the 14.5 centimeters in width and depth, the Minisforum UH125 Pro has enough internal space to accommodate a powerful and efficient cooling unit. The Minisforum UH125 Pro can also be attached to a monitor via a VESA mount.

If you order the Minisforum UH125 Pro as a barebone version, you will inevitably have to open the device to install the RAM and an SSD. In principle, this works relatively well, although the glued-on rubber feet on the underside are a bit of a hindrance. They conceal the four screws that hold the underside to the housing. However, care should be taken when opening the case, as the two lower USB ports are connected internally with a relatively short ribbon cable. In order to access the RAM and an SSD, the fan must then be removed. Twelve screws have to be unscrewed for this. Internally, the Minisforum UH125 Pro is similar to the Minisforum AtomMan X7 Ti. The two M.2 interfaces are concealed under a solid metal cooler. One of these is already occupied by an 80-millimeter-long SSD in our test device. Two SO-DIMM modules can be installed for the RAM. The WLAN module can also be replaced. However, this is much more complicated, as the entire circuit board has to be dismantled.

The Minisforum UH125 Pro is supplied in a cardboard box appropriate to the size of the device. The accessories are packed in separate plastic bags, which could be improved in terms of sustainability. As already mentioned, the device itself is made from a mix of aluminum and plastic. We do not know whether special processes were used for the production of recycled materials.

We carried out all performance tests with the Balanced energy mode. We did not change the performance of the SoC and left it in its default state according to the BIOS settings (Balanced). As an alternative to the Balanced, the SoC can also be operated in Silent and Performance mode. The same applies to the fan curve, which we have not changed any further. We will take a closer look at the different noise levels with regard to the various fan profiles later in the test.

The Minisforum UH125 Pro is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H. The SoC combines 6 P and 8 E cores and can process a total of 18 threads in parallel. Basically, the processor delivers solid performance, and occasionally the mid-range SoC can even compete with the Core i9 models. In the overall performance comparison, our test device has to settle for last place in terms of CPU performance. However, one should not be too deceived by this result, as Minisforum does not use the top model of the Meteor Lake series here. The gap to the Geekom AE7 is comparatively small with only 13 percentage points in the performance rating.

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

Our test sample performed slightly better in the system performance tests than in the pure CPU performance tests. The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H in combination with the installed DDR5 RAM delivers excellent performance in everyday use. We can also subjectively confirm the high performance of the entire system. Our test sample even came out on top in the RAM tests.