The best mini PC I've tested! Minisforum UM790 Pro Review & Benchmarks (4K)
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- Опубліковано 16 лип 2024
- 💻 FEATURED TECH 💻
Minisforum UM790 Pro (Barebones): geni.us/p6XB
UM790 Pro w/ 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD: geni.us/hKwh
Crucial P3 Plus 500GB NVME Storage: geni.us/8MUhV
Crucial P3 Plus 1TB NVME Storage: geni.us/AWvIlVz
16GB DDR5 5600MHz RAM (buy 2): geni.us/KpPu
🎥 CAMERA & GEAR 🎥
Sony A6400: geni.us/T33I
Sigma 16mm F1.4: amzn.to/3q4zxl6
Sigma 18-50mm F2.8: geni.us/sLK7BF
My Microphone: geni.us/XHn61ue
My Capture card: geni.us/hBI2
My video editing monitor: geni.us/BzFQhtv
When you buy through an affiliate link, I may receive a commission on the sale. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
00:00 - Intro
00:37 - Unboxing
02:23 - Teardown
03:42 - BIOS
04:01 - 4K Video
04:15 - Benchmarks
05:06 - Game testing
07:57 - Sound & Power
08:18 - Conclusion - Ігри
I have always been fascinated by these mini-pcs. It's super cool what they can do these days. And, your b-roll music is awesome. I could listen to that all day. Cheers!
It's really great to see how far iGPU performance has improved with RDNA3. Great review and I appreciate your effort to compare the CPU and iGPU scores with traditional desktop hardware so there is context for the scores. Keep up the great work!
Thank you!
A nice review. I think I've watched almost every UM790 review out there now in preparation for purchasing and this is definitely one of the better ones. I appreciate that you got a good balance of not being overly long but still covering enough detail and I appreciated the close-ups of getting the base plate off to get to the RAM & M2 slots. I think that after getting the feet off I'd stick them back on with double-sided sticky tape but put them just next to the screws rather than covering up the screws again.
This is almost my perfect mini PC with current technology. My only design complaint is that I wish at least one of the USB-C ports was at the back. For the most common uses of USB-C - monitor, fast external storage, power delivery, very fast network etc - I would have thought that most people would prefer the cabling tucked away behind their PC rather than needing to be plugged in to the front.
My other concern that for now is stopping me getting one is that I've seen quite a few reports of instability (crashes and lock-ups) but I think BIOS updates might have fixed that now. For me the other option is the Beelink GTR7 Pro (same CPU running at 65W) but that's out of stock at Beelink and not currently listed on Amazon UK whereas the UM790 is available for next day Amazon Prime delivery which, together with Amazon's very simple 30-day returns policy, is quite reassuring.
I think I'll mull things over for a few more weeks and then push the button on one of those 2 options - either the UM790 or the GTR7 Pro. Of course if the GTR7 Pro doesn't come back into stock in that time the decision might be forced on me.
Lovely video. I have a small tech channel myself (*which I greatly neglected lately). I'm happy to see there are small channels out there, like yours, that provide quality content. Keep it up! Subbed.
Thank you friend!
Never seen your videos before but I thought it was interesting. You started the gaming test with my favourite game from my childhood.
Thank you! SSX3 is also my favourite childhood game. If you go on any of my other videos and listen to my 3D intro at the beginning, you might recognise the sound effects & music as they're all from SSX3
@SmallBoxCentral even the tricks sound effect. Love it.
I bought one of these UM790 PRO's (64gb, 1Tb models) back in August and its been pretty awesome ever since I received it. WIN 11 PRO is smooth and while I don't do much gaming with this system, I did load up MWIII to see how it would perform and was impressed with the 75fps at 4K I received, but the system did get loud and after playing a short while, started pausing in game, which means lower settings would have been fine.
Can't wait to see more systems like this hit the market and hope we see some with even better graphics in a small package.
How does it perform for video editing and such? Can it go toe to toe with the big boys?
@@Florida8K360 I have not video editing on a large scale, only smaller videos for FB or Instagram, and it handled them fine. I might upgrade the 1TB to a 2 or 4tb to give it some breathing room when editing, or add a 2nd nvme and install editing program on that drive. Where you may see some lag vs a dedicated video editing workstation is modern video cards will aide in the rendering of edited videos, this one isn't bad, but its less money than most videos cards may cost for higher end workstations, so keep that in mind.
I got this about 2 weeks ago from Ali Express (32gb ram 2tb Nvme SSD) and it's amazing! It's MY BABY 🤣❤
Sounds good man, glad you're enjoying it! I wish I could have kept mine
I have one😎, I bought it because my gaming computer is too expensive to run since the energy price hike. So what do I think of it 🤔, well to be honest I'm blown away by it. It plays all my games at a respectable speed, although I have to turn some of the settings down when playing Cyberpunk 77, but that's only to be expected considering how dinky it is. Obviously I can't run my VR gear with it, although I haven't tried it, BUT if technology advances at its present rate I can see even VR being possible in maybe 5 years. It runs cool even when gaming and my only complaint(nit pick really) is there is no USB C on the back so I have the monitor (INNOCN 17" Oled) connected by one cable from the front delivering power AND video. I was a bit apprehensive when I first got it and was fully prepared to send it back so I bought it from Amazon purely because they are good with returns, I needn't have worried though, Its got a better CPU than my gaming rig although integrated graphics, as expected will never catch up to a top class graphics card BUT they have come a long way in the last few years so I am hoping that my next mini PC will actually replace my gaming rig as apposed to just supplementing it. All in all then, I'm very happy with my new little toy 😀😀😀😀😀😀❤❤😎😎
Fantastic video! I really wish Minisforum would stop doing the glued on rubber feet covering the screws. I could see at least a weak argument if they only sold pre-configured systems, but for a barebones units? Insane really. they effectively punish you as a DIY customer by making you ruin your units feet just to get it to even function. Just coping the Beelink 4 screws with a rubber pull tab would make the user experience 1000% better.
Haha I love your videos, thanks for commenting! Totally agree on the feet. It would make more sense just to include 6 feet in the box - If anything that would seem like an easier thing to do than what they are doing now
@@SmallBoxCentral Just wondering, how did you get the feet back on, did you glue them? The feet thing is quite bizarre.
No kidding! Just got mine here (thanks to EVO here, I have a 690S and the 790 pro - the 690S has the solution! Why don't they do that for all of their mini? They have the fix.
If you have a steam deck and a series X and PS5 then this iGPU will fill in the gap above steam deck and below your 4k consoles for your PC gaming needs without having redundance in hardware performance. THIS IS CHEF'S KISS I CAN'T EVEN.
I purchased a 64gb 1T version of this a few weeks back as a test. While not the top of the line for the minisform range, I've been very impressed. It even runs my DAW when fully loaded with polysynths with no audio glitches.
On the down side, I have not been able to get dual boot for Linux, even after disabling secure boot. Hopefully I'll get some support on that from minisforum soon.
Isn't the UM790 pretty much top of the line in that traditional Intel NUC-like form factor and size though? I know that Minisforum do have more powerful stuff but don't you have to go up to a slightly bigger chassis size to get to that next level? Just checking to make sure I haven't missed any options. I like to upgrade aggressively (as high performance as I can get) but less frequently so that each upgrade keeps me happy for longer before I start pining for the next upgrade. The small form factor is important to me though hence my question.
@@julianfp1952 they have some units that are gaming focused, and those are different chassis designs. For the price and total silence of the unit, I am happy. The bios is its only real issue, as it makes dual boot (ie Linux) almost impossible. Basically, it will not allow boot from an external storage device. This means, you can't even image the unit with a new OS, unless you buy a second and install a second SSD with Linux installed on it. Not a dealt breaker in you only want Windows, but an issue if building a dev, home server, botacera gaming rig, etc.
Great review 👍🏻. Please can I ask if this can work (fast) with external HDD plugged into USB port?
I wan’t to make an Arcade Cabinet with a powerfull mini pc like this, but it’s important for me that I cana 8TB external HDD with ex. RetroBat and all the roms (from oldschool until PS3).
I have read somewhere that it does not suppet HDD can that be true 🤷🏻♂️
Thanks for making this video.
Did you do anything to optimise fps for CS2? I presume you set the energy profile in the bios for performance as opposed to balanced?
I bought the device and I am averaging 70fps on 1080p medium settings. That’s a significant difference to your test.
Sorry you're having issues, I didn't do any optimisation at all! I tested it in a bots match instead of a real match, perhaps that made a difference? Otherwise i'm not sure
@@SmallBoxCentral Many thanks for the quick reply. I think it's probably because I am using a Windows virtual machine with GPU passthrough. It works well but there's probably a loss in FPS. I will setup the UM790pro with dual boot and run Windows natively. I am sure this will get the FPS to the same level as in your test. Currently, I am around 40 FPS lower. Thanks again, I was just wondering if you did any optimization.
Anything cheaper that has two 2280 NVMe slots?
Apparently the EliteMini TH80 does.
Anything else?
Thanks.
I’m really interested in getting one of these. Would you recommend this for some casual gaming and small game development? I’m trying to learn to make my own games.
100%
Very cool 😎
Thank you sir
Hiya. I am obviously late to the party, but is there any difference between this UM790 model as compared to the less expensive UM780, aside from the very slight clock bump? If note, since I will be Occulinking this to a 7900XTX, that clock bump is essentially irrelevant to me, I think. Arguments against this thought process?
Hi what about tuntherbolt port in the pc
Your screen resolution is too high, that's why the built in graphics card not performing well. I suggest that you use 1080p option also through the settings of AMD Graphics Panel switch the adaptive sync option and set the graphics quality to performance if you wish. More FPS+
I'm waiting for mine to arrive, no ram or ssd option to tweak it even more :D
This is a box I want for Fallout New Vegas + Tale of Two Wastelands; Fallout 4; games like that. I just want something with more GPU power than an Intel UHD 630.
could I reasonabey run VR Steam and Quest 2 games with this?
Has anyone encountered data exchange problems between 2 devices connected to the USB ports? I purchased this product, it happens to me that by connecting 2 SSD devices in two ports of the mini PC, there is an incredible slowdown in data exchange. Has anyone encountered the same problem?
Intro and animation were impressive 👏
I was wondering if you replaced the Curial NVMe with a faster NVMe (like Samsung) would the system be able to keep the NVMe cool? I would like to place 2 faster NVMes in this case but I am concerned about the heat generated by the NVMes.
The built in heatsink is pretty good, I think you'd be fine with upgrading the NVME drives
Hi !
I hesitate between 32 & 64 gb for 100 euros more. is it worth it ? The gain wille be effective on photoshop premier,... But for gaming and retro gaming with linux Batocera partition ? THANKS
Get 32GB, 64GB is too much even for me :P
There has to be something wrong with the multicore benchmark that puts this almost on a par with the 5950X. No other benchmarks put them that close.
It's possible to add a GPU to this ?
What is the utility that you are using to show temps & framerates please ?? 👍😎
MSI Afterburner 👌
This is impressive. It's roughly twice as powerful as the Steam Deck. Which means the next generation of these Mini-PCs will be capable of playing the latest Triple A titles in 1080p on mostly high settings. Looking forward to 2025 then. Hopefully Valve will have released their SteamOS by then, so we don't have to install HollowISO or Chimera ourselves.
Will this run 4k @ 120hz over HDMI as they claim on their spec page? Your video showed 4k @ 60hz, but if you could test on a faster monitor or TV with VRR, I would like to know that.
Heard that some owners encountered blank screen at 4K/120Hz, that's why?
Real world testing - with 48 GB DDR5 5600 MT in this um790 Pro on an LG 65" 4K Tv (only 60 hz :(): Black Mesa (Halflife remaster) it hits 60fps at 1080p high settings, 60fps, Skyrim 64 bit Anniversary edition, max quality 1080p 60fps, Fallout 4 high quality at 4K 48 fps (no upscaling), at 2k 60fps. 7 Days to Die medium preset at 1080p 50fps avg. Oddworld New and Tasty at 4k high 60fps; runs Dolphin emulator with any game at 4K not one issue.
HI, WHAT'S YOUR OPINION ABOUT SOUND QUALITY OF THIS PC? DOES THIS PC SOUND GOOD? CAN IT'S SOUND QUALITY BE COPARABLE TO DELL , LENOVO ETC? THANKS
It sounds as good as any other PC I have used, you won't be disappointed 👍
@@SmallBoxCentral thanks
how did you upload your os? putting it on a flash drive? looking to buy a bare bones as well but haven't installed an os on a blank like that before.
It depends on the OS but the install normally takes like 20 minutes, it's very easy - downloading all the software you want afterwards is the part that takes time
@@SmallBoxCentralSo it does not come with an OS?
@@tac2456It comes with Windows 11 if you buy it with the SSD and RAM preinstalled. If you buy the barebones kit like I did, you will need to provide your own OS
So i might be ignorant, but couldn’t they also put in a laptop gpu chip to make it good for gpu demanding games?
Not ignorant at all! Theoretically they could but I think financially it wouldn't make sense for them to make it, as they presume if someone needed the graphics power in a desktop then they would just go bigger and get a dedicated GPU with a normal desktop. it would also add a lot of financial costs in terms of research and development - these companies like minisforum and beelink aren't very big compared to the massive laptop manufacturers so the potential profits they could make by adding a laptop GPU chip aren't worth it
WONDER WHAT IT WOULD RUN OVERCLOCKED ?!?!
any idea about running MSFS on this unit?
Didn't get a chance to test it, but can't imagine it would be great - I imagine at 1080p low would be playable
How can I run 6 monitors to this (for trading stocks)?
Do I have to add an additional GPU and is that an expensive add-on?
The only way I can imagine it working is using the 2 ports at the back and then buying 2 usb-c hubs that both have 2 HDMIs on them but not sure if those exist. I think to run 6 screens you are better off with a traditional desktop. Don't get a GPU add on for a mini pc, it won't be a good set up
You can buy two "USB C to DisplayPort Dual Monitor Adapter Hub". The two USB 4.0 ports on the front can power 4 monitors. Then the rear 2 HDMI ports can power another 2 monitors.
@@ericliume That's awesome, thanks
Nice to see UM 790 Pro reviewed by you. But please DO NOT cover your voice with background music , no matter how good it is. I started this video to hear what you have to say and also fan noise samples not annoing music
Music is fine...ITS JUST TOO LOUD😂
Totally agree.
Please, no music!
I had mine less than a week ago and sent it back to amazon on the same day it came in the mail. The wifi card was terrible. My acer Nitro 5 can download at over 500Mb/s. The Mini PC barely got 50 Mb/s. I even tried putting a TP Link Archer wireless adapter to boost speed. It conflicted with my wireless mouse no matter what USB port I used. Most likely because it isn't equipped with enough PCIE lanes to handle those 4 USB ports on the back. I even had a 220 dollar coupon and thought it was a ripoff. Over 1000 dollars Canadian is way too much for this. I mean if you're building something that can game you need enough pcie lanes. You need fast wifi to download big games. It's a great start, but these Mini PCs are clearly unfinished. I won't be buying one for quite a while yet.
Fits in your pocket but also you need to lug around a huge power supply. what's the point
Hahaha yes that is true. At least you have the option to get two power supplies if you are switching between two places all the time
is this mini pc not event better thn a same laptop around this prices?
Correct
The heat sink has blue tape on it?? Should that be removed??
Yes definitely remove it
Can this HW transcode in Plex?
I don't see why not. But if you're looking for a plex machine you would be better off getting a NAS for the same price, I use a Synology DS720+ and it works great for Plex and Jellyfin
Can you power it with powerbank?
Only if your power bank has a normal power outlet, you can't run it over USB-C. This system needs 120W of power to run properly
8:10 in all the reviews people say its quiet but it sounds a bit noisy to me, is it my impression?
It's hard to demonstrate it on the video because you can just turn the volume up or down haha - trust me, it's very quiet compared to other mini PCs/laptops
@@SmallBoxCentral Thank you, I was about to by one for media composing) production but then I heard it reboots by itself and there's not a lot of drivers. What's your experience with it so far?
@@tac2456 It was fine in my time using it but I only reviewed it for about 2-3 days, so can't comment on how long it performs long term. The drivers I found on the Minisforum website worked perfectly
@@SmallBoxCentral I've ordered one today so help me God
@@tac2456Oh nice answers/reports, please let me know what you think about the volume and whether it's quieter than expected, since it's always hard to say what it's actually like in reality. I'm thinking about ordering this PC and using it as a home server, which should be energy efficient and at the same time very unfortunately or hardly or not at all audible, since it will then be in the living room and will run 24/7. 😅 I would be very happy to receive a detailed experience and answer. LG
Does it come with Windows 11 installed ?
Yes, if you buy one with ram and ssd already installed
@@SmallBoxCentral Thankyou
Sorry, this Mini PC is by far not quiet at all, it is loud when it is in idle and extremely loud when it is under full load. I was tempted by the really inexpensive offering on Amazon (about 480 USD for the 32 GB/512 GB version), but after I heard how loud this computer is, no thanks, I am keeping my Beeling SER6 that is also considered not the quietest under load, but when it is idle, the Beelink SER6 is as quiet as a dead mouse. Inaudible, during web surfing this is a really great little computer. My advise, when looking for a Mini PC, check if it is whisper quiet when running idle, all Mini PCs are louder when under heavy load, but this is acceptable, since they have to be cooled down, but when not under load, they must be silent.
Is it compatible with linux?
Yes
The only problem of this thing is poor wifi speed
Which can be solve by using external antenna instead
I saw someone on Reddit do that mod, it looks funky
you can run the wifi cables out through the vesa mounting holes if you really want to, then hook a stand-alone antenna to them, OR drill a couple of holes in the back panel and thread the antenna through them "properly". So far, I just replaced the "Mediatek 608" wifi with an Intel AX210 when I could not find drivers for the Mediatek (~$22) and so far the pre-installed antenna are doing just fine
@@yissnakklives8866 yep I get two attenna from retired wireless adapter and run them through the mesh , some of their hole big enough for mmcx connector, then I tape it on the side of the um790, work like charm !
ppl an dreviewers should NOT touch the copper connections on RAM memory sticks and/or M2 ssd drives. fingerprints will add resistance and there is a bigger risk of electromagnetic or static energy damage. I see this contact touching a lot in review videos, it is a bad trend and habbit. Just like putting a knife in your mouth...
Gaming. Gaming. Gaming.
Did anything else exist in your live?
I hope that the um 790 pro nedds 5 or more times less power then my Tower PC
but also works for 10 years like the big one.
Gaming is for Kids. Like short Pants. 🤡
Pitty they dont ship your paid for products. Waiting for 2 months now, no replies or answers, no order status changes, nothing. Money gone im afraid...
This video wasn't sponsored - I bought this myself, through Amazon. But I did have an issue with them sending me stuff when I bought through their website, and their customer service team were completely useless. I ended up getting my money back but had to contact one of their staff members on the Minisforum discord server, maybe try that? His name on there is "Peanut Minisforum". Invite at the link: discord.gg/MXJtsuT4
That is NOT "very quiet". You trying to gaslight us bro?!
just turn down your volume bro problem solved
I use mine as a living room entertainment center and under full load, you can't hear it from 10 feet (3 meters) away unless you turn off everything else in the room.
My as rock x300 desk mini does better than that and has 4 SSDs and a desktop socketted processor it costs $200 barebones
With extremely outdated I/O, worse integrated graphics and a far larger footprint. noice.
@@JimboJonesThe3rd i DONT game....I see no reason to waste my life.... the footprint is actually way smaller!
@@jimw7916 at least get your facts straight: Deskmini X300 = 155x155x80 / Um790 Pro = 130x126x52 and I/O is still trash on the asrock
@@JimboJonesThe3rd hey EINSTEIN ...... the deskmini sits VERTICALLY!! ....you used the word "footprint" !
@@JimboJonesThe3rd hey EINSTEIN...... the deskmini sits VERTICALLY .....you used the (English) word "footprint" ....besides the asrock sh*ts all over it in geekbench.
LOL obv you didnt test much mini pcs
This is an expensive hobby lol
AMD is Trash.
Intel is BEST !!
Yeah the cognitive dissonance is amazing. There are people out here who still believe Intel is still superior in every way. Try talking to these people !!
As an all AMD "fan" boy, I never hated Intel, I love Intel Wifi, and the new GPUs amidst the hate they get. Why? Because Intel supports open source like AMD, unlike NVIDIA. I have and will always respect Intel's massive contribution to open source. I have an x250 with an i5 5500u which is more than amazing in 2023, the rest is all AMD, the main laptop and Workstation: RYZEN FTW.
Those people are not objective. They are tribal loyalist. "My tribe is Intel, so I support it like it's my first born child".
Objective people look at the pros and cons. Intel CPUs are great for raw power 💪 and single core performance. However, they are bad at efficiency. AMD is very good at efficiency and great at iGPUs, but they struggle with snappy single core performance. Apple M CPUs are the best at efficiency and very competitive at performance, but they charge luxury prices. Also, Apple traps you into their expensive ecosystem for the very basic things. $1,600 for 8GB of RAM is insulting.
Why anyone dont try test BG3?!
If you mean Baldurs Gate 3, mine runs it great, on medium settings, I'm getting 60 FPS most of the time although it sometimes dips into the 50's when there is a lot going on😎😎
pretty much any game prior to 2020 will run pretty good on these things - remember this is integrated graphics and shares system memory (no dedicated VRAM). For comparison, the um690S (680m iGPU) gets around 40-ish FPS in 7 Days to Die at 1080p medium preset, and the 780m in the um790pro gets around 60 at the same settings. It'll run Halflife Black Mesa, Oddworld New n Tasty, Road Redemption, XCOM Enemy Unknown, Doom Eternal, and so on at 60 fps at 1080p (running on a TV that only hits 60 hz). I run a lot of console emulation and there isn't anything PS3 and below that this won't run better - further graphic options not available on the original consoles, higher resolutions, etc...