Minisforum AI X1 Pro Review: A Flexible Mac Mini Rival You Can Upgrade Yourself

This little Windows PC sure looks like a Mac Mini, and it's a little more expensive, but once you start tallying up the price of upgrades, it has a lot going for it.

• Potent CPU in a compact box
• Expandable memory and (especially) storage
• Many high-bandwidth ports
• Integrated power supply with USB-C power delivery

• Integrated graphics can't compete with discrete chips
• Tricky value consideration compared to laptops

The Minisforum AI X1 Pro is a commendable little desktop with a thoughtful design, high utility and a minimal footprint if you want a Windows alternative to the Mac Mini. It looks like a pre-2024 Mac Mini (before Apple shrunk it with the recent M4 models), and it's built around a relatively powerful mobile processor, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. What sets it apart is the considerable number of connections and commendable upgradability. And there aren't a ...