Got my first mini pc for a home lab and I’m super excited. I eventually plan on getting a gpu to go with it

I measured how much the 70 W cap holds back the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell SFF in the MS-02 Ultra, step by step, on a local LLM (Qwen3.8-27B NVFP4, llama.cpp, full 262K context). Short version: 90 W plus a memory overclock got about 26-29% more throughput than stock, with GPU temps in the mid 70s C.

This card has no aux power connector. Everything above 70 W comes through the PCIe slot, and 90 W is over the 75 W slot spec. Caveats below.

Setup: MS-02 Ultra (BIOS 1.04, 350 W PSU), Core Ultra 9 285HX, 128 GB DDR5 at 4400, RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell SFF 24 GB (PCIe 5.0 x8), Debian 13, NVIDIA open 615.71.10, Secure Boot on.

How: software alone can't raise this card past 70 W. I edited 7 VBIOS power fields (board, slot and 12 V input-current limits, no voltage) and loaded the image into memory through patched, self-signed NVIDIA open modules (Vix Loader / Vix Editor). The EEPROM is never written; reboot onto the stock driver and it's a stock card.

Every run gave byte-identical output with no GPU or PCIe errors. 30-minute sustained runs held flat: 80 W peaked at 75 C, 90 W at 77 C.

Takeaways

• At 70 W the card is power-capped the whole time; overclocking there buys about 1.5%.
• Power is what matters: 70 to 80 W gave +10-12% on prefill and deep decode.
• Once power isn't the limit, memory is: at 90 W, +20% memory gave +12% decode.
• NVML memory offsets are double-data-rate units: +3600 is about +20%.

Slot-power caveat: Minisforum only states "standard 75W" per slot. The PCIe spec allows 5.5 A on the slot's 12 V pins; 90 W is about 7.5 A (1.4x). IR reads on the slot surface at 80 W were about 35-55 C. I stopped at 90 W on purpose and wouldn't go higher slot-only in this box. You own the risk if you try it, and never flash an edited VBIOS.

Full write-up with every step, specs, charts and sources: https://www.shellware.com/post/2026/10/27/ms-02-ultra-rtx-pro-4000-sff-power-scaling-70w-to-90w/

I bought this mini PC off amazon for and so far so good. I also picked up another 16GB of RAM. It’s going to be used mostly to play WoW Forever. I’ll keep everyone updated as it goes… especially if it breaks. 🤣

Hello, does anyone know how bad the fans are and if you can alter the power etc. to lower power consumption?

I have this mini pc with 32gb of ram, and I forgot what model it is, it’s a beeline pc. I also have a graphics card (that’s I also don’t know the model of, I’m a mood at PC building and parts) that’s I got off a computer someone tossed, the mother board looks all scratch up and it has no storage drive, but all the other components work (the gpu and 32gb of ram which idk why they didn’t take)

And basically I’m wondering of it possible to add and eGPU to mini pc and use the GPU I scavenged on it

I’ll even take bootleg methods, I got the set up for that as well

So, I have been contemplating purchasing the Minisforum AI X1 Pro (370) for awhile now, but also have continued looking around to be sure that it's the best PC for me right now.

Today, I found the Minisforum M1 Pro 285H barebone version with the Intel Core Ultra 9 that's a little cheaper than the X1 Pro, and has most of the things I am looking for in a PC like the X1 Pro does. I did notice that the M1 Pro has a couple more models: the 125H, and just the M1 1295/1390. What is the latest processor between these models? And is the M1 Pro worth it over the AI X1 Pro? I do like how the M1 Pro is smaller, but the X1 Pro doesn't need a big power adapter as far as I know.

I've tried comparing them on Notebook Check and Versus, but wanted some opinions as well.

Any input would definitely be helpful! Thanks in advance!

The wifi on my beelink ser9 pro is giving me a headache from the very beginning. The connection randomly drops, and sometimes it just refuses to reconnect, and I'm honestly getting tired of dealing with it.

At first, I thought it might be my router or some weird driver issue. I tried the usual troubleshooting stuff, but nothing really solved it. What makes this even more annoying is that I don't have these problems with any of my other computers.

I've got a mac mini m4, a geekom it11 and acer inspire 5 in the some network, and none of them drop connection.

After digging into the issue, I'm increasingly convinced that beelink’s pcb design and emc are part of the problem. Poor emi shielding or interference around the wireless circuitry could potentially cause the unstable connection, although I am not 100% sure.

Honestly, it's a shame, because the HX370 CPU is really powerful, but I felt like I shouldn't have to keep troubleshooting a basic feature like WiFi on a machine in this price range, especially when my other computers work perfectly fine in the exact same environment.

I'm curious whether this is a common issue with this model or if I've just ended up with a bad unit. How should I avoid buying a computer with poor EMC again?

idk buying ram at these prices feel so scammy. for those in the market for a pc, are you buying now or are you waiting?

Hi everybody,

My sister really deserves a computer. But she doesn't have space or the need for a massive one. So I've been looking at mini PC's

She'll mainly use it for gaming. Games like, TheSims, Planet zoo 2 and modded Minecraft.

We have a budget for about 800€.

Is this mini pc something for her. Or is there something better?

(She has an old MacBook for her work and other daily stuff, that's why she'll only use the mini pc for gaming)

We’re the team behind TOPCtec. Here’s our Ryzen 7 7840HS mini PC in its 16GB LPDDR5 / 512GB SSD configuration.

It uses an 8-core, 16-thread processor and integrated Radeon 780M graphics. This is aimed at people building a compact everyday desktop for work or study, rather than finding room for a full-size tower.

One detail worth noting before choosing a configuration: the LPDDR5 memory is onboard, not a pair of replaceable desktop memory sticks. Choose the memory capacity with your longer-term needs in mind.

This mini seems like a good deal for $580. I wanted to share it with others and get some others’ thoughts on it.

Specs:

• CPU: Ryzen 7 7840HS
• RAM: 32GB DDR5 @ 5600MHz
• Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD (fast, but only 1 M.2 slot)
• Chassis: Metal case
• Upgradability: Swappable Wi-Fi card, room for a 2.5" SATA drive

Downsides:

• Mediocre I/O port selection
• Single NVMe slot
• New or unknown company

You’re basically paying for the 32GB DDR5 and 1TB SSD and getting the rest for free.

Looking to get a mini PC for behind my TV. Any recommendations for this. Very new to this kind of set up. Trying to learn to build the set up

Hi! I know there might be other posts like this but I still wanted to make my own post to ask. I'm looking to get a mini pc around $600. I want to mainly use it for gaming. Not any tripe AAA games but just games that need more than 8gb ram. I'm hoping for atleast 16gb - 32gb ram but I know that might be reaching to far.

Edit: For more information I will be connecting it to my laptop (though im pretty sure it will need an adapter?) I just want to play story games that have nice graphics. Though I realized that mini pc don't have gpu? So idk if I should maybe get a steam deck or if I should find another way to play those games. I saw someone saying I should do bare bones which sounds intresting but I'm not sure how to do that so lmk if you do!

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a compact Windows 11 gaming PC for my son, who starts secondary school next year. Ideally, something around the size of a Mac mini, although a small shoebox-sized PC is fine too.

Budget is £800–£1,200 (UK), and I'm happy to consider new or refurbished.

He'll mainly play Rocket League, Fortnite, Minecraft Java and Call of Duty. I'd like these to run at high FPS, ideally taking advantage of a 144Hz/165Hz monitor.

Ideally, I'd want 32GB RAM, a 1TB SSD and something reliable enough for schoolwork and gaming over the next few years.

What specific models would you recommend? Are mini gaming PCs worth it, or would I be better off with a small-form-factor desktop?

Thanks

I wanted to purchase a Firebat R3 mini PC because of how good the deal looks right now. It's selling on Ali Express for ~$260 for the 7430U model. Can someone who has bought Firebat devices, or even better, this particular model, share their view.

Product Link

Separate question: I'm trying to buy mini PC through some hoops and have no recourse of return or refund in case the thing arrives Dead on Arrival or have problems in some time. So if you got some suggestions on better brands or models with good builds then that will be really helpful!!

Hey all, I'm a Year 12 student in Australia building a home server for my HSC Design and Technology major project, and I'd love some advice on which NUC to base it on before I buy.

The plan:
- Strip the NUC out of its case and mount the bare board in a custom enclosure (aluminium pillar frame + 3D printed panels)
- Replace the stock cooler with a top-down desktop-style heatsink and a 140mm top exhaust fan, using a custom bracket
- Servo-actuated vents that stay closed at idle, with the fan off, so it's silent at low load
- Workloads: Minecraft server, file storage/backups, Docker, and some light AI inference

What I care about:
- Budget around $300 AUD, used or refurbished is fine
- 4 cores minimum
- Lower TDP is better, since I want it to idle passively
- Ideally Intel has published STEP files for the board, so I can design around it in Fusion 360

Options I'm looking at:
- NUC8i5BEH: fits my budget, but I can't find board STEP files, only the case
- NUC8v5PNH: has STEP files and is only 15W, but the listings I've found are way over budget
- NUC11TNB: has STEP files and is more powerful, but I'm not sure on price or heat

Questions:
1. Which of these (or something else) would you pick for this?
2. Where do you find good used or ex-corporate NUCs in Australia?
3. Has anyone mounted a desktop cooler on a bare NUC board? Any tips on the bracket or mounting pressure on the bare die?

If you've got 2 minutes, I'd also really appreciate you filling out my short anonymous survey on what people want in a home server: https://forms.gle/6w8WRU6bz8vzcuaz9

Thanks! Happy to post the build once it's underway.

Hey all, I'm a Year 12 student in Australia building a home server for my HSC Design and Technology major project, and I'd love some advice on which NUC to base it on before I buy.

The plan:
- Strip the NUC out of its case and mount the bare board in a custom enclosure (aluminium pillar frame + 3D printed panels)
- Replace the stock cooler with a top-down desktop-style heatsink and a 140mm top exhaust fan, using a custom bracket
- Servo-actuated vents that stay closed at idle, with the fan off, so it's silent at low load
- Workloads: Minecraft server, file storage/backups, Docker, and some light AI inference

What I care about:
- Budget around $300 AUD, used or refurbished is fine
- 4 cores minimum
- Lower TDP is better, since I want it to idle passively
- Ideally Intel has published STEP files for the board, so I can design around it in Fusion 360

Options I'm looking at:
- NUC8i5BEH: fits my budget, but I can't find board STEP files, only the case
- NUC8v5PNH: has STEP files and is only 15W, but the listings I've found are way over budget
- NUC11TNB: has STEP files and is more powerful, but I'm not sure on price or heat

Questions:
1. Which of these (or something else) would you pick for this?
2. Where do you find good used or ex-corporate NUCs in Australia?
3. Has anyone mounted a desktop cooler on a bare NUC board? Any tips on the bracket or mounting pressure on the bare die?

If you've got 2 minutes, I'd also really appreciate you filling out my short anonymous survey on what people want in a home server: https://forms.gle/6w8WRU6bz8vzcuaz9

Thanks! Happy to post the build once it's underway.

I'm trying to install a genuine Intel X550-T2 dual-port 10GbE NIC in an Acer Veriton N4660G (i5-8400), but the system won't POST when the card is installed.

Symptoms:

• Power on the PC with the X550-T2 installed
• System emits a continuous beep
• No video output at all
• Doesn't appear to get past POST
• If I remove the X550-T2, the system boots normally

What I've already tried:

• Confirmed the X550-T2 works in another machine
• Verified BIOS is latest version.
• Reset BIOS settings to defaults
• Disabled Secure Boot
• Tried different UEFI/Legacy/CSM settings
• Cleared CMOS

Hardware:

• Acer Veriton N4660G
• Intel Core i5-8400
• Genuine Intel X550-T2
• Windows 10/11 (doesn't matter since it never reaches boot)

As the machine boots normally without it, I'm wondering if this is some kind of BIOS/PCIe compatibility issue with the system.

Has anyone successfully run an Intel X550-T2 in one of these systems, or does anyone know of BIOS settings that might help? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thank you :D

I've been streaming from ONLY my PC for the past 2 decades. I am now engaged and still only want to stream from my PC, but through websites and not just Netflix and Amazon.

What's an inexpensive option to achieve this? I do want to have separate PC's to do this. I thought about just building a new $1,000 PC and putting it in the living room. It doesn't matter if I don't have a remote, but a remote would be a nice upgrade while sitting on the couch.

This PC would be hooking up to a TV.

Thoughts?

Thank you.

*edit: I do not have any plans on gaming with this device. It is strictly for streaming movies/tv shows.