Acemagic AD08

The Acemagic AD08 offers compelling specs for its newly adjusted $399 price, packing an Intel Core i9-11900H (8 cores/16 threads) with 32GB DDR4 RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD. Its unique pyramid chassis with RGB lighting stands out in the mini PC market, and the CPU delivers robust performance in productivity tasks like video encoding or software compilation, rivaling newer chips in raw multi-threaded workloads. However, the integrated Intel UHD Graphics remain a glaring weakness—even at 720p, modern games like Elden Ring struggle to hit playable framerates, making this a poor choice for gamers without an eGPU. Connectivity is decent with dual HDMI 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, and WiFi 6, though the lack of Thunderbolt or PCIe 4.0 storage support feels limiting in 2024.

At $399, the AD08’s value hinges on whether you prioritize CPU power over GPU performance. Competing AMD mini PCs which retail near this price and include the far superior Radeon 680M iGPU—capable of 1080p gaming in titles like GTA V at medium settings. The AD08’s dual-fan cooling and tool-free upgrades (64GB RAM max + extra 2.5" SATA slot) are advantages, but the older PCIe 3.0 SSD (vs. PCIe 4.0 in AMD rivals) bottlenecks storage speeds. For pure productivity, the i9’s turbo boost (up to 4.9GHz) shines, but content creators needing GPU acceleration may find AMD’s offerings more balanced.

Ultimately, the AD08 is a niche pick. It excels as a compact workstation for CPU-heavy tasks but falls short as an all-rounder. If your workflow favors multi-threaded performance over graphics (e.g., coding, virtualization, or office use), it’s a solid deal at $399. However, if gaming or GPU-dependent apps are priorities, AMD’s Radeon-equipped alternatives deliver better versatility at similar prices. The RGB lighting and compact design are nice touches, but they can’t compensate for the iGPU’s limitations in a market increasingly dominated by AMD’s APUs.

- GhostKeyboard Review.