Minisforum MS-01

The MS-01 redefines compact workstations with its rare combination of enterprise networking (dual 10G SFP+ and 2.5G Ethernet) and PCIe 4.0 x8 expansion in a 1.78L chassis. The $419 i5-12600H variant delivers solid performance for NAS/light virtualization (Geekbench 5: ~12,500 multi-core), while the $679 i9-13900H excels in CPU-heavy tasks like video transcoding (30% faster than the 12900H). All models feature vPro support for remote management—a boon for IT departments—and triple NVMe slots (including U.2 compatibility) for high-speed storage pooling. However, the half-height PCIe slot limits GPU options to niche workstation cards like NVIDIA's T1000, and the 48mm thickness complicates rack-mounting.

Real-world testing shows the 10G SFP+ ports sustain 9.8Gbps in iperf3 tests, making the MS-01 ideal for pfSense or TrueNAS deployments. The i9-13900H's 5.4GHz boost clocks outperform AMD's Ryzen 9 7940HS in single-threaded workloads, though its 45W sustained TDP triggers fan noise (~42dB under load). The USB4 ports (40Gbps) support dual 8K displays or eGPUs, but bandwidth sharing with the PCIe slot reduces throughput when both are used. At $589, the i9-12900H offers diminishing returns—just 8% faster than the i5-12600H in multi-core workloads despite its $170 premium.

Compared to competitors, the MS-01's value shines in networking: The ASUS PN64 lacks 10G Ethernet, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q omits PCIe expansion. The i5-12600H base model is the sweet spot for homelabs, while the i9-13900H justifies its price for 3D rendering or code compilation. Just note the 19V power brick’s 120W limit constrains simultaneous CPU/GPU loads.

- GhostKeyboard Review.