The Elitemini B550 has been released by Hong Kong’s Minisforum. Today, the company introduced the product on Twitter, created an introductory video, and launched a pre-sale product page with a configurator that includes US pricing. Minisforum believes their AMD Ryzen-powered NUC-alike has two major selling factors. For starters, it features socketed AM4 processors, and owners will also receive an external GPU dock, allowing them to use the greatest graphics cards. There are, however, several additional benefits and downsides.
In comparison to the Mac Mini and Intel NUC, the Minisforum Elitemini B550 is a tiny and portable PC (and several others). According to the product pages, it measures 20.859 x 24.088 x 12.813 cm. Nonetheless, the measurements given in the product video are significantly smaller, indicating a significant sizing issue.
The Elitemini’s design from Minisforum isn’t particularly beautiful, but it appears to be functional
The versatility available allows you to overlook the aesthetics to some extent. You may get this computer with either an AMD Ryzen 7 5700G or a Ryzen 7 4700G (for a $100 discount), both of which are 8C/16T APUs from separate generations. Because this is a socketed AM4 CPU, you won’t be trapped with your pick. It’s something you can adjust later. As a result, it’s a little disappointing that there isn’t a cheaper version of the ‘Barebone’ option without RAM or SSD.
Dual SODIMM slots for up to 64GB DDR4-3200 RAM, as well as dual M.2 2280 SATA/NVMe SSD slots, are available inside the case. You can use NVMe PCIe 4.0 if you have a newer generation processor. A single 2.5-inch SATA SSD/HDD is the other user-upgradable component. You won’t have to worry about it because a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth card is already installed.
RJ45 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port 1, USB3.2 Port 4, USB-C Port 1 (Gen2), HDMI (4K@60Hz) 2, DisplayPort(4K@60Hz) 1, 3.5mm Headphone Jack(Green), LINE OUT 2, Clear CMOS 1, 3.5mm MIC Jack 1 are all on the back of the Elitemini B550. That’s three monitors without the need for an external GPU. The power button is also on the back.
A basic GPU dock is included with your Minisforum Elitemini B550 purchase. It doesn’t cover the GPU you’ve chosen to install. Depending on the graphics card you choose, it may stretch far beyond the size of the host machine. Choose a GPU that is 24cm or shorter if you don’t like this idea.
You won’t be able to VESA mount the Minisforum Elitemini B550 if you use the external GPU dock. The desktop case is on its side in the photographs with the GPU mounted, with the GPU extension basically on its bottom where its feet and mounting holes are.
The 19V power brick included with the Elitemini 500 will not power the external GPU. It necessitates the use of an external ATX or SFF power supply (not included). Having a power supply next to this system on the desk/table adds to the clutter. The addition of the desktop power supply has the advantage of supporting more powerful CPUs, but keep in mind that the cooling system is only rated for 65W.
On the surface, this appears to be a terrific alternative and highly portable tiny system (it even comes with a travel bag); nevertheless, utilising all of its features adds a significant amount of bulk, mess, and clutter to your desktop. To make things neater, perhaps an SFF PSU could be bolted to the structure. If you want a compact system with a desktop graphics card, on the other hand, you could want to get/build a Mini ITX system, as everything will be securely enclosed in a fashionable chassis.
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