Minisforum MS-01 as a Windows 11 Workstation - Thoughts?

[maximillianrg]

I'm considering replacing my HP Envy Laptop (Intel i7-1260P 12-Core, 64GB RAM, which is my primary home machine with the Minisforum MS-01 Mini PC for the following reasons:

1. It has 2 NIC's and I need 2 NICs, one for Internet and one to connect to a NAS
2. It has 3 internal M.2 slots.
   1. I use (1) NVE for my boot Drive
   2. I use (1) NVME for my Video editing drive
   3. I use (1) NVME for my downloads.
      1. I use an External 4-bay M.2 Enclosure that has (2) Crucial P3 Plus 4TB PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD cards.
3. It has an i9 which should be better than my i7
4. The MS-01 on-board GPU should run my dual LG ultrawides at 2560x1080 each without issues

I am not a gamer and this would be used for excel work, internet browsing, and some Video editing using Adobe Projects. Would love to get positive and negative feedback from anyone running Windows 11 on a Minisforum MS-01

 

[oharag]

@maximillianrg

You'll probably get blow back from this crowd using the word "Windows" without at least adding Linux in the mix

I, on the other hand, am in your boat. I use Windows to run the SW I need to run - I'm an Engineer. I'm intrigued with the MS-01 PCIE slot, and maybe installing a professional grade graphics card (RTX A-2000). I'm planning on using the MS-01 as my main/frontline interface to my ONT - acting as traffic cop to the outside world - but I'm also interested in remoting in and maybe using it for 3D CAD/FEA. I did some comparisons for performance with the 139000H against other chips - it's a pretty powerful chip. You get lower power and decent performance.

Have you considered the UM790 Pro from MF? It has a good performing AMD chip in it with RDNA3 integrated graphics ( 780M ). Good for 3D and pushing pixels etc... it's maybe 50% faster than Intels integrated graphics (Xe). I have read that Intels IG is superior to AMDs for 4k/8k transcoding - but as a Windows PC I think the UM790 is the way to go. The UM790 does not have the expansion of the MS-01 (less nvme slots - no 10gbe and only one 2.5 gbe - no PCIE card slot). There may be other mini computers out there that also are a good fit for you. I chose the UM790 specifically as a Windows/Gaming/Retro Gaming computer to attach to a large TV (oh it has HDMI 2.1 where MS-01 has 2.0). The 790 has two GEN 4 nvme slots, and I installed two fast SSDs and RAID 0 them together for one large volume. It's a screamer.

Minisforum UM790 Pro 7940HS Mini PC

Intel Core i9 13900H vs AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS: performance comparison (nanoreview.net)

 

[oharag]

Another good Mini - more epensive though:

Beelink Gaming Mini PC GTR7 Pro AMD Ryzen 7 7940HS pre-in W11 Pro,32GB DDR5,1TB SSD (bee-link.com)

 

[oharag]

Oh, and you can use the USB4 ports to add 10gbe usb adapter - or even fast external storage expansion - or even attach an eGPU enclosure for further graphics power.

 

[maximillianrg]

@maximillianrg

You'll probably get blow back from this crowd using the word "Windows" without at least adding Linux in the mix

I, on the other hand, am in your boat. I use Windows to run the SW I need to run - I'm an Engineer. I'm intrigued with the MS-01 PCIE slot, and maybe installing a professional grade graphics card (RTX A-2000). I'm planning on using the MS-01 as my main/frontline interface to my ONT - acting as traffic cop to the outside world - but I'm also interested in remoting in and maybe using it for 3D CAD/FEA. I did some comparisons for performance with the 139000H against other chips - it's a pretty powerful chip. You get lower power and decent performance.

Have you considered the UM790 Pro from MF? It has a good performing AMD chip in it with RDNA3 integrated graphics ( 780M ). Good for 3D and pushing pixels etc... it's maybe 50% faster than Intels integrated graphics (Xe). I have read that Intels IG is superior to AMDs for 4k/8k transcoding - but as a Windows PC I think the UM790 is the way to go. The UM790 does not have the expansion of the MS-01 (less nvme slots - no 10gbe and only one 2.5 gbe - no PCIE card slot). There may be other mini computers out there that also are a good fit for you. I chose the UM790 specifically as a Windows/Gaming/Retro Gaming computer to attach to a large TV (oh it has HDMI 2.1 where MS-01 has 2.0). The 790 has two GEN 4 nvme slots, and I installed two fast SSDs and RAID 0 them together for one large volume. It's a screamer.

Minisforum UM790 Pro 7940HS Mini PC

Intel Core i9 13900H vs AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS: performance comparison (nanoreview.net)

Hello Oharag, thank you so much for the reply. At present my HP laptop functions fine for what I'm doing but I am not a fan of the Startech USB 3.0 to Dual Port Gigabit Ethernet Adapter I have to connect to it or the Thunderbolt 3 Four-Slot M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure to get access to the (2) 4TB M2 drives. The advantage of the MS-01 is the build in ethernet ports and the (3) M.2 slots. While the UM790 is nice, it does not give me the second ethernet port or the third M.2 slot that I really need in the MS-01

 

[maximillianrg]

Another good Mini - more epensive though:

Beelink Gaming Mini PC GTR7 Pro AMD Ryzen 7 7940HS pre-in W11 Pro,32GB DDR5,1TB SSD (bee-link.com)

That is a great little unit and I love the dual ethernet and USB 4.0 Ports. All that its missing is the 3rd M.2 Slot.

 

[ms264556]

I used the MS-01 as my dev PC for a few weeks.

My #1 recommendation if you get one is to re-do the thermal paste. I used $5 AliExpress liquid metal and it's made a huge difference to the performance under load.

I actually went back to using an HP Elite mini G9 this week because the fan on the MS-01, while quiet, has a high-pitched component to its sound which was much more annoying than the HP fan noise.

 

[oharag]

I used the MS-01 as my dev PC for a few weeks.

My #1 recommendation if you get one is to re-do the thermal paste. I used $5 AliExpress liquid metal and it's made a huge difference to the performance under load.

I actually went back to using an HP Elite mini G9 this week because the fan on the MS-01, while quiet, has a high-pitched component to its sound which was much more annoying than the HP fan noise.

I don't have my MS-01 in hand. I was late to get on the order boat.

Is there any way to add vibration isolation pads/foam to the fan attachment points? If t's the fan, and it's bad - is there a way to replace it with a 3rd party?

 

[ms264556]

It's not a vibration. Just the usual small cooling fan whine. The HP makes a similar noise but it's much quieter so I can't hear it under my desk.

I only bought the MS-01 because the HP mini refused to drive my 5k2k monitor. Now that's fixed I'm trying to decide between using the MS-01 as a ridiculously over-spec'd server, or selling it.

 

[oharag]

@maximillianrg

You mentioned the goal is for video editing - and yet you would trade off graphics performance for 2XNICs and internal nvme slots. Now if you can add a good half height - single slot graphics card to put into the MS-01 then I think it would be a great graphics editing mini computer.

I think you can always buy a cheap router/switch that gives you all the networking expansion you need - use the super fast USB 4 for storage/networking expansion while gaining powerful graphics performance. The two nvme slots in the 790 are PCIE 4 X 4 - each of the nvme slots in the MS-01 are different standards - the first is PCIE 4 X 4 - the second PCIE 3 X 4 and the third PCIE 3 X 2.

Here are more performance comparisons between 780M and Xe for your review:

Radeon 780M vs Intel Iris Xe [videocardbenchmark.net] by PassMark Software

Just one caveat with UM790 Pro - the wifi signal sucks!

This may face backlash from the STH crowd and maybe you - but have you considered a Mac mini? Yes - no dual NICs or SSD expansion - but TG4 ports and the M3 chips are made specially for graphics editing.

I like what Intel is doing with their Arc chips and AMD is supposedly going to release RDNA4 chips as well. I believe graphics performance is going to be awesome maybe late 2024 into 2025.

My last point - read the forums - the MS-01 delivery schedules are terrible. 2-3 months delivery???? You get the Bee-link or MF UM790Pro today.

 

[maximillianrg]

I used the MS-01 as my dev PC for a few weeks.

My #1 recommendation if you get one is to re-do the thermal paste. I used $5 AliExpress liquid metal and it's made a huge difference to the performance under load.

I actually went back to using an HP Elite mini G9 this week because the fan on the MS-01, while quiet, has a high-pitched component to its sound which was much more annoying than the HP fan noise.

Thank you for the great advice

 

[nabsltd]

This may face backlash from the STH crowd and maybe you - but have you considered a Mac mini? Yes - no dual NICs or SSD expansion - but TG4 ports and the M3 chips are made specially for graphics editing.

That's exactly what I was thinking when I saw the $950 price for the Beelink GTR7 Pro. You can get a Mac Mini M2 Pro with 16GB of RAM and 1TB storage for less than $1500. The difference between the 32GB on the GTR8 and the 16GB on the Mini doesn't affect most real-world usage.

The 7940HS will give you more total CPU, but only if it doesn't throttle. The M2 Pro has slightly better single core. But, the M2 Pro GPU has more than double the performance of the iGPU on the 7940HS. Also, Mini is essentially silent, even at load. The fan on the Beelink is quite loud when the processor is at load.

 

[oharag]

That's exactly what I was thinking when I saw the $950 price for the Beelink GTR7 Pro. You can get a Mac Mini M2 Pro with 16GB of RAM and 1TB storage for less than $1500. The difference between the 32GB on the GTR8 and the 16GB on the Mini doesn't affect most real-world usage.

The 7940HS will give you more total CPU, but only if it doesn't throttle. The M2 Pro has slightly better single core. But, the M2 Pro GPU has more than double the performance of the iGPU on the 7940HS. Also, Mini is essentially silent, even at load. The fan on the Beelink is quite loud when the processor is at load.

What I find interesting (BTW I'm a Mac Fanboy - but also use Windoze ) during the benchmarking between M3 (or even M1 an M2) and competing Windows laptops - the Macs can run full throttle and the battery lasts 10+ hours with the power plug pulled - man if you pull the Windows laptops off power they throttle big time - and battery drains quickly. So, what's the benefit of a Windows Laptop??? Isn't it supposed to be mobile? So plugged in - yeah some Windows laptops can outperform the Mac's, but again pull the plug and get back to me. I believe Apple also designs their laptops for power efficiency benefiting battery over performance - which I believe is a shame.

What will be interesting is to see where Apple takes the M* chip in the future. They have complete control over the design - they are pushing 3 nm big time. I, of course, would like to see way better graphics performance - even if they have to remove graphics from the die.

Report: Apple buys every 3 nm chip that TSMC can make for next-gen iPhones and Macs | Ars Technica

I have a Dell Precision i7 laptop I have to go find the power brick in less than 2 hours.

 

[Tech Junky]

@oharag

Yeah, there's no comparison for battery use between the two. I've found ways around it using a power bank / USB trigger cable that can allow an extra couple of hours use though. With the cable it also allows plugging into a cigarette charger in the car or a wall outlet. Hell, if I had a solar setup it would work as well. The drawback though is if I put my foot into it and exceed 100W it flaps the power / charging system on the laptop.

Now that USB has an upper limit of 240W though it will get a bit more interesting as things come to market. I've been playing with this trigger cable for awhile now though as a means to extend life while not in the house and it works well. It's considerably cheaper than getting an inverter box to convert DC > AC just to have the brick convert it back to DC.

The biggest draw on laptops though is the dGPU @ up to 140W alone. The system when idling though is only ~45W-60W depending on the settings. The batteries in laptops though tend to be lackluster to say the least at 99wh at most which just doesn't cut it unless you drop the brightness on the screen to 30% and don't touch the keyboard to do anything. Even the beefier gaming systems have these stupid ultra mobile batteries inside as well. Sure, a bigger battery means a bit more weight but, when you're already toting around 5# laptop another 1-2# for a better battery wouldn't be an issue for more nerds. It would just be a nice option to have. With all of the internal batteries and no external access of the past it makes it harder to carry spares that can be swapped which leads to the other issue..... Charging rate! The input is rate limited to ~15W!!!! My phone charges at 30W most of the time but using the special charger can hit 85W and be done in ~20 minutes.

Speaking of charging.... it's always funny to see other phones boast about hitting 20/30/35W for charging speed from the big 3 OEMs.


Oh, and since the MS01 uses laptop HW it wouldn't surprise me if you could power it over USB as well and make it mobile. The only issue of course would be a display and input devices. Wireless keyboard/trackpad is easy butt he display could be cumbersome.
https://www.amazon.com/FLYZUNI-15-6inch-Portable-External-Ultra-Thin/dp/B0CPDQBCSK?th=1 - $100 / 10W through USBC

 

[oharag]

@oharag

Yeah, there's no comparison for battery use between the two. I've found ways around it using a power bank / USB trigger cable that can allow an extra couple of hours use though. With the cable it also allows plugging into a cigarette charger in the car or a wall outlet. Hell, if I had a solar setup it would work as well. The drawback though is if I put my foot into it and exceed 100W it flaps the power / charging system on the laptop.

Now that USB has an upper limit of 240W though it will get a bit more interesting as things come to market. I've been playing with this trigger cable for awhile now though as a means to extend life while not in the house and it works well. It's considerably cheaper than getting an inverter box to convert DC > AC just to have the brick convert it back to DC.

The biggest draw on laptops though is the dGPU @ up to 140W alone. The system when idling though is only ~45W-60W depending on the settings. The batteries in laptops though tend to be lackluster to say the least at 99wh at most which just doesn't cut it unless you drop the brightness on the screen to 30% and don't touch the keyboard to do anything. Even the beefier gaming systems have these stupid ultra mobile batteries inside as well. Sure, a bigger battery means a bit more weight but, when you're already toting around 5# laptop another 1-2# for a better battery wouldn't be an issue for more nerds. It would just be a nice option to have. With all of the internal batteries and no external access of the past it makes it harder to carry spares that can be swapped which leads to the other issue..... Charging rate! The input is rate limited to ~15W!!!! My phone charges at 30W most of the time but using the special charger can hit 85W and be done in ~20 minutes.

Speaking of charging.... it's always funny to see other phones boast about hitting 20/30/35W for charging speed from the big 3 OEMs.


Oh, and since the MS01 uses laptop HW it wouldn't surprise me if you could power it over USB as well and make it mobile. The only issue of course would be a display and input devices. Wireless keyboard/trackpad is easy butt he display could be cumbersome.
https://www.amazon.com/FLYZUNI-15-6inch-Portable-External-Ultra-Thin/dp/B0CPDQBCSK?th=1 - $100 / 10W through USBC

Solar!!!! Imagine seeing some PC laptop dudes walking around with solar panels attached to their backs, and storage batteries stuffed into their pockets That would be a sight to see.

 

[Tech Junky]

Solar!!!! Imagine seeing some PC laptop dudes walking around with solar panels attached to their backs, and storage batteries stuffed into their pockets That would be a sight to see.

More of a thought off grid or travel.

 

[nabsltd]

What will be interesting is to see where Apple takes the M* chip in the future. They have complete control over the design - they are pushing 3 nm big time. I, of course, would like to see way better graphics performance - even if they have to remove graphics from the die.

I want Apple to say "we don't care if the device is cute or quiet...it's got the performance of a supercomputer".

The Minis and Studios are hamstrung by poor cooling. With a tower-style cooler, they could run at nearly twice the current clock. Plus, the design of the M* line is such that Apple could trivially drop 100-200 cores into a single box. It's basically like Lego, where they just connect more 4-8 core processing units into the "CPU".

Imagine something with 8x the performance of a current Studio M2 Ultra (4x the core count clocked at 2x the current speed). That would end up about 10-20% better than a Threadripper PRO 7995X. Plus, you'd have the 250 or so GPU cores.

 

[oharag]

Yeah style/efficiency trumps extracting the most power/performance for Apple. With the move to M1 the Mac Mini could have shrunk by a factor. If you open one up, you'll see a ton of dead space compared to the Intel version. In fact, Apple kept the same Power Supply in it. They could even downsize the PS for the M* style chips - and make a very sleek compact minicomputer. Or maybe, as you suggest, add way better cooling and juice the chip.

It's really intriguing how they stitch two chips together to make the Ultra chip. There were rumors that the MacPro would stitch 4 chips together. We have still not seen the M3 Ultra yet. I hope they update the Mac Pro soon to be a super charged workstation for their target market - graphic/video/animation/music artists.

I'm excited about what Apple can do with M* chips going forward. I actually believe Apple should get back into the server market with the M* chips. With the power per watt efficiency, they could provide some competition to Intel/AMD. With their custom IC they could add functionality to the M* that Intel/AMD might not be able to do - like their neural engine - ProRes encode/decode - maybe IC specific to AI. As stated, I would really like to see Apple start making custom graphics chips. Since they make everything from start to finish, they have the ability to do whatever they want to their Mobo architecture on the fly.

 

[skipper ohms]

...the fan on the MS-01, while quiet, has a high-pitched component to its sound which was much more annoying than the HP fan noise.

Can confirm. The SSD fan in particular is annoying enough that I removed it and added external fans. CPU fan has a similar pitch when spun up, but the SSD fan's high pitch is constant.

 

[ms264556]

Can confirm. The SSD fan in particular is annoying enough that I removed it and added external fans. CPU fan has a similar pitch when spun up, but the SSD fan's high pitch is constant.

Luckily I could spin the SSD fan down to an inaudible level using FanControl since the SSD I'm using runs cool.