UM870 Slim Mini PC Barebone AMD Ryzen 7 8745H(8C/16T), Mini Desktop Computer Without RAM/SSD/OS, AMD Radeon 780M Graphics, USB4/HDMI2.1/DP1.4 Output, 2.5G LAN, 4xUSB Ports, WiFi 6E, BT5.3

I bought this as an ARM64 server for my homelab, where I use this alongside two MS-01 hosts. I always wanted a ARM home server, but Macs are expensive (and newer M-series Macs can't run Linux yet) and SBCs are underpowered. While not as fast as x86 or Apple Silicon the MS-R1 fits the bill perfectly. However, there are a few nits: * the NICs don't work with Rocky Linux even with the ELRepo kernel, but is solid with Fedora. I don't want to run Debian despite a CIX image. But then the Realtek NICs are so new RHEL doesn't have their drivers. * Getting this to power on after an outage is different from x86 PCs, where it's a physical switch versus a BIOS one. Those nits aren't a big deal for me. Hopefully Rocky/RHEL 11, or even a future 10 release will support the NICs

Despite having increased in price by 1/3 over the last year due to the tariffs, a global shortage of more modern RAM and CPUs that are going to AI datacenters, this is a excellent value with good performance in this market. Will update if anything changes.

The M1 Pro with Intel Core Ultra 9 285H packs quite a bit of compute into a small package at a decent price. I bought the barebones model since I had some DDR5 SODIMM and an SSD handy, but the 32gb+1tb model actually gives a pretty good deal with the insane memory prices of early 2026. The AI branding on the description is a little buzzwordy, but you *can* do some decent local LLM tinkering with the included CPU+NPU combo and the iGPU. The Intel Arc 140T doesn't have its own VRAM but can snatch up to 18gb of the system memory, allowing 7b models to run quite smoothly. That said, this setup is nowhere near a replacement for cloud-based flagship models, so don't buy this thinking it can replace Gemini 3 or Claude 4.6 Opus or whatever. My main use for this is gaming. The CPU is fairly up to the task. The 140T performs fine for older or simpler games, but where this thing truly shines is the included OCuLink port. I put a 5070 Ti in a Minisforum DEG1 eGPU dock, and it worked out of the box--no BIOS updates or tinkering needed. That allows modern games like Clair Obscur to run beautifully. The fan noise is audible but certainly not annoying under loads like this. I think the ideal use cases for this are: - Local LLM tinkering - Gaming, if you use an eGPU - A compact, powerful PC that's small enough to mount on the back of a monitor

Great so far

The Minisforum UM880 Plus is a seriously cool mini PC. I initially bought it to replace my son's aging all-in-one (AIO) desktop, which had become painfully slow with the software he uses. My first thought was to stick with the AIO format to save space under the desk. After researching the current market, I realized that a typical 27-inch, 1080p AIO with average specs—like an AMD Ryzen 5, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD—would run me around $1,000 after tax. ​A quick bit of research led me to a much better solution: buying a mini PC with significantly superior hardware and pairing it with a nice 27-inch 4K monitor. This combination not only delivered a similar compact footprint but also cost me several hundred dollars less. ​After comparing brands like Beelink, GMKTEC, and Minisforum, I settled on the Minisforum UM880 Plus. I was impressed by its powerful, future-proof hardware (including an OCuLink port!) offered at a reasonable price point. We were happy users for about four months (since mid-April 2025) with absolutely no issues. The performance was fantastic. ​Then, one day, my son told me the mini PC wouldn't turn on. That was my single biggest moment of frustration with the product. ​Fortunately, Minisforum's customer service was exceptionally fast and reassuring. They quickly sent me a FedEx shipping label and promised the repair would take only about 48 hours at the US located repair center. I was genuinely surprised when I received a text from FedEx confirming an upcoming delivery just a few days later. ​The repaired mini PC was delivered the next day. I tested it, and we haven't had any issues since. ​I'd like to extend a big thank you to Andy, the Minisforum customer representative. He was incredibly responsive to all my questions and ensured the entire repair process was smooth and stress-free. ​Final Verdict: ​Would I buy this mini PC again? At this moment, my answer is a definitive yes. The combination of top-tier hardware, compact size, and outstanding customer support makes the UM880 Plus an easy recommendation.