Good mini PC with Ryzen 5 at a cheap price: Nipogi AM16 at €259 in the test

Compared to previous mini PCs, whose manufacturer Nipogee we already know, the Nipogee AM16 belongs to the manufacturer’s new product line. In addition to the other chips, the Mini-PC Union, which is behind the brand, also relies on a new design language and therefore new housings. The AM16 has almost everything you would expect: Ryzen 5, 16 GB of main memory (RAM) and a 512 GB M.2 SSD.

But that’s not all, because USB-C, which is not a given for this price range, is also on board. All this is only cost at the moment 259 euros On Amazon (with code: stagegame16 And 80 euro coupon). The following test report shows that not only the price, but also the entire system is reliable.

The Nipogi AM16 offers an ideal overall package for a home office, as one does not need much power. The performance is in the mid-range, but is already partially suitable for gaming, so that casual gaming is also possible here in addition to occasional document work. In addition, the computer has a low operating volume and high quality workmanship. At the best price right now 259 euros for Nipogi AM16 (with code: stagegame16 And 80 euro coupon) This is an absolute hit.

Nipogi relies on the fifth-generation Ryzen 5 Pro for AM16 – the Ryzen 5 5675U. This is a six-core Zen 3 processor with twelve threads that runs up to 4.3 GHz and has a maximum TDP of 25 watts. It still relies on the older iGPU Vega 7, whose performance is significantly lower than the successor Radeon 680M or 780M. The Pro in the name of the processor has no technical meaning, the CPUs of this series only support security and management features and offer long-term support.

When it comes to RAM, the system offers two SODIMM modules with 16 GB (DDR4-3200). The maximum possible here is 64 GB. This is exemplary for less than 300 euros. The AM16 also shows its great side when it comes to system memory, because in addition to the integrated 512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD, there is another free M.2 slot for an additional SSD. But that’s not all, because the lid has space for a 2.5-inch hard drive that can hold up to 2 TB of capacity.

When it comes to connections, we really like a system with a USB-C port with DisplayPort support. In combination with two HDMI ports, you can connect up to three monitors. To be able to set up different monitors more flexibly, we would also like a DisplayPort connection – but this depends on your own setup.

The other USB sockets are fast enough, as is the Ethernet port, although we would have been happy with a second USB socket for use as a firewall device. It would also have been nice if USB-C had been used for power supply as well – but you need the included power supply with a DC round plug.

The wireless interfaces, especially at this price, are up to date with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.

In our expectations, Ryzen 5 should be in the solid midfield. A look at the benchmarks PCMark 10 Shows: Even a little higher. Its average is a strong 5860 points, which is slightly higher than the highly comparable Trigkey S5 (test report). 3DMark Time Spy You can also see the difference between the fresh CPU in Nipogi and the old CPU in Trigeki, with Nipogi doing about 150 points better with 1296 points (system). The graphics are also slightly faster at 1144 points, which is also noticeable in games.

we can do it the same way Anno 1800 At Full HD resolution with FSR (Fidelity FX Super Resolution) activated in Performance mode, an average of 58 fps was achieved with medium graphics settings – in Trigkey it was less than 30 fps with low options. More demanding titles, current games with high resource requirements, such as are not included skyline of cities It is unplayable even on low settings with an average of 8 FPS. counter strike 2 It can be played on low settings, but it’s not as much fun. This is also due to the image errors and stuttering that occur despite the latest drivers.

The interesting thing here is that before we open the game, the system warns us about outdated drivers. To fix the problem we should get the AMD Adrenaline software. We do this with every mini PC test anyway, but no model has ever explicitly asked us to do so. Otherwise, the system comes without additional bloatware; our entire virus test with Windows Defender finished without finding any malware.

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The operation of the Nipogi AM16 is very quiet; sometimes the fan even stops completely. After a stress test of more than an hour prime95 The case is a bit too cool. The fan noise is about 38 dB on the case and about 30 dB from one meter away. This is not annoying, it’s just that the humming noise stands out from the otherwise pleasant noise. At low load it is 30 dB on the case, but the values ​​from one meter can no longer be distinguished from ambient noise. Overall, once again this is proof of a good cooling solution for mini PCs with AMD platforms.

The Nipogi AM16 comes in a stylish, matte, black and silver plastic housing and is well built. The silver bottom seems to pop out of the black top with a beveled edge, which is elegant and unusual. The dimensions are quite normal at 138 × 126 × 47 mm. Because it is VESA compatible, it can be easily mounted on the back of a monitor using a bracket.

The inside of the case can be accessed from the bottom after loosening four screws hidden under the rubber feet. The SATA connection for an additional 2.5-inch hard drive is located directly there. The RAM modules and the M.2 interface are easily accessible – very good.

The mini PC normally costs around 369 euros on Amazon. With the code: stagegame16 also selectable 80 euro coupon You can get it on the product page for Nipogi AM16 259 euros – Cheapest price ever for this model.

They are much stronger Gmktec Nukebox K6 (test report) and wow HA7 (Test report) Those who rely on the newer and more powerful Ryzen 7 7840HS – especially the iGPU is worlds better here. Gmktec K6 is currently priced at 32/1000 GB memory 495 euros. Awow HA7 currently comes with 32 GB RAM 589 euros,

The Nipogi AM16 should be more than adequate for many applications. With a surprisingly fast CPU, good RAM and storage, and low operating noise, it is well positioned and even suitable for gaming to some extent. This means that the system should provide reserves for many years to come.

We also like the workmanship of the matte plastic housing and the easy access to the inside of the housing – which makes it easy to upgrade the system. When it comes to connections, we are also happy with USB-C with DisplayPort, although there is no dedicated DisplayPort connection. We would also like to see a USB-C port for power supply instead of the DC round connector.

In the end, these are little things that are not available even in this price range. Speaking of the price, where the system does everything right. Because the price of 259 euros at the time of testing on July 9, 2024 is not only the best price for this model, but also a real declaration of war on the competition – please even more.

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