Mini PC Minisforum S100 with Intel N100 in the test: as small as a Fire TV Stick

Minisforum squeezes the Intel N100, 8GB of main memory (RAM) and up to 256GB of UFS 2.1 storage into an ultra-compact housing. Starting with the smallest possible configuration 188 Euros (Code: 21OfftakeStage). We explain in the test report what the small mini PC achieves in practice. They gave us the Minisforum S100 Manufacturer made available.

The Minisforum S100 impresses mainly with its extremely compact size. Hidden behind the monitor, it is practically unnoticeable anymore. In the home office, it ensures a neat desk and still offers the necessary connection features. It is also practical if you want to use a mini PC for use in a smart home. At a reasonable price 188 Euros (with code: 21OfftakeStage), the Minisforum S100 is an interesting creation.

For the Minisforum S100 in stick form, Minisforum relies on the tried and tested Intel N100, which we know from many similarly priced mini PCs. It’s on the lower end of the performance spectrum, but has significant improvements over the Celeron CPU. With its four cores and four threads at a maximum of 3.4GHz, it offers decent performance, but is clearly limited by its 6-watt TDP (thermal design power).

Unfortunately, the RAM is soldered to a single channel in the form of LPDDR5 RAM (4800 MHz) and cannot be expanded. When it comes to storage, Minisforum does not rely on SSD due to the small housing, but on the UFS 2.1 storage known from smartphones. In our test with CrystalDiskMark, the read rate of 912 MB/s is remarkably high for flash memory, but the write rate of 264 MB/s is far behind. Like the RAM, the memory cannot be replaced.

When it comes to connections, the S100 goes all out with the essentials: two USB-A, one HDMI, one Ethernet LAN port and USB-C for power supply and image transmission should be enough. There is also a recessed button for CMOS reset. The USB-C 4.0 port means you can easily connect a USB-C hub (best list) and supply power to a mini PC as well as connect screens and USB devices. The 2.5 Gbit/s fast Ethernet port also supports POE (Power over Ethernet). It works wirelessly with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.

Practical tests show that the compactness of the MinisForum S100 definitely comes at the expense of its performance. In the PCMark 10 benchmark, the system achieved values ​​between 1532 points and 2300 points. Other systems with Intel N100 sometimes achieve more than 3200 points. In 3DMark Time Spy, the whole system achieved 317 points, the graphics scored a solid 284 points and the CPU scored at least 986 points.

Given these values ​​and generally in this price range, game tests do not make sense – the systems are not intended for this at all. The Minisforum S100 is no exception here. We give the general system performance a very high rating, which looks a bit strange here. The computer also sometimes freezes for a few seconds when opening programs. In addition, 8 GB of RAM will be quite limited in 2024.

For a system in the home office, there are better mini PCs that cost even less, such as the Nincare N9 (test report). But this is not the purpose of the S100, which we see more in applications where the PC can take up as little space as possible and does not have to handle any kind of heavy tasks. Here we see in particular status displays in public transport, cash register systems or waiting room displays that announce the next person.

However, the S100 is faster than the Raspberry Pi 5, scoring around 875 points in the single-core test and 1366 points in the multi-core test in the cross-platform benchmark Geekbench. So the Raspberry falls short with its 715 points and 1375 points (with air cooling).

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Consumption is quite low at a maximum of 22 watts. Windows 11 comes in a Home edition and requires you to use a Microsoft account when setting it up. Finally the advertised Microsoft services such as Onedrive, Microsoft 365 & Co. seem particularly intrusive to us, and the opt-out options also appear to be very minimal. However, this is a problem with the Home edition and not with the mini PC, Minisforum could only choose Windows 11 Pro. Our standard virus test ends without a negative result.

The fan on the Minisforum S100 is like the whole PC: quite small. Therefore, it has to be permanently active to keep the Intel N100 under control. Its volume is not too loud at a maximum of 38 dB on the housing and – depending on the power level – from 24 to 32 dB from one meter away. What is annoying, however, is the slight, high-frequency whistle coming from the fan, which rotates at up to 7,000 revolutions per minute.

The temperature peaks at 65 degrees Celsius, but it is still okay. Also, the fan and fan openings did not seem as efficient in testing, which caused the system to slow down sometimes. In a Prime95 session, the clock speed drops to 1.1 GHz at a CPU temperature of 70 degrees Celsius, and later to 900 MHz or less. However, you have to consider this given the limited cooling capabilities of such small cases, but the cooling performance is pretty good.

The Minisforum S100 measures just 152 × 58 × 18.55 millimeters and comes with a 65-watt power supply with USB-C and Power Delivery. The white plastic housing is solidly built and rounded on one edge. There are small openings everywhere that provide air supply for the small fan. The case can be opened after finding two screws under the rubber feet – the latter can hardly be removed without tools. Removing one half from the other requires some force and possibly a tool such as a lever, although you have to be careful as there is a cable attached to the lid. There is very little you can do inside the case other than cleaning the fan, as everything is firmly mounted in place.

You get much better performance with it Auvis AMR5 (test report), which is for the current 295 euros (Code: NNNDEOVR57) has the Ryzen 7 5700U with a more powerful iGPU on board. However, you’ll have to live with a much louder fan there.

With the Minisforum S100 you get a remarkably small mini PC for 188 euros that can ideally be hidden. However, its form factor in Fire TV Stick format comes with a disadvantage: the performance is unfortunately noticeably lower, because in the smaller housing the processor has less leeway not to overheat. While other systems with Intel N100 still keep a good figure in the home office despite prices below 150 euros, the S100 jerks more often and the fan is not the quietest either. In addition, the RAM cannot be expanded and due to its compactness there is only flash memory instead of SSD – at least UFS 2.1. For less money you can get more performance elsewhere, but not as compact – which then speaks in favor of the Minisforum S100.

We also welcome the USB-C 4.0 port, which is rare for less than 400 euros. Thanks to this, you can also use the computer with other USB-C power supplies or connect a USB-C hub for image playback. Overall, an exciting computer, but it lags behind in terms of performance compared to similar mini PCs. That’s why we give it three stars in our test.

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