Minisforum has done it again: The Hong Kong manufacturer has already convinced us with the Minisforum UM780XTX (test report); the mini PC performed extremely well at surprisingly low volumes. With the UM890 Pro we now have a quasi-successor. The data sheet reads well for the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS as well as 32 or 64 GB of main memory (RAM) and 1 TB SSD. We tested whether the Minisforum UM890 Pro fits into the bigger step.
Why should you buy the Minisforum UM890 Pro?
The Minisforum UM890 Pro is for anyone looking for a high-quality, powerful mini PC that’s quiet even under full load. It also offers good future viability thanks to its remarkable upgradability up to 96GB of RAM and up to 8TB of storage; in combination with Ryzen 9, it should provide years of enjoyment. The price of the mini PC includes 739 euros Very reasonable design.
Equipment: What hardware does the Minisforum UM890 Pro offer?
AMD’s current spearhead works in the form of the Ryzen 9 8945HS in the Minisforum UM890 Pro. Thanks to SMT (simultaneous multi-threading), the eight-core processor can count on 16 threads, its boost clock is up to 5.2 GHz and the TDP is up to 70 watts.
In our case there is 32 GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, split into two SO-DIMM modules from Crucial. The highlight of this system is the ability to upgrade the RAM to 96 GB by replacing the existing module. Many other mini PCs allow a maximum of 64 GB, if at all. Kingston’s 1 TB M.2 2280 SSD can also be retrofitted en masse; up to 8 TB is possible here instead of the usual 2 TB (if any). The existing SSD is absolutely solid in terms of speed; according to the CrystalDiskMark storage benchmark, it achieves 3921 MB/s for writing and 4807 MB/s for reading. This is not an extreme value, but it is not slow either – higher values are almost unnoticeable in everyday life anyway.
The selection of ports includes everything that is necessary and modern: 1x HDMI is available in version 2.1, DisplayPort is not quite up to date in version 1.4, there are also two USB-C 4.0 and two 2.5G Ethernet ports. This means that up to four monitors can be connected. It is a pity that a proprietary power supply with a round plug is used instead of USB-C, as with the Aoostar God 78 (test report) – which shows that USB-C is also possible for power supplies in the high performance class.
Wirelessly, the mini PC uses fairly new standards, if not entirely new, with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. The housing also has a BIOS reset button and a headphone jack. The OcuLink port is also exciting for gamers and graphic artists – a fast connection to external graphics cards, which allows you to subsequently increase the computer’s graphics performance. But you have to insert the connection board yourself – the socket, so to say, is simply cut into the housing.
Performance: How fast is the Minisforum UM890 Pro?
Considering the data sheet, it is hardly surprising that the Ryzen 9 really delivers. The PCMark 10 benchmark certifies that the UM890 Pro achieved results between 7495 and 7630 points. In addition to this test run, which is mainly interesting for office tasks, 3Dmark Time Spy is particularly exciting, as it shows not only a system performance of 3437 points but also a graphics performance of 3063 points: the iGPU Radeon 780M is convincing again here. At 11,218 points, the CPU points are well above the result of our desktop CPU in the gaming PC; the Ryzen 7 5800X3D used there only gets a little over 8000 points.
Geekbench values with 2684 points (single core) and 13587 points (multi core) are also good, as is Cinebench, where the mini PC with 985 points (multi core) and 107 points (single core) is well ahead of the Intel competition. Overall, the UM890 Pro improves on the CSL Venom box (test report), which is “only” equipped with Ryzen 7, and achieves slightly higher scores.
The Radeon 780M is also powerful when it comes to gaming; we have already tested it several times. Here too we can use Full HD again counter attack Play at high settings up to 80 FPS. Anno 1800 Runs with FSR (Fidelity FX Super Resolution) enabled under high quality settings at up to 50 fps. It is still not well optimized and hence graphically demanding cities skylines 2 The hardware manages at least around 35 FPS on high settings. If you lower the options, the game loses some of its visual appeal, but runs more smoothly. Overall, our expectations have been fully met.
The computer is running Windows 11 Pro. When setting up, you can avoid using a Microsoft account by leaving the internet connection disabled – setting up without the internet will no longer be possible under Windows 11 Home. There is no additional bloatware on the system, and our standard virus test with Windows Defender runs without negative results.
MinisForum UM890 Pro – Photo Series
MinisForum UM890 Pro – Photo Series
It’s commendable that Minisforum has one for almost all mini PCs Support Page offers a website that you can use to get drivers too – this is important when you re-setup the system to guarantee everything works. Other manufacturers from the Far East do not offer it at all or use cloud sites that look suspicious. Drivers, but not files for the new BIOS, are also for the UM890 Pro Available at Minisforum,
Power consumption: What is the power consumption of the UM890 Pro?
The mini PC’s consumption is around 20 watts without load. If we stimulate the Ryzen 9 using Prime95’s stress test, it reaches around 86 watts. It is normal for these values to be slightly higher than elsewhere.
Fans: How fast is the UM890 Pro?
Apart from the sheer performance, what is particularly noteworthy is the UM890 Pro’s cooling – which is absolutely underwhelming. Like any other system, we subjected the system to a long stress test under full load. Not only was the mini PC quiet, the fans were only noticeable if you put your ear to the case. At most, a quiet noise could be heard, but we couldn’t measure it in decibels; it couldn’t be distinguished from ambient noise. Given the hardware used here, this is a real masterpiece that is second to none – hats off to you.
Good cooling not only ensures low noise levels, but also good performance, as the CPU can maintain high clock speeds for longer periods of time. In testing with Prime95, the Ryzen 9 still runs at over 4.3 GHz even after more than 30 minutes of full load, according to Aida64. This is actually pretty good, as many chips crash to around 3.0 to 3.5 GHz after a short time.
Design: How is the Minisforum UM890 Pro processed?
The case is very similar to the Minisforum UM780 XTX (test report). In any case, the workmanship is as impressive as before. The metal housing is timelessly attractive, and we don’t miss the lighting in the lid.
The cover is also easy to remove thanks to the magnetic attachment. After loosening the four screws on the bottom, you could access the inside of the case for maintenance or upgrades – if it weren’t for the fan cable. Since the fan is mounted on a plate between the circuit board and the cover, you have to carefully remove the 4-pin connector. Putting it back on later becomes even trickier.
With dimensions of 130 × 127 × 60.6 millimeters, the mini PC is noticeably taller than comparable models. The Geekom AX8 Pro (test report) is quite flat with a height of only 36 millimeters – but Geekom sacrifices space for the heat sink, which comes with more volume. Since the PC disappears somewhere on the table anyway, we always prefer a taller case rather than a louder fan. The weight is just under 700 grams.
How much does the Minisforum UM890 Pro cost?
Currently you get the Minisforum UM890 Pro with 32 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD 739 euros. The variant with double the RAM i.e. 64/1000 GB costs 90 euros more 829 euros. There is a barebones version for self-builders, i.e. without RAM, SSD and Windows. This way you save and just pay 549 euros. You can expect to pay around 80 euros for 32 GB of DDR5 SODIMM RAM; a decent M.2 SSD with PCIe 4.0 can be had for 62 euros. So you get a price lower than the price of the equivalent off-the-shelf version.
What options are there?
conclusion
Minisforum is once again on target: The successor to the UM780 XTX could also impress us with impeccable performance and remarkable cooling. The system is not only powerful yet inaudible, it can also maintain performance over long periods of time. The quality of workmanship is still excellent and the mini PC is still attractive in its simplicity.
When it comes to connections, we are missing almost nothing; almost all interfaces use the latest version. Two USB 4 ports and two Ethernet ports are really practical; we really only miss one USB-C port for the power supply. The Austar God 78 (test report) shows us that it is possible. But this is criticism at a high level. Overall, a really good mini PC that scored a full five stars in the test due to its inaudible cooling despite the brutal Ryzen 9 power.
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