Mini PC with an OCulink Port! UM780 XTX Review

[@virtuoso1505]

This is awesome! I think minipc's have finally become powerful enough to be my main "console." Especially with that oculink. Might wait a little longer, but I think I will pick up a mini pc similar to this in the near future.

[@WIImotionmasher]

That Bios menu and the options it gave seem slick. A lot of other miniPCs don't put effort into that. I don't think my Beelink from a couple years ago has a Performance power option. So points for that Minisforum!

[@rosaria8384]

Ngl these mini PCs are just getting better

[@kiDchemical]

That spreadsheet is great stuff, thanks, you're the best 🙌

[@buzzlightyear3461]

That spreadsheet comparing various units is great!!!. Haven't seen others penning down their review results

[@docjoesweeney]

Good to hear they fixed the um790 bios to allow boot from usb. My venus um790 has a bio that disallows usb boot, and the minisforum tech support confirmed this.

[@OSW]

17:40 re: TotK, when u say "it's caching shaders and it'll run great if you're playing for a few hours", is that reset every time you play the game? Or just the first time you play it

[@RetroGameCorps]

Just the first time you play it, unless you manually clear the cache. I clear my cache every time I start a new PC test to give a more realistic performance expectation.

[@OSW]

@@RetroGameCorps ah that's great news. Sláinte Russ!

[@sleepyduck]

excellent reviewer. very detailed and full of tips on how to actually use this unit.

[@OpoSai]

I am working OT this Sunday and Russ puts out this video, you know I'm all in this procrastinating 😂

[@JeffBreyer]

That fan and controller volume comparison was genius. So many will claim, "man the dB coming out of this thing is so loud yet". Meanwhile they are no sitting next to the desktop and they are playing a game with an xbox controller that ultimately makes more noise.

[@HairyBottom]

You can’t compare the two. The fan will constantly be generating noise, while the controller won’t. The sounds in a game will drown out the noise of the controller, but they won’t drown out the fan noise.

[@nielsdebakker3283]

I like that you do not have to mess with the sticky feet. (as is usual with the other minisforum minis)

[@hgwells35]

Would like to see your top five mini PCs you have reviewed (with price and preferred options) that you recommend for a Retro gaming console build.

[@JaypegQ]

I had the opportunity to try out the new Steam Link app that just launched on the Meta store last night - Half Life: Alyx is now playable at what I consider an acceptable/playable framerate using the UM780 XTX, WITHOUT an external GPU! I haven't checked exact frame rates yet, but here is the test setup I used (note that I haven't had much time to do additional testing yet): UM780 XTX 64GB RAM BIOS Performance Mode (70 Watts) BIOS UMA Frame Buffer Size 16GB Wired USB-C connection Win11 Pro Meta Quest 3 72Hz Refresh Rate Low Graphics settings

[@aaronalquiza9680]

thank you for testing!

[@darren591]

These mini PCs are getting to be such good value. Tiny footprints, good out of the box performance, all the IO you can poke a stick at... I'll never be building a desktop PC ever again.

[@Topgunnder]

Lmao love this

[@westsenkovec]

They have a ton of problems. BSOD, crashing, rebooting, overheating, driver support, shorted capacitors and so on.

[@zwenkwiel816]

disclaimer: do not poke sticks into your I/O (learned that one the hard way)

[@darren591]

@@Topgunnder FWIW I have a friend who is $2000+ into a desktop build and still can't get it to turn on. Ain't nobody got time for that.

[@Boogie_the_cat]

As long as you don't mind your GPU costing as much as your mini PC I guess they're fine. The smart buyer on a budget would stick with a mini itx PC for cheap and easy upgrades. If you really must have that small footprint. You're having the same problem everyone ran into when smartphones got big. Saying "PCs will be unnecessary" without taking into consideration the massive amount of stumbling blocks inherent in the small form factor. You will be making a lot of concessions using a mini PC. It'll be fine the first year or 2, but what happens when you want to upgrade? What happens when you need more IO or storage? You're just deluding yourself when you try and pretend you're getting a full PC experience with a mini PC.

[@Niklein]

A few days ago, I got recommended a video about Garuda Linux being the OS for gaming because can run old games and even emulate without much effort, but could not find a video testing it as a emulation environment, I want to know if you are, by any chance, working on a video about that OS and if it's worth to try it for retro gaming, thanks beforehand and I love your videos!!

[@plumshy5558]

I’ve been in the market for a mini PC and this might be the one

[@Sonic6293]

The OCulink implementation is kind of a non starter for me. Hopefully OCulink can be a standardized SMC for mini PCs in the future. There are DIY options for OCulink eGPUs though.

[@EzaneeGires]

Why is oculink a nonstarter? It seems to give better speed than thunderbolt. Edit: I understand now. You have to sacrifice an m2 slot to get the oculink function. That sucks! They need a dedicated adapter ASAP.

[@Bill_1983]

@@EzaneeGires Thunderbolt max speed is 40Gb/sec, Oculink or M.2 is 64Gb/sec so it depends on how much external graphics you intend to throw at it

[@JayGaines5150]

Great video and thank you for stating the price$.

[@choboutube]

Nice. I ordered an Ayaneo Am01 because it was cheap as barebones and I had spare NVME hanging around. I then cancelled to order the AM02 after being seduced by the higher specs and the second screen. I cancelled the AM02 as well because there is only one M2 slot and the second screen seems nerfed compared to say the Ayaneo Flip DS. I was going to order the Flip DS but this UM780 seems a better fit for me. I want to have a 'permanent' retrogame machine, one that will play Tekken 8 to a higher spec than my steam deck whilst also doubling as a 'work' PC for microsoft office type stuff. The second M2 vs oculink option seems to offer flexibility. Choices choices.

[@numberoneappgames]

Great pc review! :)

[@ashtech1184]

Would love to see a full mini pc setup guide. This is the best mini pc for price to performance, this is how to setup batocera, get network sharing setup, connect wii remotes and an 8bitdo controller, map the controller profiles for different setups and maybe even some fun extras like light guns. Almost like an all out showcase to how you can turn a mini pc into a true all in one console. I believe you did something like this recently so maybe just an add on video to that showing those more niche aspects like the wii remotes and light guns etc.

[@dmitryko761]

Duuude, can you please do SER5 MAX? Everyone is raving about it but would love to hear your opinion.

[@freedomisdead9638]

The Oculink slot make this Minisforum the best, i will finally be able to use an egpu, because the USB4 was losing too much performance unlike Oculink

[@AdjointGaming]

Can you suggest a mini pc that has 780M (giving the same gaming results) and it is much more quiet ?

[@WIImotionmasher]

love that random openworld game

[@Popsallen-z1k]

Warning!!! I bought a minis forum pc and it ran so hot that it died in less than 12 months, Now I have a paperweight that minis forum will not even answer if it will be covered by warranty. going on 3 weeks and no answers? In my case at least it appears the Minis Forum warranty is worthless.

[@Popsallen-z1k]

only 2 months to get replaced. wow

[@kaptaingmap27]

Hey Retro, can you review the AOOSTAR GEM10 7840HS please? and compare it with UM780 XTX. Its the only other mini pc that i know that has the OCulink Port and it doesnt use any M.2 slot. In fact, GEM10 has 3 M.2 slots for storage. Btw AOOSTAR also has a GEM12 but from my understanding, it using USB-c to power the device and its not reliable. I will stick with GEM10 for now.

[@redlinethin]

Should I expect similar FPS on 65" LG TV at 1080p? I bought barebone and installed 2TB Samsung 990Pro and 64Gb 5600mhz Kingston RAM.

[@Moes_Prep_and_Tech]

You should try to make your Own Reto Game Corps Logo to put in there, lol

[@danielgriffith8911]

if you buy this make sure you can RETURN it.. mine had hardware issues right outta the box. Packaged as new so this made it through the product testers.

[@JogBird]

should be easy to upgrade fan?

[@shariarrahman7562]

Is it possible to enable RAM speeds that are higher in the BIOS

[@frankwong9486]

When seeing in side , i see the board for m2 to oculink adapter Ugh ok ,so it is not a extra connector but a conversion

[@TheNickerous]

OK, so I am comparing this to the Beelink SER7. Both have green across your spreadsheet. Which would do video encoding better? Looking to get something to hook up to my TV for gaming and also encode uncompressed 1080p video files down to 720p h265 files...or maybe to 1080p h265.

[@RetroGameCorps]

They will both have no problem encoding 1080p but the UM780 XTX will likely have an advantage due to its higher power profile, the CPU can handle more work.

[@HuntaKiller91]

Gmktec shud build a barebone with this spec The current 7735hs is selling for $299 but i need rdna3 igpu

[@goemboeck]

I'm expecting mine next week. Kind of a big deal for me as I haven't bought a Windows computer in nearly two decades :)

[@Bill_1983]

Question for you since I know you have both the 790 pro and the 780 xtx.. I am aware the 7840HS chip does not support expo profile system memory but the 7940HS does, does the BIOS in the 790 pro support expo memory function? This is the only real difference I can see between the two APU's other then 100mhz on the integrated graphics but since the integrated graphics is utilizing system memory as VRAM this could be a major consideration if the intended use is for integrated graphics.

[@jordanterwillegar1284]

So I watched your video and went out and bought this mini pc, but I keep running pretty simple games like stardew valley and my game freezes. I feel like this PC should have no problem playing. I'm just starting to become a PC gamer so I'm not really sure what I'm missing. I do not use external GPU. If someone could help me that would be appreciated.

[@DigitalPowertrip]

What Oculink cable are you using? Amazon does not seem to have many options.

[@Akakakakak353]

Did you allot 16gb ram to the 780m igpu and use max tdp & OC?

[@Newt211]

Hello, I was wondering if you could tell me what external hard drive you were using for your games and would you buy it again or upgrade to something else? I am looking for one to buy for the UM780 that you have. Thanks!

[@chrisnb1373]

Hi Russ, do you think the UM780 is better than the UM790? The list is great but see you’ve got them both as top picks.

[@davefroman4700]

I like the led but I don't like that it changes color on its own.

[@axescar]

Thank you for review. Is there were possibility to overclock RAM? And for me one of the disadvantages is non type-c power. Mi wife's phone have 120w type-c power brick, why mini PC builders don't use something like that? P.S. It will be interesting to use AM5 APUs, that will come at the start of 2024. There will be more room in terms of customization, maybe some very high memory speed with water cooling options and iGPU overclocking. From the other hand something like ryzen 7500f (or same Intel) on mitx board with slim 6500xt or I hope upcoming 7500xt can combine in some very SFF build that can handle all that games and emulation without eGPU and external power bricks. That build will be a little bigger, but more upgradable.

[@dlewis9760]

The 120w is just a bigger fire hose to fill the pool (battery) quicker. Using that power can be completely independent of that.

[@Rhomagus]

Can you use the eGPU with Batocera?

[@aspirationrecords]

Can you set the LED to static just one color? Or does it just cycle through like that?

[@depralexcrimson]

for the people saying "but but this is just slightly more performant than a 32 core 1950x zen 1 :((" they really need to see a picture of the 1950x and see it's wattage lmfao, this is unreal how far we've gotten in just 5-6 years of advancement... crazy... you had to shell out like 999$ just for the cpu alone at launch lmfao, now for much less than that u get a whole machine that just outperforms it... while keeping it low profile, and it's crazzzy how small it is.

[@angelodizon9528]

And to think it's 16 threads half the 32 cores, it's just a lot more efficient

[@pdiscool]

Great video! My pc doesn’t have an oculink port so I think this egpu would be overkill. What would be the best similar egpu to connect via usb c 4.0

[@RandomPlay___]

Hi, would you mind testing the bandwidth of USB4 eGPU? I can only get 1700 MB/s ~ 14gbps which its only have 20gbps USB4 instead of full 40gbps USB4 as Im still waitting for my Oculink dock and it related to external ssd transfer speed too

[@GamePatter]

Will you be reviewing the HX100G?

[@gregz83]

Can you confirm if the unit HDMI 2.1 is TDMS or FRL? Can it do 4K @ 120Hz over HDMI?

[@Seankda]

If I want to install this in my car, how can I handle safe shutdowns when I turn the car off?

[@junkins]

Are you able to choose 1 color for it to be all the time?

[@iljacoveliers5834]

Nice video !!! Have you ever tested the mini pc's you review in combination with a dolby atmos soundbar ? If so, can you tell me on which mini pc's it works ? Because I have an Asrock X300 with AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 4750G and I can't get Dolby Atmos to work. On my ancient HP Deskmini 300 (Intel proccessor) Dolby Atmos does work. So for my next mini pc, I was leaning towards one with intel, instead of AMD, to see if intel is the way to go.

[@_TrueDesire_]

All amd build works without issues, ryzen 7600 + RX 7800 XT. Check for settings in the dolby app in Windows and set it to soundbar.

[@blakeforrest9600]

reckon you could show this with a egpu set up over the oculink??

[@hidden_name7469]

He did....

[@DejayClayton]

The low framerate for Baldur's Gate 3 is pretty surprising, considering that the game is optimized in a way that works well on potato computers. The fact that Cyberpunk has higher FPS perplexes me.

[@deltax7159]

how would you say the Geekom A7 compares to this?

[@darkknightlogician]

How does this handle Remnant 2? It seems poorly optimized and I am curious how it handles that game.

[@kramt32]

Looking to either get a PC handheld or this one so I can play in a plane. Will I be able to plug this on a 75 Watt outlet in the plane?

[@Val2073]

no

[@Akakakakak353]

What is the um780 xtx's 780m igpu maximum TGP??

[@fFrage01]

is that the asus VG259Qm monitor???

[@hangemhi001]

Could I not use the wireless pice slot ??

[@philismagic]

Are you (or have you) gonna review the MinisForum UM790 Pro?

[@RetroGameCorps]

Yes I reviewed it, here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4ebdqFpZdWmpacsi=BtAxySh3qxv96vjF

[@Moes_Prep_and_Tech]

Question. Are you Coming out with an Odin 2 setup guide or is the Odin 1 guide still Relevant?

[@jamesyu5212]

He already answered this in the community section

[@gusonian8637]

“I recorded all this great footage, it would have been the best you’d ever seen!..” went full Trump impression there haha

[@JamesJones-zt2yx]

Based on your review and others, I ordered myself a UM780 XTX, and I'm looking forward to a great experience, but... how did you read the manual? I've emailed them asking if there's a PDF that I can zoom in on, because the text on the printed manual is under a millimeter high as far as I can tell. Any chance of companies going back to writing a manual with just one language on it instead of seven which forces such tiny text?

[@aspirationrecords]

Ahh good ol chinese companies and their manuals for ants

[@lionheart4424]

Do you still have this Mini PC? Have you found any issues with it?

[@JamesJones-zt2yx]

@@lionheart4424 I do still have it, and it works very well.

[@snubdawg1386]

any infos on dpc-latency?

[@xiaohaimin-zm1pd]

How this um780 xtx compare to morefine m600 ?

[@AFWorm]

Love your reviews! Very well presented and everything is pertinent. Since you have a collection of reviewed mini pcs, would it be helpful to us to also if you had a ideal rig to create a benchmark? Your metrics are helpful for those who decide based on budget, but some would like to get close to an ultimate rig without breaking the bank. I used to love how Maximum PC had theirs. That way reviews had an even better context. I know you kind of already do that with your handhelds, especially since they are so versatile; and your mini PC spreadsheet allows comparison as a whole. A benchmark might help a small group of viewers or attract a different kind of viewer.

[@westsenkovec]

I have one on it's way so it better be good 😂

[@ShadowLightVR]

So my birthday is actually coming up and because I have been saving up for a long time and my bday is coming i could probably get this, I have 300 dollars currently and im gonna get 150 dollars as a birthday present, I cant wait!

[@Chronically_ChiII]

790pro vs 780xtx?

[@zebracakez41]

Can you upgrade it yourself? Anyone here know?? Like if u get a barebones one?

[@kalioude]

In this price range why don't buy a gaming laptop ? If someone can explain me ? 🤔

[@DoubleDragon5180]

Versatility, better cooling and some cases a smaller footprint on the desk. Plus you can connect a Desktop GPU vs a Laptop GPU.

[@kalioude]

@@DoubleDragon5180 thank you 😊👍

[@angelodizon9528]

Yeah many don't want to deal with a battery hehe

[@MarcRitzMD]

Every variant is 200 €/$ more expensive in the EU. Fuck that

[@TrusteftTech]

This is so impressive. I kid you not if I had the money I would buy one right away, with 64GB and probably 4TB of SSD. The blue or champagne color. Orange if it had it. WTF do you have bitlocker enabled to begin with? Do you know how easy it is to actually lose access to your files this way? :) Anyway, great video, thank you for sharing.

[@Uberragen21]

FWIW I work in IT. I have worked with THOUSANDS of laptops and desktops with BitLocker. Only ONE time I had a computer where the BitLocker recovery key wasn't properly backed up and the data was "lost". Good thing the data was backed up with the cloud backup, and no data was actually lost.

[@TrusteftTech]

@@Uberragen21 Do you by any chance work for Microsoft? Jokes aside, if you want to use it good for you. I prefer not to trust it.

[@riezalyncacapit1502]

Can try mir4 game?

[@ryancox4689]

Just ordered one. My wife is going to 💀 me!

[@yuiopl]

any WIFI issues?

[@ecu4321]

it defeats the purpose of having an EGPU and playing lightweight games. that's not what EGPUs are made for, let alone an argument in and of itself

[@MorganEdgy]

He really called TotK a "random open-world game" ☠️

[@markalexander5578]

It is cool and all, but... $600?

[@unaddan]

fuck yeah. I don't care if I only have 1 storage. that oculink worth the storage. I'm just gonna use usb 4 for my other storage. I wish every mini pc comes with oculink port.

[@christopherbarnes1191]

bro i dont know whats up with this vid but it will not let me view it

[@sndrs]

what keyboard is that?

[@Sonic6293]

Nuphy Air75.

[@sndrs]

@@Sonic6293 Thanks b0ss

[@Rkcuddles]

Grrrr that’s not enough m.2!!! Darn it… I love how this thing is more powerful than my 2080 Alienware. Yes yes, I shouldn’t have bought Alienware we all make mistakes,

[@BOOMER--]

BitLocker code is f-huge problem, not a minor one. I am not going to have multiple computers, just to read and put codes.

[@BOOMER--]

As I see later... it is sponsored video.

[@Gorilla_Jones]

Are you and VideoGame esoterica the same dude? 🤔 You sound exactly the same. In fact, ETA Prime sounds almost the same as well. Is there a KZbin lab cloning the same dude?

[@hanscagayan6158]

👍

[@RadzKiram]

I like to pronounce the "ps" in "retro game corps"

[@Rkcuddles]

No ones playing games at low 1080 right? Is this even worth testing?

[@hidden_name7469]

Yes we are lol

[@jrr3787]

ust got mine today. Wifi is useless. Sometimes getting less than 1 Mbps. Goes up to maybe 10 at times. Even causes wifi on my laptop to be trash. The interference is horrible. Ethernet works fine, but I wanted this to be a mobile setup, so it's going back.

[@worbjorb]

i wish i wasn’t broke asf cuz $600 USD is $1000 AUD jesus christ

[@TheDezmen3]

and again stupid barrel power plug -_- Minis still in 2005

[@LisaYoung-c2r]

Okey Centers

[@skynels3744]

I’m sure

[@ibelieveinjesusinmyspareti2861]

Really like the oculink port but as of 2023 we dont have any cheap or any option that makes sense, you are better off building a pc with a 4060lp at that price IMO.

[@ricardomerced12]

Almost 1st. Never seen a mini Pc Broading my horizon here.

[@burnzy3210]

RGB lights built into computers are cringe, don't make people pay for superfluous crap they'll never use.

[@ringogaming8490]

First?

[@jackstone77]

Yes, first.