This Mini PC is a Game Changer BUT....Beelink SER8 Review

In this video we check out the Beelink SER8 mini PC, which promises low noise, improved cooling and delivers on the claim. It's running the latest AMD Ryzen 8845HS CPU and delivers great performance as well. However, there are some drawbacks to deal with which sour the stellar experience a bit.
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00:00 - Quiet
01:12 - Specs & Features
04:37 - Opening It Up
05:42 - Benchmarks
07:06 - Games & Emulators
10:11 - Video Editing
10:29 - BIOS, Power, Temps & Noise
12:20 - Conclusion

[@GeordiLaForgery]

I don't understand why they don't just plop a quiet and thin 120mm/140mm on top, been saying this for years now

[@mrpurpleman9698]

It takes a 24th century engineer to correct mini pc manufacturers no less!

[@Bajicoy]

Two words, air pressure. Axial fans offer less air pressure than blower fans. It's the same reason 3D printers use blower fans for part cooling and rack servers use blower fans especially for GPUs. It's basic fluid dynamics. If you have a tight and compact space with a long length, axial fans are mechanically less efficient than blower fans. To get the same effect as a single blower fan in a tight space, multiple axial fans must be used and greater exhaust clearance space used. Essentially the mini pc gets much larger. The beelink SER8 blower fan and cooler has about the same heat dissipation as a Noctua NH-L9a and a secondary axial fan on the opposite side of the pcb for perspective and you can compare the difference in size that would add.

[@Bajicoy]

Minisforum NUCG5 was not a financial success. Some people might say they want axial fan coolers on top of their nuc size mini pc but they are not buying them and when brands like minisforum or topton or other brands make them, they don't sell well.

[@smileypete4625]

I expect price is everything and a laptop style cooler costs only a few $. The AC8 N100 min PC (badging varies) looks to be the best candidate for this right now.

[@TomBeran]

I bought one on your sound test and it is whisper quiet - many thanks as my old BeeLink GR7 was incredibly loud and I couldn't live with it anymore :)

[@godnyx117]

Thanks for the review! I hope that they get even more cool, silent and drop the wattage usage.

[@lulul]

a silent operation is indeed the most important thing. good job to beelink for figuring this out. i'm currently thinking of ways to design a proper external cooling solution for my ser5 pro since the temps have gone up significantly with the hot weather.

[@mrpurpleman9698]

Its not too difficult, remove the mainboard its just a few screws. Remove the nasty evil laptop style blower and then strap 2 x 120mm USB fans top and bottom with cable ties. USB fans are important since you want active cooling always and you can get the usb fans with 3 speed settings cheaply. Always test the cpu temps though to make sure they are safe after any mods. Manufacturers are decades behind using cheaper, easier and silent cooling they get it wrong 99% of the time it feels with mini pcs.

[@neilquinn]

Silence & reliability are what these miniPC mfg's should worry about. Less about squeaking out 5% more performance.

[@lulul]

@@neilquinn the best part is that if they nail down the quiet operation and reliability the 5% extra power comes as a bonus since a cool stable system can be pushed a bit further. but yes, that is what i want out of a minipc: silent operation and reliability.

[@Stance1988]

I fixed mine.. I replaced the garbage "liquid metal" application and used Noctua NT-H2. I also added 2 20x20x2mm copper shims to the VRM cooling with thermal adhesive tape. I replaced all the thermal pads on the VRM with Thermal Grizzly 2mm thick pads. The next thing you need to do is pull of the laughable cloth on top that completely CHOKES the fans airflow. Last thing I did was disable the turbo boost in Windows 11 thus reducing maximum CPU speed to 3.2Ghz. Now the cpu at 100% load maxes at 82c in Prime95 and it's around 65-70c in games. The best part about all this is that the fan never goes crazy, it's very silent now, but did req. alot of tinkering..

[@avidwriter2882]

I rarely had problems with fan noise with my old tower PC's because they were off to the side or under the desk. However when you're PC is right near your monitor fan noise is a much bigger issue, yea.

[@cutesammie]

I have no plan to buy this but I still watched the review anyway. Thanks for the thorough review as always.

[@KatRollo]

Thank you Rob for a transparent pros/cons as always. I love the return of the standard barrel jack, I'd like to think my constant yapping about it in their subreddit helped haha. The connectivity issue is a major downside for me. I connect a lot of BT peripherals for emulation. SER5 MAX is still what I'm rolling with in my living room setup. Great honest review, I like it.

[@Robtech]

Haha, yeah guess it wasn't just me that disliked it immensely

[@Evilkingus]

I like how amazon has reviews from last year of this variant, when it was just released a few days ago.

[@excite6501]

Its time for the next 880m gpu upgrade.

[@dansanger5340]

The SER8 seems to have lost a couple USB ports vs. the SER7. Even though I'm not that fond of the non-standard power supply port on the SER7, I'm willing to put up with it if it means more USB ports (assuming that's the reason).

[@jabonorte]

Beelink always make a nice PC, sort of IBM for mini PC users. I don't follow the 'metal is better' school of thought for mini pc design though. I don't fondle the machine while it's in use and it's always going to create signal problems, so I actually prefer a plastic case.

[@tonycheung1559]

Isnt that dust filter a faraday cage for wireless? Smart design

[@user-nu1ms8yl2w]

Interesting on the PSU. There are two other US reviews (including one more legitimate one Level1Tech), where the included PSU is much smaller. Would be good to know if the smaller PSU is just for the US version and Aus gets the big one.

[@mikespangler98]

What USB hub would match well with it?

[@avidwriter2882]

I wonder if the case being almost entirely enclosed and maybe thick is why the signal is so weak? Nevermind you cover it at the end.

[@dennisdew-it]

nice, was looking into this one... will you consider looking into the aoostar minipc's, not supermuch reviews on it. especially gem10 vs gem12

[@Robtech]

Both on the way.

[@patrick.771]

I have a Beelink SER6 Max. You can’t hear the fans when browsing web, watching KZbin or doing office work.

[@muaddib-usal]

Would be good to see ram temps under load for DDR5. I sent a mini pc back as the ram hit 82.5c when gaming. Which was hotter than the cpu!

[@emptyenergy3750]

Do review of bosgame h68 or h77 or both

[@zupzop9237]

Nice review, wireless connectivity is a bit of a bummer. I can live with the subpar wireless wifi as I connect the mini's via the LAN. But 2m bluetooth is a real let down. (Thanks for testing this!) The high idle power usage is also a real disappointment Pity they dropped the colour scheme But silent operation is a big win FYI: via beelinks own site the ser 8 is currently a few euros cheaper than the ser7

[@tavcsor]

Is it chromeos flex compatible?

[@RonMiller1959]

Before this excellent review, I wasn't unaware of the WiFi/Bluetooth performance; my research revealed that the installed Intel AX200 was on the lower end of the Intel M.2 WiFi cards compatible with AMD processors; the Intel AX210 is an upscale model, and a better performer. Intel's more current and capable WiFI 7 cards don't work with AMD. I purchased a Qualcomm NCM865 M.2 WiFi card, which supports WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 and works with AMD processors. I've had no issues with WiFi or Bluetooth performance. Two more minor points; the unit shipped to me had a compact power supply with an integrated connector cable and power plug, so it plugged directly into my UPS. Finally, the rubber feet were in a separate packet for me to install after configuring the system. I ordered a barebones model, so that could explain why they were not already installed. Overall, I'm very pleased with the Beelink SER8 mini-pc's performance, low noise, cooling, and style.

[@Robtech]

Seems the US version includes a more compact PSU than the AU. You're the second now to confirm it. Thanks for sharing.

[@d_fens]

How much power does your monitor provide? My LG DualUp can provide up to 90W and I'm wondering if it's enough for this PC... [Edit] NVM, I noticed over 90W peak consumption on the chart. Is there a way to bring max power draw down? Some options in BIOS?

[@Robtech]

Mine only provides 75W, so the minis power off if they go above that. You can specify the power limit in the AMD CBS options. Balanced mode is set to 54000 (54 Watts). If you dropped it down to 45W (45000), should be okay.

[@enihi]

The dust filter needs to be washed but it's under 4 screws and rubber covers?

[@Stance1988]

Use an aircompressor, easy......................

[@t1nk3rtail0r]

This is a great review, but do you mind reviewing the wireless benchmark, please? That is almost a show stopper, with the performance shown here, but some people claimed having had a different experience than yours with their ser8. Could it be that an issue with your card in particular? Thank you vm !

[@Robtech]

I spent 5 days with it using WiFi. That's how it performs, that's how it's reported. Bluetooth test confirmed the short range.

[@t1nk3rtail0r]

@@Robtech well, seeing the so poor performance of this equipment and other, dissonant reports, also with a ser8, from other people over the internet, I wondered if this could have been a particular case of a faulty card, rather than the norm. Hence I was asking if you had the means to compare your specific product with others. As 1 sample is statistically irrelevant. Thank you nonetheless for the review, very well done. It helped a lot already. :-D

[@edalder2000]

I was waiting for this review. I saw metal case and was worried about wifi performance. That it’s terrible makes me give the SER8 a pass. That disappoints me. I figured that the 8845HS was a 7840HS with a NPU for AI. Pass! AI is just a buzzword to wow investors at this point.

[@datametalmachine]

Other mini pc's include an external screw-in antenna....not sure that alone would have solved the problem with this beelink. Sounds likes maybe the internet wifi card is suss regardless of case and position.

[@LinusGems]

for when a video of the new Beelink EQ13 that includes the source inside the mini PC and is accessible with the new Intel N200, since Beelink does very good work with these entry-level PCs

[@Robtech]

EQ13 review coming soon...

[@bakakafka4428]

Now we need this one to get a new Strix APU as soon as they get released next month.

[@xiaofengwang6653]

Is Intel BE200 WiFi 7 card compatible with the ser8? I would like to change the WiFi card if the connection is too bad.

[@Robtech]

It should be as long as it's the same M.2 NGW type.

[@Rami9119]

Hey rob, or anyone else that got the SER8 for that matter. I've had issues getting secure boot enabled on mine, can never get it out of setup mode into user mode to enable it. Tried reinstalling, generating the PKs for secure boot but nothing works. Any ideas? Its specifically about running valorant as well if that helps narrow down the issue any more, asking since I saw you test it.

[@Robtech]

Hmm, I don't remember it being a problem. I'll have a look if I get a chance. Flat out at the moment.

[@Rami9119]

@@Robtech No worries, I'll continue looking around then and might get in contact with bee links support. Thank you!

[@mowcowbell]

I ended up putting in a Intel AX210ngw Wi-Fi card in my SER8. That fixed the Wi-Fi issues.

[@xiaofengwang6653]

I might try that some day as well if I can't stand the WiFi performance. Luckily I'm living in a small apartment that I have no problem to use internet cable.

[@xiaofengwang6653]

Which version is compatible with ser8 my friend? It has to be the laptop version isn't it?

[@mowcowbell]

@@xiaofengwang6653 Yes, it is a laptop WiFi card.

[@mowcowbell]

@@xiaofengwang6653 Yes, it takes a standard laptop Wifi card.

[@mowcowbell]

@@ReveriePass yes

[@denisabidov4693]

Hi, Rob! Thank you very much for reviewing this promising machine and paying a close attention to the fan noise! That's a deal breaker. The only caveat for declaring this mini PC as the new king in the mini PCs universe is the poor WiFi connectivity. Could you please throw us some figures how really bad it underperforms. Maybe still tolerable for the next buying option. For example you could run an internet connection speed test via WiFi from a really good performing laptop or PC and then run the same test with this Beelink SER 8. Then by comparing their upload/download speeds we would have a clear idea on the WiFi connectivity issue. Appreciate your help!

[@Robtech]

I'd say unless you're close to your router, you're going to need to use a USB wifi adaptor or go wired

[@Evilkingus]

I just got this PC. Looks pretty slick, but I have to agree on the wireless capabilities - bluetooth is barely functioning and unusable for gamepads. Thankfully I can add my own dongle, but I shouldn't have to. You can't even disable the internal bluetooth in the bios, so I have to fight windows to ensure that it uses the external dongle. Unfortunate, but this is still the best option for me, I think. I really appreciate the degree of details in your reviews and I really like that you hate fan noise. I know I can trust you! 🙂

[@Stance1988]

Just remove the 2230 wifi/bt module and use external devices for wifi and bluetooth. Easiest way to solve the garbage signal.

[@christophernicholas778]

What would be incredibly helpful is to post links to your latest benchmark images for easy comparison across all the minis you have reviewed thus far! I hope you read this

[@Robtech]

I've been planning to do a comparison website with all the data. Haven't had a chance to get started on it. Maybe later in the year.

[@christophernicholas778]

@@Robtech that sounds awesome man, and I look forward to it! In the meantime, even just a link to an image of the different benchmarks would suffice (while you work out the website).

[@sterling1989]

Any idea if you can power this PC with the usb-c on the back?

[@Robtech]

Yes

[@blackbeanburger3357]

guess they need to implement an external antenna now to deal with the aluminum body interfering with signal strength lol. getting there!

[@Robtech]

Yeah, or a plastic front section like a NUC. Even a plastic top lid would work.

[@MorganEdgy]

I feel like Beelink is lagging behind a little by not including OcuLink in these ones

[@dave_r]

I've been wondering how this model would do in the review, though I was more concerned about the removal of the extra fan, but their solution seems to work well enough. The minimalist metal case is handsome, but the WiFi issues are difficult to accept given just how bad they are. While a USB external unit would work well, who wants to pay for that nice a box and then have to do that. But to give Beelink credit, they do listen from model to model and make changes (pace the removal of the proprietary power connector), but then they shoot themselves in the foot with things like the WiFi. Surely someone there had to have thought of that, and yet...

[@AmeOFF]

I will wait for something with the 890M

[@alexanderavantgarde3428]

Hi, this mini pc sounds good. Can I run windows 10 on this pc? Thankyou:) Regards Alexander

[@Robtech]

Haven't tried, but the drivers should all work in Windows 10 since they're very similar OS's.

[@tavcsor]

Thanks!

[@Robtech]

Thank you

[@Kwistenbiebel100-ns5ko]

The reason for the bad bluetooth/wifi: it is because the BT/Wifi modules are not shielded and you get interference with usb (3/3.1) ports when they hold wireless dongles. Solution: usb hubs with a lead. This goes for Ser6/ Ser7/....and probably other brands with metal lids.

[@Robtech]

No wireless dongles are used in my reviews. Only wired devices.

[@Jeff79z]

There is caveat for the low fan noise. It needs to be used in cool ambient temperature. A chinese reviewer tested the beelink ser 8 in china summer 34C ambient temperature, the fan noise at 65W full load reached 53db beside the mini pc and 47db at ear distance. However when the room ambient temperature was cooled to 25C with air conditioning, the fan noise at 65W full load reduced to 43db beside the mini pc and 37db at ear distance. interested viewer can watch jack stone ser 8 review in youtube. The review has english subtitle.

[@cf9699]

use longer cables and move it away from you if you don't like fan noise.

[@Evilkingus]

You've just solved everyone's problems.

[@TrusteftTech]

The thing that worries me is that it is one more mini PC which makes it "impossible" to reach the fan to clean any dust/dirty accumulation and perhaps thermal paste replacement. Dust will accumulate there no matter what. The air intake for the PC is obviously going to happen mostly from the bottom where there is no dust filter. Depending on the location, it could ruin performance of the PC in anything from few months to a few years. Longevity is more important for some people like myself than others, I understand that, but I can only speak about what I find important. The review is of course Robtech quality so no problem there. Thank you for sharing and well done to Beelink for creating an otherwise good system.

[@Jeff79z]

This mini pc uses liquid metal thermal compound for cooling. Not easy to replace liquid metal thermal compound for most end user. The mainboard can remove from the casing to clean the fan. Seem like the fan metal plate cover is fixed with protruding plastic tabs that can pry open to clean the impeller. There is a teardown video by chinese reviewer on youtube. video id 0PNLcHzVsjE

[@geraldh.8047]

After the Minisforum UM790 now another Mini with non-working WiFi 😢😢😢

[@ferromontanino]

I'm confused - been comparing the Geekom IT13 (i9) and most other sites benchmark it as higher vs the SER8 in almost every category... or am I confused?

[@Robtech]

Welcome to the world of paid reviews. The cooling on the IT13 was poor on both the i7 and i9 model I reviewed resulting in hard thermal throttling.

[@ferromontanino]

@@Robtech appreciate your response! really stuck between these two, but wondering if I do value Some graphics boost if the Beelink beats the Geekom overall, given the thermal issues you've presented. great channel !

[@andr101]

I can't believe they haven't fixed the shit wifi for this version. The SER7 was struggling a lot too...

[@Kwistenbiebel100-ns5ko]

I have the SER6 Pro with the same issue and discovered it is a design flaw. The Bluetooth and Wifi works much faster if you use a USB extension hub to plug in any wireless dongle. The built in Bluetooth and Wifi is NOT shielded which causes interference with the USB 3 ports.

[@user-ul5hi1mt3f]

It just need a pcie x 8 slot

[@nadavrot]

Thank you for the review, but I think you forgot to mention a huge issue with this device. Unlike other minis in this price point it does not include an Oculink port or a USB 4 port. This means that out of the box it cannot use an eGPU and you are stuck with integrated graphics.

[@Robtech]

It does include a USB4 port as mentioned at kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnK0iHqBmtJlptUsi=jKLZ3IGw-nckfE77&t=202 and tested with an eGPU at kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnK0iHqBmtJlptUsi=wTPRRFKg970S54Al&t=427

[@Evilkingus]

I always wondered if this was a real usecase for anyone or if it was only ETA Prime fucking around. Apparently is is.

[@nadavrot]

@@Evilkingus the integrated GPU on these units is weaker than some 7 year old laptop GPUs. If you are not using this mini PC as a server you are going to want to connect it to an eGPU.

[@nadavrot]

@@Robtech wow. I kind of missed the information about eGPU since it was one sentence and an eGPU was not shown in the video. My bad for missing the USB4 port too!

[@Gentokami]

❤❤🎉🎉

[@Nicholas-nu9jx]

AMD needs to use these AI cores to impro e fsr

[@isbestlizard]

Wifi/bluetooth isn't fit for purpose so a hard pass from me. Maybe the next version they'll get wifi working for more than 2m away

[@J0ermungand]

That WiFi range is a terrible tradeoff I'd say. Not that I'm a fan of WiFi, but still... plus the Bluetooth range is just unacceptable.

[@bulldogboy100]

Seems Beelink is listening to what people are wanting and saying

[@Son37Lumiere]

I see this constantly. Adobe doesn't bother to optimize for AMD. Use Davinci Resolve instead. Adobe sucks anyways.

[@egnatius79]

The SER8 feels like a downgrade compared to the SER7. Poor wifi strength, no fan for memory and storage, one single air intake source, difficult to remove rubber covers on the bottom lid screws, higher idle power consumption. Having a cooler and quieter system isn't worth all the downsides in my book. Edit: And to boot, the SER7 is $100 USD cheaper on Amazon!

[@Evilkingus]

But to me and probably most other people low noise is probably the most important feature. The $100 dollars is nothing, when getting af quieter pc, NOTHING I tells ya. I do agree on the disappointing wireless and bluetooth.

[@shayne87]

I just do not get the whole fan noise thing and I honestly thought it was a running joke on this channel and not a serious stat at first lmao. White noise becomes background noise for me very quickly. The only time i ever notice my PC fan is when it changes speed or it shuts off. Just not an important benchmark for me

[@Robtech]

Number one complaint I've seen over the years.

[@shayne87]

@@Robtech To each his own I guess. enjoy the potato 🥔🥔

[@unknown183]

Why would I buy a mini PC to keep it on balanced mode? I would want performance every time. We only want what we paid for get the most out of it. Despite hardly any differences under different circumstances.

[@nadtz]

A lot of use cases for these don't care too much about max performance, most of the places I've seen them they are used as small low power office pc's, for digital signage and less expensive options for registers and that kind of thing.

[@unknown183]

@@nadtz But I'm sure most of his subs are majority of the gamer kind. Not to mention all about performance. Cough Cough.

[@nadtz]

@@unknown183 That wasn't what you asked though.

[@unknown183]

@@nadtz So now someone I don't even know is going to tell me what I asked and what I didn't. You my lawyer now?

[@nadtz]

@@unknown183 Are you a cop asking the dumb question about me being a lawyer? I can read English, I can read what you typed. If you meant something different that's on you.

[@filipemiguel268]

mini in size huge in price, i kinda feel this companys found a golden mine and like to abuse it. They all start with low prices but today have no "shame" to presents a 900$ model, with this price we can build a 10x better PC, maybe people like to be abused...

[@nadtz]

On one hand I agree with you but you also can't just go out and buy a motherboard with this mobile CPU on it (yet). When you compare this to say a laptop with the same chipset they aren't that outrageously priced but yeah, once you are spending this much I'd personally build something too.

[@CallMeCJorDandy]

7:37 Please use Master Yi in the next Mini PC / full desktop review , i'm getting tired seeing Darius taking the spot 😂🗡️

[@Evilkingus]

Black? Why the f*** is there no black version?