Make a SUPER Mini PC Better with an OCulink eGPU

[@markbooth3066]

It's so nice that you're now launching straight into the lessons learned section rather than explaining why you like to have one first. Thanks,

[@MikrySoft]

What I would really want for a box like this is an OCulink connected DAS - enclosure + PSU and fans, some decent HBA, place for 8+ 3.5" HDDs. Bonus points if it would output the 19V to power the PC as well.

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Yes. The team tried like 6-7 different storage adapters with external ports just because I wanted to show that. Alas none worked.

[@jaycann06]

Thanks so much man, I bought the Minisforum DGP1 and was killing myself as to why it wasnt working with the Mini PC UM780 XTX AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS. You sir are the only one who mentioned the connection process requirments. thank you so much, subscriber for life.

[@grayphox]

I am a human and enjoy STH content

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Thanks!

[@acubley]

@@ServeTheHomeVideo I, too, am a Human person and enjoy this content.

[@animepersonthing]

Beep boop *HID loading* greets fellow humans. I too, enjoy STH content

[@SP-ny1fk]

Are you?

[@stefanb528]

Can you solve catcha?

[@TechnologyGeek862]

This mini PC replaced my old 13 year old ThinkServer. Now my VMs in Proxmox can run little bit more efficiently and faster 😄 Have had it for like couple of days and so far been likening it 😄

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Sweet!!

[@zagohcap]

I feel Beelink's solution they're coming out with is a much better implementation. An extra $50 and you get a built in 600W power supply in the dock and a slot for either an m.2 wifi or SSD and it connects directly via PCIe x8. I hope they expand on it.

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Very cool but we do not have one.

[@zagohcap]

@@ServeTheHomeVideo Your video was great and the product is cool but I just hope the space keeps innovating is all!

[@loyaltyisdead]

What is the name of that Beelink's solution?

[@solo-j4v]

​@@loyaltyisdead me too. Which one ?

[@babyjvadakkan5300]

​ I think it is the ex dock for GTi4 mini ​@@loyaltyisdead

[@alienb1212]

Wow the comment bots are insane.....Anyway here's a real one, thanks Patrick!

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Agreed. Thanks!

[@popeter]

i feel like a pico psu would work well for that dock, maybe with a 3d printed case for the psu

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Sure but if you want a RTX 4090 you need a bigger PSU. SFX is an option though

[@AZfixtech-b5u]

External GPUS are fun to tinker with but for me a slim dektop with the GPU inside is the way to go.

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

I generally agree, but we are going to take a look at 1-2 more soon

[@AZfixtech-b5u]

@@ServeTheHomeVideo I am looking forward to it.

[@Sama_09]

usb 4 can be used for networking !! and can easily be used as a cluster with 10gig back to back connection !! in this case back to front networking ;)

[@BloodyIron]

Watch out for looped networking!

[@Sama_09]

@@BloodyIron the entire network is a loop, you send some you get some back !!

[@AllIlIIl]

in 10 years

[@john_in_phoenix]

Just the better cooling is a real selling point for me. The ability to add an external GPU is a real bonus.

[@MjrGeneralGhost]

Man, I was LOVING this video until you casually threw in a boombox and made me feel ancient. I’m just a 90s kid-how did we get here already? Now I’m suddenly spiraling into a midlife crisis... Thanks for the nostalgia AND the existential crisis! Be right back after I finish figuring out where the time went. Awesome video, though!

[@jonjohnson2844]

I feel it's just gonna be the PCIE lanes that lets this down as the old homelab replacement I'm looking for!

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Insightful feeling. Great job on being the first to comment.

[@oscarcharliezulu]

I’d love to see them use the Mac mini form factor - bigger but with internal psu and room for ports and sdcard.

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Agreed.

[@ShowXTech]

Bit sad that there is no 3rd M.2 Slot, so if you use oculink you only left with one. I really liked the SER7 Pros larger footprint, wich would make more internal and external io possible. Would love to see a review of the Beelink GTI 14 Ultra and its dock. A bit unusual but Megamini G1 might be worth a look too.

[@DJgregBrown]

I love that these can be found barebones as I don't like paying for Windows and I have to install my OS. the oculink dock looks trash thought when you look and the Beeling GTI system of extending the PCI-E, but they only come in intel form currently, when the do a Ryzen AI strix point model, Oculink this will be old due to the Oculink bandwidth limits.

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

We have a Beelink video coming and the GTi is very rough to service

[@TheEditorify]

Can you make a long term review for this? A lot of people complain about heat issues and support.

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

We still have not had issues with ours. I just logged into it remotely and checked again.

[@davidschaub7965]

My hope that OCulink goes away, once TB5 is finally out. TB4 is 40/40 Gbps, OCulink is 80/80 Gbps, but TB5 should allow 120/40 Gbps, which should be great.

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

But then we have to wait for devices

[@concinnus]

Any zoomers unfamiliar with boomboxes need to drop by their local Blockbuster and rent _Say Anything_ and _Do the Right Thing_

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Ha. Fun that Alex left that in the edit

[@ewenchan1239]

Thank you for making this video. This is actually quite a compelling offer. Right now, the system (with 64 GB, 1 TB NVMe SSD, and Windows 11 Pro pre-installed) - is running for $729. Pricing it out based on the barebone system, and then adding the RAM and the NVMe SSD ex post facto, it ends up being $749.34 (with the same 64 GB, 1 TB configuration (via the affliate links provided).) So, it's actually a better deal to buy the system with the RAM and NVMe SSD installed and then going from there. I wished that the eGPU was fully enclosed in an enclosure (protects it from dust, etc.). It's also a bit of a pity that I just recently bought an open box Supermicro AS-3015A-I with a 7950X and 16 GB of RAM from Microcenter for like $663 or something like that, otherwise, this would have been a great addition, not that I actually really "need" it per se. It really IS silly though, for them to have a magnetic top, and then have the four screws immediately underneath it, for you to get access to the internal components. 100% defeats the purpose of said magnetic top.

[@edd6033]

Just letting you know, if you want to know. That LMDE 6, Linux Mint Debian Edition 6, works on the Minisforum UM890 Pro MFF Mini PC. Info for those who don't want to use Win 11.

[@luca73nat]

i'vr from a month the ms-a1 with the deg1 and a thunderbolt dock, it's a great combination. I came from 30 year of pc, making on my own, but now i want somthing different and for me this combination work great, i use my xtx 6900xt and gaming is not a problem on 1440p, every day task work flawly. The only thing is becoming very slow is video editing but this 8700g is no made for this kind of task, Overall i'm very happy with this setup

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

We have the MS-A1 and a special version of it that we are reviewing now. So great feedback.

[@luca73nat]

@@ServeTheHomeVideo 👍

[@j.ianmichel3059]

Personally Rx 7945 and Gen5 NVME lanes in this platform is what I want. The P7 GT is what I am looking at but it needs an Oculink port. While i like the verticality of the P7, the lack of Occulink has me thinking of doing a custom 3D printed case to include an Occulink port and swapping the NVME to the Gen4 slot. If this had the new 880M CPU with the NPU, id consider it more. Minisforum can slow dpwn on there new models coming out and focus on upgrade ability. The could push put more units without too much of a factory tooling upgrade.

[@mwales2112]

Picked up a Minisforum UM780 XTX recently and very happy with the system and have a Oculink setup on the way to tinker with using Minisforums DEG1. Great info.. Thank you

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Sweet

[@Audi1Pete]

Great review, I've used this mini pc for a few weeks now, only thing I wish it had was an extra m.2 socket, scores well in 3dmark with my 4080 paired to it, just waiting for someone to pair a 4090 with it to beat my top score lol. Also this um890 pro has two bios options balanced and performance,

[@TheTiredhermit]

Is it good for after effects editing

[@Audi1Pete]

@@TheTiredhermit if you pair it with a good rtx card, but the cpu is only mid tier, prob around amd 9600x cpu performance.

[@petersamios5409]

Great review. I'm a big fan of mini pc's - especially the older HP G series. I like the dual NVMe slots. I normally run my PCs wired, so the dual 2.5GB ports are nice. I've been waiting for an "Oculink" solution and it's nice to see this here. I've also looked up other NVMe to Oculink adapters. Could these also be used in PCs with an available NVMe slot? Could they also replace the Wireless NVMe adapter (if they fit)? Lastly, I know a lot of what is focused on is for the Gaming community. Could you do some reviews for the CAD community? Like Fusion 360. Thanks.

[@bradakkerman9349]

Boombox with 44 D Cell batteries!!!

[@fixinah]

Luckily I ordered mine earlier today and looking now after this vid dropped its sold out. 😊

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Ha

[@eltamarindo]

We need a much smaller footprint eGPU dock --like the "One Dock" but cheaper. The combination that you show doesn't make sense --having an eGPU dock that has a desk footprint as large as a Mini ITX system. If you have an OCuLink Mini PC, you likely will also want a smaller more compact GPU and dock.

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

True, but some folks will use mini PCs and walk them room to room.

[@engineering8336]

@@ServeTheHomeVideo where is this becoming a normal use case? walking room to room with even a mini-pc is absurd. You still need a keyboard , mouse, monitor and PSU in EVERY room you go to. Walking from room to room is a job for a laptop or tablet

[@Fiyaaaahh]

@@engineering8336 If each desk has a docking station it's perfectly feasible. At my work place we use laptops instead of mini pc's, but the docking stations to support them are there.

[@babyjvadakkan5300]

For me I want an affordable GPU with portability/traveling and UPGRADABILITY..............

[@thefas]

STH do you have a link for that oculink to nvme adapter ? Not the DEG1 of course

[@darangel2461]

Can you drive a screen using the PC's display port while simultaneously using the oculink tethered GPU?

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

When we are on the new set with the OCulink running, we have the W7700 Pro working in the system but the TV is being displayed via the onboard integrated graphics 780M

[@Zosu22]

Yeah it should be basically the same as running a display off of the iGPU and the discrete GPU in a desktop simultaneously.

[@Rattletrap-xs8il]

I may pick one of these up just for youtube streaming to my main tv

[@Val-xi4we]

One test I would like to see on these is Linux support. Can Linux Mint be installed and the APU work fine without having to jump through hoops? Windows 11 is dead to a lot of us.

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Ubuntu was easy, but we did not do Mint.

[@keyboard_g]

The airflow in the top there and that plastic separator seems off. And the ssd heatsink is glued to the plastic part with the fan? Then weird fan wire hanging out. They can’t be happy with that solution. Seems like there is a better way to for those parts together.

[@lurick]

Disregard bots Watch an awesome STH video

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Thanks

[@bakakafka4428]

Hilarious that that metal sheet with screwed on PSU and tacked on GPU, with cables flying all over the place is referred to as an "enclosure" 🤣🤣 We really need some Chinese manufacturer to create a proper oculink case, like the old Thunderbird ones.

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Yea it is hard. We would say a Thunderbolt enclosure, so what do you call that thing?

[@Ram84_1]

I'd love to replace my BlackView N95 Mini PC with a Ryzen 9 Strix Halo one day.

[@se4m0nkey]

Beelink has the option of oculink which does not take up an M2 slot. The wifi on this model is very hit and miss, almost unusable. Sent mine back for this. Great unit though but removing the cover to the wifi card with the fan cable is not the best.

[@psy-star]

these minipc are small but power adaptor are bulky mess now. I would like to see minipc with builtin powersupply for any new minipc purchase.

[@acubley]

Then you'd even more heat in the case. 🤷

[@Entity8473]

Four minutes into the video, I started to wonder what are the key lessons learned.

[@rockumk]

Can OCulink be used for non-video PCIe card without specialized drivers?

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

In theory it should be able to, but if you see we tested a few options for networking and storage and were not successful

[@ReubenHamill]

I would like to see a hba in the doc with a small power supply and a 3d printed jbod that sits on this dock. You mentioned storage controller’s didn’t work, which made me sad

[@cybotx1024]

The oculink adapter on this should work with a HBA card and hard drives for a NAS right?

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Mentioned it in the video but we went 0-4 on that

[@djrichardD]

I'z is hooman, I enjoy STH

[@VaibhavKurde]

Ok.. don't you need to switch the monitor plug to the GPU itself from minipc? Or the oCulink will do that part internally? How's that?

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

You can use those outputs. If you have an external GPU, you can also just use it as a compute accelerator (e.g. for a NVIDIA GPU used for AI)

[@RT-iy9pu]

Do you have any suggestions on which of these mini pc/server/switches you'd run Untangle on? Virtualization unfortunately looks to be necessary as they're still on Debian 11 without Intel I225V drivers... I've been looking for a suitable router to deploy to multiple people. Appreciate any insights you have!

[@whothefoxcares]

no SDcard reader for GOD or creators. GOD would have made the power supply internal, with a universal umbilical *power chord.* (on his Stratocaster with a whammy bar)

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

I agree an internal SD card reader would be nice.

[@jconradh]

How many audio channels? I don't see that listed anywhere, and nothing in the user manual. I already have an iNTEL NUC that does not support surround, and I'd like one that does.

[@cal2127]

man i would pay for a rack mount enclosure for this

[@btudrus]

is the wifi integrated on the PCB or is it an external M.2 card?

[@florida173]

Potential to run blue iris or frigate?

[@MattHudsonAtx]

Patrick is cool

[@SP-ny1fk]

He has a good cooling solution

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Ha!

[@Somatom_Man]

Why does no one ever point out that this unit has a built in DMIC on the front. Don't they see the hole sitting there next to the power switch?

[@bertdram4087]

so it is slightly better than the um780XTX?

[@FireStormOOO_]

Is the needing to reboot for the eGPU a Windows thing or a device/firmware thing? I'm able to hotplug my thunderbolt eGPU into my Framework laptop under Linux for example.

[@lexlopez15]

It's an oculink thing. Every mini PC I've seen with an oculink port requires you to reboot before unplugging and plugging in the cable. If you don't they claim you could damage the whole PC and it won't be covered under warranty.

[@BillLambert]

It annoys me greatly that they didn't make the fan cable about an inch longer so you could lever that lid out of the way without disconnecting it.

[@niandralade]

u have a mini pc over for me, to start my first mini pc experience ?

[@mohamedyahia3844]

Can the p1000 and p2000 qoudro work fine with lenovo thinkcentre with pcie old family as p620 ???

[@michaelharris8346]

Im looking for a gpu for gaming performance whats the max i could go both nividia and amd without bottlenecking or anything like that

[@nohandleleft]

At about 8:24 I noticed a big chunk of your arm was missing. I was shocked to my core! After a bit more perfunctory analysis, I see that the entire background is just like a big painting. Why did I never notice this before? I do see things come and go in the background so I assumed it was all real. Ermagherd. I don't know what's going on, I'm confused.

[@djsmeguk]

Still want an amd solution with 10gb networking. Guessing oculink is not that.

[@BloodyIron]

1. You can do that with oculink as you can install a 10gig (or faster) NIC on the PCIe lanes in the expansion bay. or 2. You can use a USB4 to TB3 10gig adapter to get it that way. You have at least two options on how to do that on this system.

[@engineering8336]

I actually like the extra height on this model, since it's the only one I've seen with enough headroom to put an M.2 to 10Gbase-T adapter out the back with a little help from a Dremel to make the oculink hole a little larger

[@tommythorn]

I came to say something similar. This is close to perfect except I need at least one SPF+ and I don’t want to sacrifice an M.2 slot. So close though.

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Interesting idea.

[@BloodyIron]

@@tommythorn there are thunderbolt to SFP+ adapters. This would work with any of the USB4 ports as thunderbolt 3 and earlier are baked into the base spec for all USB4 ports.

[@BoraHorzaGobuchul]

1. Their stock nvme is most likely crap, no? 2. The win license - how big is the chance it's genuine? Not likely. Anyways, running a preinatalled os is a big no-no from the security standpoint

[@Damian-rp2iv]

2:14 seriously this is 2024, stop assuming "1 display output = 1scree"... There is DP here, you can easily plug 3 screens on just one output. I'm not even talking about usb4 dock with multiple output. In another hand, I've ran into many issue where "too many" screen was connected, so I guess there is some internal limitation. I would like to know that instead of "how many holes there is" Great video otherwise! I love the idea of internal to oculink adapter, I was looking for a pci to oculink adapter but never found one :(

[@acubley]

What gen are the OCculink pcie lanes?

[@DSR-CH]

I have a Minisforum with a defective Intel cpu. After months of back and forth Minisforum still won't replace it. I won't buy another Minisforum unless they replace my defective cpu. I anyway won't be buying Intel any time soon given how badly they have handled their f-up. I am not convinced they have come clean on the issues.

[@GaleSimons-m2j]

Ondricka Springs

[@KrisKomar]

You didnt run 3DMark Timespy on the eGPU. What gives?

[@spewp]

Did STH stop making video content or something? What happened?

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Stay tuned. We had 3 videos this month where companies told us they had a product change or that they were not releasing a product. Plus, I did 6 flights this week for a video next week and what will be our biggest video ever (by far) the first week of October. We might have one tomorrow.

[@BoraHorzaGobuchul]

What's the point of having a minipc with an external GPU as opposed to having a pc with an internal GPU? Can someone explain?

[@aarrodri]

Portability.. you can unplug the mini and take it with you and use the internal GPU for decent gaming.. then when you want full GPU power connect the egpu.

[@BoraHorzaGobuchul]

@@aarrodri ok. That's very niche, I don't see many people lugging a minipcs and its power brick and cables around instead of a laptop.

[@Bob_Smith19]

@@BoraHorzaGobuchulI transport one between home and a vacation house. But an e-GPU still makes no sense. It’s a solution to a nonexistent problem. You’re better off building a mini-ITX system w/ desktop hardware instead of laptop hardware shoved into a tiny cube.

[@BoraHorzaGobuchul]

@@Bob_Smith19 I see. The hassle of reconnecting stuff has caused me to just have a separate computer at each place where I could need one :)

[@Andrew_Thrift]

Realtek networking, Boo

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Fair.

[@JeffreyHall-l5z]

Willy Forest

[@fk_tech]

Omg oculink is optional ? They should have mentioned it somewhere on their listing. Cause you lose 1 pcie slot for ssd. That's not good

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

That is why we wanted to show it here.

[@fk_tech]

Can you post the pcie to oculink adapter close up shots ? Is it a standard adapter or a custom design to align with the oculink port on the back?

[@fk_tech]

​@@ServeTheHomeVideo Were you able to install linux os ? I recieved mine and it have secure boot enabled and greyed out. :(

[@Z4KIUS]

if the PSU is too big to fit in the plug it has to be internal, brick in the middle of the cable is a mess

[@inflammen80]

Realtek LAN, meh...

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

Fair

[@freedomisdead9638]

Woaw the GMKtec K8 PLUS has a better design and cooling system, i thought minisforum was a quality brand, but they are not, they didn t even put a heatsink on their SSD, they have just thrown a thermal pad like a patch, what a joke

[@Fiyaaaahh]

If only a proper* fanless GPU's existed then this would enable gaming on my fanless mini pc. *The GeForce RTX 3050 KalmX 6GB is not passive. It just relies on the airflow of the case fans instead of coming with its own dedicated fans.

[@bobgoddard5489]

I really wonder what is the point in these so called reviews. If this system takes its build from previous systems, then it will become a brick within 2 years when the root EUFI certificates expire. Secondly, that fan, if you look at previous generations, it only lasts for a month of continuous use before the bearings go. Why bother trying to save a few bucks when in a couple of years you are going to have to buy another system. STH should be really checking these issues.

[@ServeTheHomeVideo]

We run these 24x7 under load for about a month before these reviews go live. I doubt any normal user is doing that. Saying the bearings fail in a month for use we would need to see it, and we do not even under higher loads

[@bobgoddard5489]

@@ServeTheHomeVideo I searched about the fans for my UM790Pro and there are many examples of the fan failing. What I am more hacked off with though is you ignoring the problems with the EUFI certs. As these are built into the firmware, we cannot updated them.

[@adambrown8579]

This new trend is shit, if you want a good gpu then build a good pc.

[@freedomisdead9638]

How is that the best front panel you have ever seen on a Mini PC? How? No way you bought this Mini PC. It has been sent to you for free and you have been paid for this review, there is nothing special about this Mini PC compared to its predecessors

[@artlandmarknyc]

Kingston makes just awful unreliable SSDs, I would highly stay away from them fyi to all who don't know and actually care for their files 😉😉👍 .. also they are highly unreliable in performance even if you do get any performance it's always upside down left and right reverse whichever way it wants to not as smooth drive never I had a few of them failed before 5 months and the ones that actually work over 12 months in those 12 months up and down speeds sometimes phenomenal sometimes average or just playing bad not even good you never know what you expect that is again if it made it past the 5 6 months mark..i would get Samsung or Western digital ssd

[@ChristopherRogers-g4i]

Jackson Nancy Wilson Maria Jones Frank

[@xprcloud]

W H Y ?, what's the value in this for $600?

[@sidjbel]

No, it would be impressive if it's starting price was $200...

[@kwisin1337]

Is this a review or comparison? How about a ruler for size. Do you really need to spend 2 paragraphs explaining how you had a negative opinion. Seems childish. How about big fumbled thumbs... really. I keep trying to give you guys a chance, and you keep dropping the ball. With all the opportunities you have. Seriously, try harder.

[@Rayu25Demon]

A mini with gpu is one on of the stupidest ideas i have ever seen. expensive, low bandwidth, messy cables on desktop, kills the concept of a smaller footprint in your desktop. If you want a gpu, just build an itx pc or buy a mini pc with a gpu.

[@lawrencerubanka7087]

No thank you.

[@Chris-hy6jy]

Oculink is just stupid. If you want a full size GPU, you'd just buy a larger PC.

[@mouuseygb]

I mean. I would love this. I can take my PC anywhere I want with a tiny form factor, and bring it home and use it with a GPU at a decent price point. I have a large tower now, but I want a travel pc? Heres a great solution.