Bmax B8A Pro Mini PC, Ryzen 7 8745HS (Up to 4.9GHz, Beats i9-13900HK/R9 7940HS), 16GB DDR5 512GB SSD, Radeon 780M, 8K Triple Display AI Desktop Computer for OpenClaw, Claude Cowork, Gaming & Office

This is my 2nd BMAX mini-PC purchase after 5 years, and I am absolutely a fan of mini-PCs in general. BMAX stands out from the rest of the mini-PC offerings in that they incorporate recent chipsets (AMD or Intel), dual NVMe support, and all the connections (USB-C, DisplayPort, HDMI, etc) you would expect on an up to date PC today. In short, this is not system comprised of a hodgepodge of generations old surplus components. Although maybe the 'surplus' description is still applicable. My first basic and very affordable mini PC still works today, but due to my extremely positive experience, I decided to upgrade to one of their most powerful offerings today. The BMAX B8A Pro runs a current AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS released July 2024. When it comes to mini-PCs using generations old chipsets, this is pretty much as good as it gets. The B8A Pro touts itself as a gaming mini-PC but here's the reality. Call of Duty Warzone runs at the lowest settings, and struggles with 30fps at 1080p. The bottleneck is not so much with the internal Radeon 780M graphics but with the memory. The single 16GB DDR5 4400Mhz memory module is great for home office, streaming and browsing, but not for gaming. For gaming, 2 memory modules are recommended. 4400Mhz DDR5 is also on the slower end when there options up to 6400Mhz today. This gaming bottleneck applies to other BMAX offerings also as the 24GB or 8GB are also single memory modules. So in short, this is not a FPS capable mini-PC out of the box (unless you want to run it at super low resolution and frame rates). You would be better served purchasing a PS5 or Xbox instead. If you keep these expectations in mind, then the BMAX mini-PC then becomes an incredible system that delivers great value and is blazing fast for everything else. Lastly, one thing that is obvious but not mentioned often in reviews is that laptops are just not great at being a static home PC. Biggest issue with long term reliability is cooling and wearing out the USB-C connector. So if you are primarily using your PC at home, this is where the compact form, power saving, and most of all....value of a mini-PC shines.

Picked this up to replace a bulky Dell tower in my home office. The size difference is hilarious; I mounted it on the back of my monitor with the VESA bracket and my desk is finally clean. Out of the box, Windows 11 Pro was clean with no bloatware. The 16GB DDR5 RAM is plenty snappy for my workflow (dozens of Chrome tabs, heavy Excel sheets, and Zoom calls simultaneously). I have it hooked up to two monitors—one via HDMI and one via USB-C—and it handles the 4K output without stuttering. Wifi 6 signal is strong even through a wall, though I switched to the 2.5G ethernet port for faster file transfers to my local server. It runs surprisingly cool for such a small box. If you don't need the 'AI' features of the newer chips, this B8A Pro is a solid reliable choice.

I was debating between the 8845HS version and this B8A Pro with the 8745HS. Honestly, for gaming and general use, I don't notice any difference in speed—the 8745HS is still a beast of a CPU. The Radeon 780M graphics are impressive for an iGPU; I'm getting solid 60fps in Genshin Impact and GTA V on medium settings. The 16GB RAM is enough for now, but be warned: the 512GB SSD fills up very fast if you install modern games. The good news is opening the case was straightforward. I threw in a cheap 2TB NVMe drive in the second slot for my steam library, and now it's the perfect budget console killer. The fan kicks in during gaming but isn't annoying. For the price, you really can't beat these specs.