BOSGAME Mini PC AMD Ryzen 5 3501U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD

I bought this to replace an aging (and venerable) NUC 7 to run my observatory which requires telescope control, dome rotation, basic/initial data stacking and plate solving. IYKYK. I required this to run on 12V. At least when I bought this, this was not specified to run on 12V on Amazon, though Bosgame's website indicates it runs on 12-20V. For my fellow astronomers out there, this is true. Background: I replaced the 512GB SSD with a 2TB SSD (Silicon Power 2TB NVMe M.2), upgraded to 32GB RAM (Timetec 32GB KIT(2x16GB) DDR4 2400MHz), and replaced the WiFi card with an Intel AX210. None of this was necessary, and this unit was still cheaper than any alternative I found with a processor at this performance level. The Wifi module upgrade was $26 and installed in 4 minutes. The RAM and SSD upgrades were easy for someone who can barely use a screwdriver and knows little about computers. Note: there is only one slot for the SSD. Opening this up showed decent quality control and an easy layout to work with. Power consumption: A stress test with N.I.N.A image capture, PHD2 guiding, Cartes du Ciel, Gemini mount control, ASCOM Hub (for dome control), and, just to make it interesting, SIRIL (astronomy image processing program) stacking 450 subexposures peaked at 37 watts before settling down to 25-26 watts with BIOS settings unchanged from factory settings ("Balanced performance"). Under "normal" conditions, meaning capturing images; controling the dome and mount and cameras; and PHD2 guiding running, this hummed along between 15-21 watts, so less than 2 amps. This is slightly less than my NUC7 with an i5-7260U processor, but this AMD 3550H processor has twice as many cores and threads. The speed improvement over my old processor was significant and immediately noticeable. This will also run laps around Intel N100-N300 processors while allowing for dual-channel RAM. WiFi - Astronomers will know why I automatically upgraded the WiFi module before even turning the computer on. For most users, the standard WiFi module will be more than good enough, but I'm running this 65 feet from my house. The computer is inside a fiberglass observatory. With the upgraded module, download speeds were around 240-260 Mbps in perfect conditions in the observatory with the computer away from the metal telescope pier and without an USB Wifi antenna. With the computer attached to a steel pier, the signal dropped (very expectedly) down to a respectable 35-70 Mbps download (enough for Windows Remote Desktop). As planned, I use this with a relatively cheap TP-Link USB wifi antenna away from the telescope pier. Wifi speeds in this configuration range between 150 to 220 Mbps download. The connection is quite stable and still plenty fast over Windows Remote Desktop. For comparison, inside my house, download speeds were over 600 Mbps, so the physics of walls and distance still apply. In my use so far, I have not had any latency issues controlling this from inside my home (with the computer outside in the observatory) using Windows Remote Desktop in a suburban neighborhood with quite a number of Wifi networks visibile (houses are close together). The connection does not drop. I ran a CrystalDiskMark Read/Write Test with the somewhat generic SSD I bought to replace this was a respectable ~2800MB/s write and a RNK4K speed of ~280MB/s. It is no speed demon, but this was both better than I expected and more than good enough for astronomy. In indoor and outdoor testing, I've only ever heard the fan turn on at initial startup. Even while "stress testing," I never heard the fan turn on during normal use. This thing was cool to the touch indoors and outdoors. I did check temps via HWmonitor a couple of times and never saw temperatures approach 50C. Heavy gamers might have a different experience here. It should be noted that astronomy programs intended to run telescopes and observatories do not tax processors and memory like modern games do, so gamers' mileage may vary. However, image stacking and processing programs can tax processors and memory a little and the fan never turned on and power consumption remained below 40 watts in my limited use. Cons: 1. The plastic quality is somewhat to be desired. I'm nitpicking hard here as that same plastic allows for more effective WiFi range than my NUC had, which was a metal Faraday cage of otherwise beautiful build quality. I'd rate the build quality as good enough, particularly at this price. 2. No SATA expansion slot: Hence the reason why I got a 2TB SSD. I knew this going in, and now you do. I will not take a star off of my rating for this because they do not advertise this as having the capability to add a second SSD/SATA drive. 3. This is advertised as only being able to use 2400Mhz DDR4 memory, but the module inside the unit was 2666Mhz DDR4. I don't know whether this was faster memory operating at 2400Mhz or whether the motherboard/processor can handle faster memory, but I had bought new memory sticks for this computer before I knew I could potentially squeeze out a little more speed with 2666Mhz DDR4. It is difficult to call this a con because I don't know the actual limitations of the computer. For most users, this underpromise and overdelivery might be a good thing. If expecting to upgrade from 16GB RAM immediately, check with BOSGAME first to ensure it can only operate with 2400Mhz. Overall, in the two weeks I've had this, I've been happy with its performance for astronomy. It has significantly better performance than an ASIAir and uses marginally more power than otherwise lower-performing N97, N100-N305 Intel processors. 1-1.5A under normal loads is extremely reasonable either in the field or in an observatory. This thing is a steal thus far.

System is pretty decent for the purpose purchased - looking for a small mini-PC that takes up very little space, inexpensive, and allows retro gaming w/ RetroArch/Duckstation via running a Linux. I installed Bazzite OS on it in a decent amount of time (20 minutes), and all the hardware works as is - network, graphics, usb, etc. No issues. The Vega 8 graphics card is decent for what is needed here - not going to run AAA games on it via Steam, but can run a lot on lower settings. It came w/ Windows 11 24H2, but I don't need that and opted to put the Bazzite on it. Pros: Runs Linux w/o issue (Bazzite anyway) Has 16 Gigs of RAM - plenty for retro gaming and for most things 512 Gig SSD allows storing lots of retro games, and a few Steam games Easy to open the computer (4 screws) and can upgrade memory and/or SSD Came with cable to add a 2.5" SATA drive if desired Came with VESA mount if you want to mount to back of monitor/TV Drives a 1920x1080 display easily via HDMI (has 2 ports, but not sure if I'd drive 2 with it) Cons: Plastic case and is very light - doesn't feel as quality as my others from Geekom or GMKTec RAM was a single stick in single channel (16 Gig) but other slot is empty so could upgrade - this just means that the system won't be the fastest; I would have preferred 2 8GB sticks for dual channel Recommendations: If you get this, I'd recommend changing RAM out for 2 8GB sticks or adding an additional 16GB stick if you need it - and maybe changing the NVME SSD out for a 1 or 2 TB version if you are going to install a lot. Alternatively, spend $200-$300 more and get one that comes with 32 GB RAM and a 1+TB SSD Ultimately it depends on your needs... if you want a machine to do basic apps like Office, browse the internet, etc, or play Retro games, this will work as it is.

Received 7/14/2026. Other than the power button lighting up was D.O.A. right out of the box……

For this price, this is a beast machine and almost 100% worth it. Perfect size, 1tb storage is pretty nice, and the perfomance is amazing for this tiny thing. Borderlands 3 goes pretty fluid on endgame with high quality graphics, and Genshin Impact too and still looks amazing. I thought the fan and ventilation could be a problem, but for now works excellent and remains in good temperature

I picked this up as a secondary computer for light office work and media use. Setup was straightforward and boot times are quick. The size is impressive and it takes up almost no desk space. General web browsing, streaming, and Office applications run smoothly. The fan becomes noticeable under heavier loads, and I wouldn’t recommend it for serious gaming. For the price, it’s a surprisingly capable little machine.

First off this is not a sponsored review, I bought this unit with my own money. For $500, it works surprisingly well. I bought mine configured as “161” and now it’s changed again. But my specs are confirmed from opening the unit, 7840HS, x1 stick of 16GB DDR5 5600MTs, 1TB Gen4 M.2 SSD. Right away, I made a bootable usb of SteamOS 3.8 on my Mac and plugged into this. I booted into bios and then booted up the usb and install was a breeze! SteamOS works amazing on this device! 16GB is enough for older games and lighter titles but I would try to get two sticks as this will unlock the full potential of the 780m by doubling the memory bandwidth with dual channel instead of single channel (using both ram slots). With 16GB RAM in single channel config, Fallout 4 low settings preset at 1080p will run around 30-40 fps, latest ratchet and clank game will run around 30-40 fps low settings at 1080p with FSR set to “balanced.” Would be nice to pay around $400 for something like this, but considering the current market, $500 isn’t that bad right now. If one were to part this out with an 8700g build in itx, I feel the price holds up well even for 2025 prices. I did buy a 32GB ram kit and will post results soon in this review. *update* Performance pretty much doubled going to dual channel. If you’re playing newer stuff like spider-man, Jedi survivor, Indiana Jones, you’ll want a 32GB ram kit (x16 sticks @5600mts). Otherwise, for older stuff, you could just stick to a 16GB kit (x8GB @5600mts) and sell the one stick that comes with it or buy another 16GB stick and have 32GB but I like to buy a kit all at once so timings match up. That’s a lot, but if you know, then you know :) all together I’m in for about $650 and I’m super pleased.

Dev: Excellent for GameDev. Runs Unity 3D scenes well enough to make games, but I wouldn't build the final executable with this. I would offload that to Unity services etc. It runs Godot / Redot nicely in a scene with lots of objects. Handles Rider nicely. Vivaldi and Discord on a second screen while sharing desktop, all worked nicely. 3D Modeling I was able to cook up to 1 million poly (tris) in Blender and yes, it WILL run Cycles, but denoising will be slow, and cycles iterations will be slow. So, great for modeling, sculpting etc, not great for rendering. Maybe see if it supports an eGPU? Theoretically it does with the USB 4.0 / USB-C support. Gaming It runs 2 screens 4K@60hz nicely, but you'll get a lot more bang for your buck gaming if you're at 1080p. I was able to run Fortnite with 1080p @ 60hz solid with 60% 3D resolution and everything on low. Satisfactory with low-med settings ran nicely. Don't expect to be frying people on Fortnite and your Satisfactory builds shouldn't be super congested in one area. Break it up on the map for better perf. Other games like Frostpunk or IDUN will run, but you might encounter jumps/stuttering in some scenes / UI. Pros: -> It's amazingly quiet for how powerful it is. -> The ports, size, and overall capabilities are better than expected. -> It's a solid media center, workstation, technical bench, surveillance station etc. -> Throws some heat, but nothing crazy. -> Preloaded with Windows -> Boots fast, like bizarre fast. -> Impressive wifi speeds, seriously. This thing bucks. I have an ASUS ROG Ally X (2TB) and this NUC's wifi outpaces it. -> Comes with a convenient bracket for wall/desk/monitor mounting. You can stash this thing out of sight or just put it somewhere out of the way at your workstation. -> It's a solid piece. Does not feel cheap to handle, and care was taken with presentation and assembly. -> Comes with a 4K capable HDMI cable. Cons: <- It's not as capable for gaming as I'd like, but that may be a non-concern with an eGPU setup. <- I wish the specs were more clear, does it support more than 1 M.2/NVME? Does it have additional space for RAM modules? I'll have to open it up and see I suppose. <- It comes with the bloatware version of0 windows (may disregard your selections for prompts like skydrive etc). <- Bulky power supply and prongs can't be pivoted so you'll either need a short extension cable to make it fit on a congested surge protector. Honestly though, the cons seem trivial. This is a solid unit for anyone who needs a relatively inexpensive but oddly capable workstation, which is exactly what we needed. Cons aside, this unit deserves 5 stars.

After a week the WiFi card went bad,it was a very cheap fix/upgrade to do..it’s worth doing…even with that issue this unit is worth its price point..I give it a 3 star due to having to do a $20 15 minute upgrade.they did offer a refund upon return but upgrading to a different brand WiFi card is a better option for me.

Good video , good sound, love wi fi 6 internet , opens fast ! No waiting. Silent fan, fastest computer i have owned fo far. Power button and headphone output in front , very practical .Recommended.

Needed to replace my notebook as I got yet another flakey Intel Core processor. I didn't really need portable so decided to go with this. Haven't had an AMD processor before and so far I'm loving it, no random weird issues and it has been rock solid stable and so much faster than I was expecting. My monitor can power this and connect video with a single usb-c all with a single cable. I decided to go this route as I needed a bigger screen rather than portability. Notebooks tend to only stick larger screens on their highest end system which I couldn't justify the price. I didn't plan on this being portable but this thing is so small and only uses 35w when I push it hard. I decided to get a portable 4K 18.5" 16:10 screen 500nits, which will fit in my 15.6" laptop bag along with this PC and a small battery pack so I'm portable enough to fit my needs. Keep in mind I'm not gaming, but mostly writing or occasional 3d graphic rendering. Nice thing is if any one component dies, the entire thing is not a write-off. The portable screen and this unit were bought on a flash sale for less than 800CAD. I've had two lesser powered Lenovo notebook write-offs in 3 years each costing around $1600.

Worked fine for a couple weeks but it randomly started losing hdmi signal and never able to recover. only way to fix it is to restart the computer which is a pain to deal with when actively using the conouter. Do not buy, don't be fooled by the low price and decent specs. Avoid that brand.

Good replacement for 14 yrs old desktop computer The mini computer is easy to setup windows 11 I was actually surprise how fast it is. I basically use it as steaming for videos it works great. Great for watching video off Pluto tv. Only disadvantage limited usb ports .

I researched many mini PC's. I just surf the internet and do some minor games. This PC is more than they advertise. It is fast, accurate and does whatever I ask it to do. I would highly recomend this mini PC to anyone that that is looking for a compact crazy fast computer. Comes with Windows 11 pro, an 1T SSD storage, 32 ram and a AMD 9 chip. It will be all you need in a everyday PC. 5 stars!!!