EliteMini B550 is the latest model with which the Chinese manufacturer MINISFORUM wants to conquer the user who is looking for a mini-PC. And it is a rather special solution as it offers the option of increasing its potential with a full size dedicated graphics card like the one we use in a PC tower.
The EliteMini B550 uses a socket AM4 motherboard that can accommodate processors Ryzen 4000 or 5000 with TDP of up to 65 watts, with models up to the Ryzen 7 5700G with 8 cores and 16 threads, with a frequency of up to 4.6 GHz and 16 Gbytes of L3 cache.
This mini-computer includes two SODIMM slots to equip up to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM and others two M.2 2280 slots for storage based on PCIe Gen4 SSDs. It also offers an additional 2.5-inch drive bay for expanding storage capacity with SATA hard drives or solid-state drives.
In a 24 x 20 x 12 cm rectangular chassis, it offers a very complete connectivity:
- WiFi 6
- Bluetooth 5.2
- Ethernet 2.5Gbps
- 2xHDMI
- 1xDisplayPort
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
- Audio inputs and outputs
So far this computer is not bad at all, but there is another element that makes it stand out, increasing its versatility of use. And it is an expansion base that allows you to mount a desktop graphics card. Since the mini-PC cannot provide enough base power, it also needs an additional power supply.
But there it is available for those who need it. If these mini-PCs can be used for consumer desktops, offices or living rooms, the possibility of mounting a dedicated full-size graphic also enables it to run triple-A games. A section in which mini computers can generally fall short for obvious reasons of size and consumption limitation.
EliteMini B550, price and availability
The new MINISFORUM mini-PC will be available in May for $499 in its base configuration as a barebone where users will mount their own memory and storage. It will also be marketed in equipped versions:
With a Ryzen 4700G:
- 16GB of RAM + 256GB of storage – $619.
- 16GB of RAM + 512GB of storage – $639.
- 32GB of RAM + 512GB of storage – $719.
With a Ryzen 5700G:
- 16 GB of RAM + 256 GB of storage – $699.
- 16GB of RAM + 512GB of storage – $729.
- 32GB RAM + 512GB storage – $809
The expansion base and the power supply will be sold separately and will make this solution more expensive, but as we said, it will increase its versatility of use.
