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Minisforum AtomMan G1 Pro Desktop Review: The Wobbly Line Between Desktop and True Mini PC

The Minisforum AtomMan G1 Pro is a compact 3.85-liter desktop PC featuring an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 graphics for 1080p gaming performance.

Key Points

  • The system is available as a $1,299 barebones unit or a $1,799 pre-built model with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
  • Performance significantly improves when switching from the default "Gaming Mode" to "Beast Mode," yielding up to 38% higher frame rates in benchmarks.
  • Hardware includes Wi-Fi 7, 5GbE networking, and a variety of display outputs, though it lacks high-speed USB4 or 20Gbps ports.
  • The chassis design is compact but lacks dust filters, and internal components like the GPU and memory are difficult to access for future upgrades.
  • Windows Defender flagged a vulnerable driver, Winring0, within the pre-installed Minisforum software, which may require user attention for security.

Why it Matters

The AtomMan G1 Pro occupies a niche market for users who require a small-form-factor desktop but do not want the portability or constraints of a gaming laptop. While it offers decent performance, its price-to-performance ratio is challenged by larger, more powerful desktop towers that provide better cooling and easier upgrade paths.
CNET Published by Mark Knapp
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