This Windows PC could easily replace my Mac Mini when it comes to local AI performance

ZDNET’s key takeaways

The Minix ER937-AI PC is accessible on Amazon for $999.
This tiny PC has tons of energy to spare.
When hit with a very heavy load, the followers may be noisy.

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If AI is your factor (particularly native AI), then you understand: numerous energy is required. I’ve used native AI (by means of Ollama) on my System76 Thelio and located it to be satisfactory. So, after I acquired the small kind issue, Minix Elite ER937-AI PC, I assumed there was no manner it may compete with my desktop machine.

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Boy, was I improper. This tiny laptop packs a wallop and might deal with practically each activity you throw at it (inside purpose). In fact, you are not going to be mining massive knowledge or rendering full-length films with this machine, however as for AI and different duties, the ER937-AI has all of the horsepower you want.

Let’s get into how my testing went.

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My expertise

Okay, I’ve to get this out of the best way. The Minix PC shipped with Home windows 11.

I fired it up and began to stroll by means of the Home windows 11 setup course of. An hour later, the improve obtain was at 6%. No thanks. I burned Ultramarine Linux on a USB drive, inserted it, booted the machine, and inside ten minutes, I used to be logged in and able to go.

Now that I had an OS I may really work with put in, it was time to place the machine to the check. The very first thing I did was set up Ollama to make use of for native AI. The set up on Linux is straightforward, and as soon as it was accomplished, I pulled the ollama3.2 mannequin and ran the question:

“What’s Linux?”

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I am used to Ollama taking a couple of seconds to start answering the question, however the Minix PC hit the bottom working with its reply and instantly began spewing textual content.

For sure, I used to be impressed. The subsequent step was to push the machine a bit tougher. This time round, I put in BrowserOS and set it as much as work with Ollama and the qwen2.5:7b mannequin. With that taken care of, I instructed the agent with the next:

“Search amazon.com for a charging stand that helps a Pixel 9 Professional.”

I might run the identical agentic search on my Thelio and located it took without end to finish. On the Minix, that point to completion was exponentially shorter. Once more, colour me impressed.

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Whereas the agentic browser did its factor, the Minix followers spun up and did not cease. I may hear them within the subsequent room, so I knew the machine was being pushed. Sure, the followers have been loud, however they solely actually confirmed how loud they might get in the course of the agentic testing.

Past the AI testing, what I discovered concerning the Minix was that it ran Linux to perfection, and KDE Plasma was easy as butter. Even enabling the entire window results did not sluggish the machine down.

Given the ER937-AI’s dimension, I might by no means have thought it able to delivering such energy. However then, in case you have a look at the specs (extra on that in a bit), it turns into clear why this little machine may deal with the whole lot I threw at it. And with a value of solely $999, this powerhouse is a steal.

On prime of all that, the construct high quality of the ER937-AI is excellent. As quickly as you choose it up, you’re feeling the heft of the aluminum chassis, and it even features a VESA mount, so you possibly can connect it to the again of your monitor to maintain it out of the best way.

Ports, ports, ports

Minix Elite ER937-AI PC — There are many ports so that you can use on this mini PC.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

You may additionally discover loads of ports on the ER937-AI. There’s two USB 4.0 ports, three USB 3.2 ports, one HDMI port, one DisplayPort, and two RJ45 Ethernet ports (2.5 GB).

The ER937-AI helps four-screen 8K@60Hz video output, so this little man may be arrange as a really versatile workstation.

The ability button additionally serves as a fingerprint scanner, which I did not use on Linux (however I’ll see if I can get that arrange). If you happen to follow Home windows (and allow Home windows Hey), you’ll unlock the PC by merely tapping the facility button with the registered fingerprint.

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All-in-all, my expertise with the Minix ER937-AI was fairly wonderful. This was made particularly so as a result of I blew away Home windows 11 in favor of Linux. Not everybody would try this, however I can guarantee you that getting Linux up and working on this machine is exponentially quicker than Home windows 11.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

For anybody seeking to buy a small kind issue PC however does not wish to skimp on energy, the Minix ER937-AI is a superb purchase. Connect it to the again of a monitor for a pseudo all-in-one, throw no matter activity you want at it, and revel on the machine taking all of it in stride.

I have not been this impressed by a mini PC, properly, ever. I might guess the one gadget that may supplant the ER937-AI can be a brand new Mac Mini, however that’s purely supposition on my half.

With the vacations upon us, the Minix ER937-AI can be an important reward for anybody needing loads of energy that will not break the financial institution.