I’ve been reviewing mini PCs for almost a decade now, with the first being this fanless Brix PC I looked at way back in 2014. Over time they seem to get incrementally better with newer and more powerful SOCs making their way to market. However, the past year has been quite remarkable, especially with the influx of Ryzen-based mini PCs. Among these, the Beelink SER7 stands out as one of the most impressive I’ve encountered, both in terms of features and performance. You can see more in my latest review.
The Beelink SER7, priced around $600 (depending on configuration), is powered by a Ryzen 7840HS processor. This eight-core processor, built on the Zen 4 architecture, delivers amazing CPU and graphics performance in a very small package.
The unit I reviewed had 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD. It’s also upgradeable. By removing the bottom plate, you’ll find a second NVMe SSD slot. However, to get to the RAM and the other NVMe slot, you’ll need to dig a little deeper and remove a large heat sink. The system can support up to 64GB of RAM.
The front of the SER7 features a headphone/microphone jack and a USB Type-C data port. The back offers more connectivity options, including two USB 2.0 ports, a 2.5-gigabit ethernet port, a DisplayPort & HDMI output, and two USB4 ports that also support video output. These USB4 ports are compatible with Thunderbolt devices, allowing for connections to external GPUs or Thunderbolt hard drives. The ports can deliver 40 gigabits of data transfer each. The device can also be powered through these ports, with a maximum input of 100 watts.
In terms of performance, the SER7 is impressive. Web browsing feels almost instantaneous. I tested 4K 60fps video playback on YouTube, and while it dropped a few frames, it wasn’t significant. The browserbench.org speedometer benchmark test yielded a score of 333, which is consistent with other current-generation Ryzen and Intel processors.
For those interested in video editing, the SER7 handles it well. I loaded up DaVinci Resolve with a 4K 60fps project, and it rendered simple transitions in real-time without any lag. Gaming performance was also commendable. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2 ran smoothly at 1080p with frame rates often exceeding 50fps. Doom Eternal and Fortnite also performed well at low settings, delivering frame rates between 70-90fps at 1080p.
On the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark test, the SER7 scored 3258, which is comparable to a seventh-generation Intel processor-based mini PC with a GTX 1060 GPU. What’s notable is that the SER7 achieves this with a single chip that consumes far less power.
I also tested the SER7 with Linux, using the latest version of Ubuntu. While performance was snappy, there were issues with audio detection and Wi-Fi connectivity. However, ethernet worked without any problems.
In conclusion, the Beelink SER7 is a robust mini PC. Its construction is solid, and the performance is top-notch. The inclusion of USB4 with Thunderbolt support is a significant advantage. While there are some minor issues with Linux compatibility, if you’re a Windows user seeking a compact yet powerful machine, the SER7 is worth considering.
Disclosure: Beelink provided the Mini PC to the channel free of charge for this review however they did not review or approve my review before it was uploaded.