MinisForum X400 Review – A Desktop Ryzen CPU?

Hello! The MinisForum X400 is a mini PC that sets itself apart from the competition by making use of a fully-fledged desktop processor, allowing it to handle workloads that mini PCs and Mini laptops would typically be unsuited for.

It comes in two variants: the headliner Ryzen 5 PRO 4650G model, and the more economical variant for those on more of a budget – the Ryzen 3 PRO 4350G model.

The Minisforum X400 is a little larger than your average mini PC, as the inclusion of a desktop processor means that a more robust cooling solution is required, but they’re still far, far smaller than a fully fledged desktop.

Like most mini PCs, the MinisForum X400 features upgradable RAM and storage as well. We sell it with an M.2 NVME SSD, but you can add your own 2.5 inch SATA drive and an additional M.2 22*42mm SATA SSD as well if you so wished.

If you’re interested in the MinisForum X400, take a look at the video below for more information.

[Video] MinisForum X400 Review

Minisforum X400 Unboxing

Let us start with the unboxing. Inside we have the X400 Mini PC, which we will show in more detail shortly. Next up, we have the user guide, which is in English, German and Chinese.

Under the packaging is the power supply. We will include the correct adapter for your country. There is an HDMI cable to connect the X400 to your TV or monitor.

There is a replacement fan grill that you can use on the top of the X400 case if needed. And last but not least is a VESA mount and screws to fit the X400 to your TV or monitor.

Minisforum X400 Overview

1. On the front is a headphone port.
2. There is also a power button.
3. On the side is a Micro SD card slot.
4. There are also audio ports for Line In, Microphone In and HP out.
5. On the back are HDMI and DisplayPort for dual monitor display.
6. There are two high-speed 1GB-a-second Ethernet ports.
7. There are four USB 3 ports.
8. For wireless connectivity, there is an 802.11ax WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1
9. The case measures 7.4 x 7.4 x 6.3 inches and weighs 900 grams.

Minisforum X400 Technical Specs

	X400 3 PRO	X400 5 PRO
PROCESSOR	AMD Ryzen™ 3 PRO 4350G	AMD Ryzen™ 5 PRO 4650G
CORES	4	6
THREADS	8	12
BASE / MAX FREQUENCY	3.8 Ghz / 4.0 Ghz	3.7Ghz / 4.2Ghz
GPU	AMD Radeon™ Vega 6 Graphics	AMD Radeon™ Vega Graphics
MAX FREQUENCY	1.90 Ghz	1.90 Ghz
RAM DDR4	2x8GB Dual-Channel / 2x16GB Dual-Channel	2x8GB Dual-Channel / 2x16GB Dual-Channel
STORAGE	256GB/512GB/1TB PCI-E NVMe SATA SSD	256GB/512GB/1TB PCI-E NVMe SATA SSD

The X400 3 PRO features the AMD Ryzen 3 Pro 4350G processor, four cores and eight threads. Its base frequency is 3.8Ghz, and Turbo frequency is 4.0Ghz.

The X400 5 PRO features the AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 4650G processor, six cores and 12 threads. Its base frequency is 3.7Ghz, and Turbo frequency is 4.2Ghz.

Both models feature the AMD Radeon Vega 6 Graphics running at 1900Mhz, supporting DirectX 12 and dual monitors.

There are three RAM and Storage configuration options for both models.

There’s 16GB RAM and 256GB or 512GB SSD, or for the best performance, there’s a massive 32GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 1TB NVMe PCI-E SSD.

Minisforum X400 OS

The X400 mini PC comes preinstalled with Windows 10 Professional and a fully activated Windows license. This will give you all the latest updates to download and install.

As you would expect, day to day tasks such as web browsing are fast and smooth. You have full access to Microsoft Store for installing and updating your software. 

Minisforum X400 Benchmarks Overview 

The following benchmarks test the X400 in different ways to provide information on the stress-tested processor, memory, and disk performance, as well as daily tasks such as web browsing, office work and entertainment. The video may be sped up in places as some tests can take several minutes to complete.

Pass Mark Benchmark 

PassMark provides an overview of many tests, including processor, graphics, memory and disk performance. It allows us to get a general view of performance at a high load.

The X400 3 PRO scores 4698, and the 5 PRO scores 5357, giving a score difference of around 13%. Both models have higher scores compared to similarly priced Intel-based Mini PC’s. So, you get more performance for your money.

Minisforum X400 PCMark Benchmark Results

PCMark benchmarks the more day to day usage of a PC. These include tasks such as video conferencing, web browsing, using office documents, graphics editing, video decoding and much more.

The X400 3 PRO scores 5254, and the 5 PRO scores 5778, giving a score difference of around 9.5%. Again, both models are scoring higher compared to similar priced Intel mini computers. Your day-to-day tasks will overall have faster performance.

Minisforum X400 3DMark Benchmark Results

3DMark benchmarks the graphics performance, and as always, graphics are not just for games. It is used for page rendering, video decoding and encoding and much more.

The X400 3 PRO scores 1151 and the 5 PRO scores 1420, giving a score difference of around 21%. There is quite a jump in performance here between the two models despite having the same graphics processor. The extra cores and threads in the 5 PRO give it that extra overall boost in performance.

Minisforum X400 DiskMark Benchmark Results

DiskMark benchmarks the performance of the M.2 PCI-e NVME SSD read and write speeds in four different ways. This gives us a more detailed view of how it performs and its read and writes speeds.

As the X400 uses the same LPDDR4 RAM and NVMe PCI-E SSD, there are almost identical speeds for reading and writing with around 2081 and 1719GB a second. 

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WiFi Speedtest 

Both X400 models use WiFi 6, and with this, we can be sure of a fast and reliable wireless connection. We run a speed test over WiFi connected to the router on the other side of a large room.

We maxed out or 300MB connection with download and upload speeds of 312 and 317, respectively. Both models performed near identically as we expected.

Wired LAN File Copy Speed

The 1GB wired ethernet connection to our NAS works just fine with constant complete speed data transfer on both devices.

Gaming Performance

For this test, we are using Streets of Rage 4 running at Ultra settings at 1080p. Both models run at 60 frames per second and run very well. The Ryzen graphics processor is great for light gaming, and you can play more demanding games than you would with an Intel-based mini PC.

Conclusion

Time to sum everything up now. The differences between the 3 and 5 PRO models range between 9.5% and 21%, with a price difference of just 14%. The 5 PRO gives that extra burst of overall performance, meaning that overall tasks will be that little faster. This can include booting windows to loading and using software and working with larger files, for example.

As higher and higher-end software moves over to take advantage of multicore processing to increase performance, both models will see the benefits. However, the X400 5 PRO’s additional two cores and four threads will see the most significant increase, offering the best performance and futureproofing.

Whatever model you decide on, they are both great for your day-to-day tasks both at home and in the office.

That’ll be all for now! If you’re interested in picking up a MinisForum X400 of your own, check our listing pages via the links below.