Right, so here we are again with another mini PC, this time the Minix ER936-AI, or just the ER936 if you prefer shorter names and less typing. This one’s running AMD’s new Ryzen AI 9 365 processor and the shiny new Radeon 880M graphics. On paper, that makes it one of the first “next gen” mini PCs you can actually buy without selling a kidney. But how does it stack up in the real world?
Let’s pop the kettle on and find out.
Unboxing the Minix ER936
Now, Minix sent this over for review. No money changed hands, just the usual “send it, test it, tell us if it’s rubbish” arrangement. The box itself looks smart and feels premium, which is a nice start. Inside, you get:
- The ER936-AI mini PC itself (lovely and weighty at around 936g)
- A VESA mount for sticking it to your monitor or under your desk
- A solid 120W power brick (from Hunky, no less – top name that… (Wait, Hunt-Key… My bad)
- Screws for the mount
- A good HDMI cable
- A multi-language manual that also covers the HX370 version
The case itself is a mix of metal alloy and plastic, with a clean, angular design and a subtle Minix logo on top. It’s minimalist enough for an office, but still has a bit of presence if you like your kit looking serious. Also, it’d suit BATMAN to a… Tea.
Ports and Build
Front and centre, you’ve got two USB 4 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 2, a headphone combo jack, a BIOS reset pinhole and a power button that clicks nicely. Round the back, it’s packed: dual 2.5Gb Ethernet, another USB 3.2 Gen 2, another USB 4, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.0, and a barrel jack for power.
There’s also a Kensington lock, a handful of ventilation holes, and underneath you’ll find a little rubber tab that’s more useful than it looks (more on that later).
And if you’re keeping up with my highly scientific measurements – this one’s about four teabags big.
Specs and First Impressions
This model packs:
- Ryzen AI 9 365 CPU (10 cores, boosts up to 5GHz)
- Radeon 880M graphics
- 32GB DDR5 RAM
- 1TB Kingston PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
- Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth
All very respectable, especially for a mini PC that barely takes up the space of a sandwich.
Once booted up, you’re greeted by Windows 11. Setup is simple and clean, and Windows Defender finds no nasties hiding away. Out of the box, it’s snappy and feels like a proper desktop replacement.
For general tasks, Office, web browsing, YouTube, even 4K video playback – it’s quick and smooth. Video editing in DaVinci Resolve or music production in Reaper? No problem.
Benchmarks and Performance
Here’s where it starts flexing. Geekbench and Cinebench scores are strong, even edging past the HX370 in some AI-related tests. It’s quick, cool, and doesn’t sound like a hairdryer when pushed.
The Time Spy results were middling, but Blender benchmarks showed the CPU pulling its weight nicely. NVMe speeds are solid (not record-breaking, but “it’ll do, pig, it’ll do”).
Wi-Fi came in around 75% signal strength, which is decent and, more importantly, stable. No random dropouts.
Gaming and Graphics
Now for the fun bit. The Radeon 880M GPU makes a big difference compared to the older Vega chips found in last year’s mini PCs.
- Dave the Diver at 4K – smooth as butter
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps – full speed at 1440p
- Dota 2 – very playable at 1080p
- Diablo 4 – around 40fps at 1080p high, Full 60fps with FSR on
- Fortnite – easily 100fps at 1080p and still great at 1440p
- Tekken 8 – solid performance, just avoid too many fancy effects
- Cyberpunk 2077 – 35fps at 1080p medium, over 60fps with FSR3 frame generation
Basically, it’s not a super gaming beast, but it’s a huge step forward for integrated graphics. 1440p gaming is now realistic for many titles, and 1080p is silky smooth across the board.
Temperatures and Noise
At idle, it sits around 43°C and is practically silent, sipping just 9 watts from the wall. During gaming, it warms up to the low 80s, which is perfectly fine for a mini PC. Under full stress (CPU and GPU maxed), it pulls about 83 watts, and the fan becomes audible, but not offensive.
If you fancy tinkering, you can use the Universal x86 Tuning Utility to drop the TDP down from the default 28W. This lowers temps to about 65°C and makes it whisper quiet again.
Teardown and Upgrades
Now, about that rubber tab underneath. Pull it, and the whole magnetic base pops off like a magic trick. No screws, no fuss. Inside, you’ll find:
- Two sticks of Kingston DDR5 RAM
- A Kingston PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
- A spare M.2 slot for expansion
- Wi-Fi 6E module (MediaTek MT7922)
The whole thing is tidy and easy to work on. You can get to the fan, swap the paste, or upgrade storage without needing a degree in engineering.
Swapping out thermal paste made little difference to temps, so unless you’re fussy, you can leave it as is.
BIOS and Features
Here’s where the shine fades a little. The BIOS is basic – you can control the fan, but that’s about it. No TDP or VRAM tweaks, no fancy slopes or curves. You can enable secure boot if you want to play Valorant, and it supports alternate OS installs like Batocera Linux, which runs perfectly for emulation.
If you’re into your retro games, it’ll happily emulate PSP, PS2, and even PS3 titles at full speed.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Excellent build quality and metal case
- Powerful Ryzen AI 9 365 and Radeon 880M combo
- Easy to open and upgrade
- Quiet operation with adjustable power settings
- Great for 1080p and 1440p gaming
- Reliable branded components (Kingston, MediaTek)
Cons:
- BIOS options are limited
- No Oculink for external GPUs
- A little pricey compared to older models
Final Thoughts
The Minix ER936-AI is one of the best-built mini PCs I have tested in a while. It looks good, runs quiet, and packs more punch than its small frame suggests. The new Radeon 880M gives it proper gaming chops, and the Ryzen AI 9 365 handles creative workloads with ease.
It is not a revolution, more of a steady evolution, but it shows that the next wave of Ryzen mini PCs are going to be seriously capable machines. If you are after a compact desktop that can do a bit of everything, be it work, gaming, editing, or emulation – the ER936-AI is an excellent shout.
Where to Buy
►Amazon: https://geni.us/hwmpi (PAID LINK)
►Minix: https://www.minix.com.hk/products/minix-elite-er936-ai-mini-pc?ref=pandory
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
