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Tom's Guide
14-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
I replaced my desktop tower with the AceMagic F3a mini PC for 7 days — here are my pros and cons
Bored of the standard metallic or plastic box mini PCs adorning your desk? It seems like once the M4 Mac mini came out, every company has been given tacit permission to offer some pretty bog-standard aesthetics. Enter the AceMagic F3A, and we have an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370-armed mini PC with a touch of flair thanks to that small, cheeky line of RGB lighting that gently pulses around the system like a halo. This all comes together nicely with the impressively powerful AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 under the hood to make this a great system addition for your day-to-day and even some gaming. Performance-wise, this is pretty zippy, and with that FSR frame generation support that comes from AMD, you can even pull off some 1080p gaming at medium settings! That's not to say it comes without problems, though, and these come down to some of the decisions made by AceMagic here. It starts with the choice of RAM sticks, which the F3A opts for SO-DIMM sticks over your more traditional LPDDR5X memory you'd find next to a laptop chip. This is the reason why it's slightly slower than the similarly-specced-but-more-expensive Minisforum EliteMini. Maybe it was done for cost-cutting purposes? But this does mean some small moments of hitching — given that these cheaper sticks are around 30% slower on average. And the second is the port selection. Given how good the integrated graphics are in this system for doing creative work on Photoshop, I would've loved an SD card slot, but no such luck here. On top of that, compared to some of the more port-generous PCs I've dabbled with, this is on the lower end in terms of variety. So, where does this leave the F3A? For what you get at $809, it's a great little system that will last you a while, whether as a living room PC or a small addition to the desk (or even sneakily attaching it to the back of your monitor via the VESA mounting plate). To many, this is a solid shout for one of the best mini PCs you can get. AceMagic F3A Price $809 CPU AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 RAM 32 GB Storage 1TB Ports (front) 2x USB4, 4x USB 3.2 Type-A, 2x 2.5 GB Ethernet, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack Connectivity Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 Size 5.8 x 5.8 x 2.2 inches Weight 2.2 pounds Firing it up and popping it next to my TV for the whole living room PC setup, I started to fall in love with some ot the best qualities of the AceMagic F3A. Like I said, one of the more frustrating elements of mini PCs to me is that they all look the same. Either you're getting a basic plastic cube or a basic aluminum cube, which is what makes the F3A a breath of fresh air. Yes, the build quality is plasticky, and if you are to feel it, it does have a little bit of a cheapness to it. But people don't touch their PCs that much, and this does indeed exude a premium aesthetic that takes pride of place next to your TV or atop your desk. And if you're looking to hide it effectively into your setup, you can absolutely do so with the included VESA mounting accessories. But I'd recommend not doing so as the smooth pulse of that subtle RGB lighting gives it a nice playful nature, too! And speaking of playful… The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 chip inside here is a solid performer across CPU and GPU-intensive tasks. Effective thermal management both keeps the fan volume low while ensuring a good sustained speed across the SSD loading speeds and the chipsets power. Benchmark AceMagic F3A Mac mini M4 Minisforum EliteMini AI370 Geekbench 6 single-core 2982 3838 2894 Geekbench 6 multicore 14894 14838 14964 Geekbench AI CPU (Quantized score) 5941 6321 5982 HandBrake encoding test (transcoding 4k video into 1080p mm:ss) 03:12 04:33 03:52 When firing up Photoshop and Premiere Pro, it was capable of handling pretty intense RAW photo edits and neural filters, while maintaining strong render speeds during complex 4K edits. Pretty good for the price. Then when you turn your attention to gaming, you'll be pleasantly surprised at what you can pull off. Benchmark AceMagic F3A Minisforum EliteMini AI370 3DMark Fire Strike 8504 8976 3DMark Time Spy 3655 3944 3DMark Steel Nomad 539 582 3DMark Night Raid 30826 32630 Of course, without a dedicated GPU, you're not going to get anything outstandingly special here. But the integrated graphics combined with AMD's FidelityFX tech (FSR) is able to play AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077 at low-to-medium settings 1080p with over 60 FPS of frame rate speeds. In fact, this amount of power inside a small box like this gives me serious Steam Box vibes — the tiny Valve console I always wanted… But more to come on that little experiment. But it is a bit of a mixed bag for a couple of reasons here, which namely create a couple of frustrations surrounding the ways you would want to use this system. To clarify — this isn't that there aren't plenty of ports here. Rather, it's just a strange selection. Most people at home don't need a second Ethernet port. It's ideal for connecting to a local server in a business, but if you're using this as a home PC, chances are you'll never touch either of these and use the Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. So what is actually missing? Well, while I appreciate the two USB4 slots on here, where's the SD card slot? The AMD chip is great for photo edits and encoding footage, so why aren't they making it super easy to transfer the footage? Normally, when you see laptops that use the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, they'll use LPDDR5X RAM — smaller mobile sticks of the OG RAM you'll find in desktops that pack plenty of speed. However, for cost reasons (I assume), AceMagic has opted for SO-DIMM cards — an older standard of RAM that has got a DDR5 upgrade, but is still 30% slower on average than your LPDDR5X variant. The end result is that you can come across some hitches in multitasking performance. If you have Chrome open with 20+ tabs, Photoshop open and running a Neural filter and try to fire up Apple Music at the same time, you can start to feel it under pressure with some sluggish window transitions. When I saw the lighting fire up, I wanted this to be phenomenal. What you get instead in the AceMagic F3A is a solid mini PC at a price that provides decent value for money. The integrated graphics' gaming performance gives this a good all-purpose proposition, while the CPU speeds and encoding capabilities provide solid strength in most productivity cases. But just don't put too much stress on that slower RAM, and make sure you evaluate what ports you need first before buying.
Geeky Gadgets
10-05-2025
- Geeky Gadgets
2025 M4 Mac RAM Requirements: A Buyer's Guide
Choosing the right amount of RAM for your M4 Mac in 2025 is a critical decision that directly impacts your device's performance and efficiency. With Apple's advancements in memory management and swap technology, even lower RAM configurations can handle demanding tasks effectively. However, the ideal RAM configuration depends on your specific usage—whether you're a casual user, a creative professional, or part of an enterprise team. The video below from Craig Neidel explores various RAM options to help you make an informed decision tailored to your needs. Watch this video on YouTube. 16 GB RAM: The Standard for Everyday Users For casual users, students, and office workers, 16 GB of RAM is a reliable choice. This configuration is well-suited for handling common daily tasks such as: Web browsing with multiple tabs Email and messaging applications Document creation and editing Additionally, it supports light creative work, including basic photo editing and occasional 4K video editing. However, if your workflow involves heavy multitasking, professional-grade software, or high-resolution video projects, you may encounter limitations with this configuration. For most non-intensive users, though, 16 GB strikes a balance between performance and affordability. 24 GB RAM: A Sweet Spot for Content Creators For content creators, 24 GB of RAM offers a noticeable improvement in performance, especially for those working with creative software. This configuration is ideal for: Running applications like Photoshop, Logic Pro, and Final Cut Pro Editing 4K multi-layer video projects Handling large PSD files and audio tracks It also allows for seamless multitasking, allowing creators to switch between applications without significant slowdowns. While it's sufficient for most creative workflows, users working with 6K video editing or advanced machine learning tasks may find this configuration less capable. 32 GB RAM: Professional-Grade Performance For professionals who rely on resource-intensive applications, 32 GB of RAM provides the performance needed for demanding tasks. This configuration is particularly suited for: Long-form video editing, including 6K and 8K footage Software development and code compiling with tools like Xcode and Docker Complex photo and video editing with multiple effects This level of memory ensures smooth operation for most professional workflows, but users working on advanced 3D rendering, large multicam projects, or machine learning models may require additional capacity. 48 GB RAM: For Heavy Multitaskers For advanced users or large-scale content creators, 48 GB of RAM offers the flexibility to handle more intensive workloads. This configuration is designed for: Heavy multitasking, such as running 100+ browser tabs or multiple virtual machines Editing multicam 8K video timelines with effects Managing 3D workflows and rendering projects While it provides ample power for most demanding tasks, users working with massive data sets or highly complex machine learning models may still find it insufficient. For those who frequently push their systems to the limit, this configuration strikes a balance between performance and cost. 64 GB RAM: Power for Advanced Workflows For professionals tackling resource-intensive tasks, 64 GB of RAM is often a necessity. This configuration is ideal for: Real-time 3D rendering and simulations Complex animations and visual effects Processing large data sets for scientific research or analytics While this level of memory is overkill for most users, it's indispensable for those working in fields like 3D modeling, scientific computing, or machine learning development. It ensures smooth performance even under heavy workloads, making it a valuable investment for advanced professionals. 96 GB RAM: Enterprise-Level Capability For enterprise teams and specialized professionals, 96 GB of RAM provides the capacity required for large-scale projects. This configuration is particularly suited for: Editing massive 3D scenes with intricate details Multi-layer 8K video editing for film production Moderate machine learning models and AI research While this level of memory is unnecessary for individual users, it's a practical choice for studios, research teams, and organizations handling complex workflows. It ensures that even the most demanding tasks can be completed without performance bottlenecks. 128 GB RAM: Reserved for Elite Professionals Only a small fraction of users will require 128 GB of RAM, as it is designed for the most demanding and specialized tasks. This configuration is essential for: Full 3D movie pipelines in film studios Climate modeling and large-scale scientific simulations Distributed machine learning frameworks for AI development For the vast majority of users, this level of memory is excessive. However, for elite professionals in fields like scientific research, film production, and AI, it provides the power needed to handle the most complex and resource-intensive projects. Making the Right Choice Apple's advancements in memory management and swap capabilities have made it possible to achieve impressive performance even with lower RAM configurations. For most users, configurations between 16 GB and 48 GB will meet their needs, offering a balance between performance and cost. Higher configurations, such as 64 GB or more, are reserved for professionals and organizations handling advanced workflows. By carefully assessing your workload and future needs, you can select the right RAM configuration to maximize your M4 Mac's potential while avoiding unnecessary expenses. Here are additional guides from our expansive article library that you may find useful on M4 Mac RAM requirements. Source & Image Credit: Craig Neidel Filed Under: Apple, Laptops, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
