AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM02
Although the Intel Core Ultra processors bring some new features, but the Ultra 5 125H is still not as good as the 7840HS, so if you want to choose a mini-pc, the 7840HS is still the most suitable choice.
So today I got my hands on a 7840HS mini-pc, the AYANEO Retro AM02, which not only has a powerful processor, but also has a unique retro look, powerful interfaces, and even eGPU support.
Unbox
Of all the mini-pc products I’ve used, the AM02 comes in the nicest package.
Not only that, the AM02 has a very wide range of accessories, HDMI cable, installation tools, and AC Power Adapter for different regions, the most surprising thing to me is that the package includes a 100W GaN Power Adapter, crazy.
Nowadays, the packaging of smartphones and PCs is getting lighter and simpler. However, AYANEO is still willing to provide users with truly useful accessories and good-looking packaging. Good job, AYANEO.
Design
The AM02 seems like a replica of the Nintendo NES console released in 1983, and at a time when most people are tired of the repetitive and uninteresting look of the mini-PC, a replica of the already recognized NES is a smart idea.
The AM02 also replicates the NES’s card slot design, and it’s cool to see that you can open the front panel by pressing the red ‘OPEN’ button. Although the machine’s casing is mostly made of plastic, it has an excellent paint finish and looks very much like metal.
Of course, the most eye-catching part of the AM02 is the info screen on the front, which has a good resolution and even supports touch control, allowing you to check real-time performance state, adjust the TDP, check the time, adjust the volume, and so on.
In actual running, I prefer to live with it for displaying performance data. But in my imagination, the screen is capable of offering more, such as personal customization and shortcut supports. So I really hope that AYANEO will make this small screen more useful in future updates.
In terms of ports, the AM02 has four USB-A ports, one HDMI2.0 and one DP1.4, as well as a 2.5G Ethernet Port. And most importantly, the AM02 has a full-featured USB-4 Type-C port, which not only offers 40Gbps transfer efficiency but also supports eGPU connection. For gamers, the AM02 could be a real replacement for a traditional Gaming PC, if you can ignore the slight performance losses of external graphics cards.
Meanwhile, disassembling the AM02 is relatively easy. Just follow the steps in the manual and use the tools included in the package. It’s not difficult at all even for the unexperienced. If you’ve bought a Barebone configuration, such detailed installation instructions can save you a lot of trouble.
In terms of expansion performance, the AM02 has two SO-DIMM Slots and supports up to 64GB of memory. It’s worth noting that the AM02 only has one PCle 4.0 M.2 Interface, but it seems to support up to 8TB Dual-Sided Partice SSD. So for such a compact space, it is not bad.
Performance
The 7840HS is arguably the best solution for min-pc at the moment, so there’s no need to worry about the AM02’s performance at all, as the 7840HS performed very well in CPU-z tests. Multi-core performance is roughly equivalent to the 5800X, slightly behind the 12600K, but in terms of power consumption, the 7840HS wins the race.
In the more stressful Cinebench R24, the 7840HS performed very well in both single and multi-core. I must say that this 8-core, 16-thread processor is more than enough to handle most tasks. Whether you’re gaming or working, the 7840HS doesn’t disappoint.
During the stress test, the chip can be maintained at 45W almost the entire time, with the frequency running at close to 4Ghz, there is actually no need to worry about the cooling performance, with this quad heatpipe cooler, it can keep the CPU cool in high loads.
Meanwhile, during the stress test, the fan speed was around 3400 RPM, and there was a noticeable noise, but not too loud.
However, one area to note is that due to the mounting position of the hard disk and the wireless adapter, the hard drive temperature is relatively high when doing heavy reading and writing.
Upon disassembly, I found that the drive does not have a cooling structure, which is most likely a compromise for mounting the small screen.
So, if you are planning to buy a Barebone version, I would recommend installing a cooler Drive without Dram cache.
Game Test
The 7840HS has a built-in AMD Radeon 780M GPU, which has already surpassed the 1050TI and is very close to the 1060 max-Q in Time Spy Tests.
The most important thing is the performance in real games.
First, Let’s see what happened in Genshin Impact. Under 1080p resolution with the highest graphics, the AM02 smoothly run the game at 60fps, which is impressive for the first round.
Then check it out in Counter-Strike 2: with 1080p resolution & mid-graphics, the gaming experience is also great, which easily achieved 100FPS in Death Match.
And, put some pressure on it. In Cyberpunk 2077 with the same 1080p & mid-graphics, the mini PC can handle it, but it couldn’t reach at 60fps. But there’s also a solution for the AM02 mini PC – adding an eGPU.
For a smoother gaming experience, the full-featured USB4.0 port can be put to good use. We selected an AMD Radeon RX 6600M graphics for it.
The gaming experience was boosted to another level. The gaming framerate has increased several times and mostly stayed between 55-70fps.
Overall, the 780M integrated inside is expected to run most games smoothly at a 1080p resolution. If you play competitive games mostly that don’t require high GPU performance or ultra-refined graphics, then the 780M will deliver a delightful gaming experience. Otherwise, a compact eGPU module would be a nice addition.
AYASPEACE
Since we reviewed the AM01, AYANEO has introduced Ayaspeace which used to be on the gaming handheld to the mini-PC, and has implemented some cool features.
Now Ayaspeace can not only manage the small screen for the AM02, but also allow you to quickly access performance adjustment to set up different output and fan strategies.
Conclusion
The AYANEO Retro AM02 is one of the few mini-PC’s on the market that has a great look. I’m sure there are a lot of users who would choose the AM02 because of its great look. And more importantly, the AYANEO AM02 powered by a 7840HS chipset supporting performance tuning is just a surprise in its kind.
The AYANEO Retro AM02 was newly released on INDIEGOGO and has been popular in the campaign. Now you can also check it out on their official website.
