Minisforum has announced two new mini PCs, the M2 Pro and the MS-03, both built around Intel’s new Panther Lake architecture. Instead of just bumping up the processor speeds, the company has focused on practical hardware updates, including built-in power supplies and faster networking options, making these small computers a more viable alternative to standard desktop towers.
Minisforum M2 Pro Specifications
The M2 Pro is the more mainstream option of the two. It features a metal chassis and, notably, an internal power supply, which means you won’t have to hide an external power adapter under your desk. Inside, it uses Intel’s Panther Lake-H processor with integrated Xe3 graphics. Minisforum says a 50% graphics performance improvement over the previous Lunar Lake generation. If you need more graphical power, the system also includes an OCuLink port for connecting an external GPU.
Like most hardware released recently, the M2 Pro includes components specifically for AI tasks. Between the CPU, the updated NPU5, and the GPU, the system offers up to 180 TOPS of total compute. If you run local AI models, such as DeepSeek-R1, the system is equipped to handle them offline without relying on cloud servers. Minisforum also added a physical button for Microsoft Copilot and a built-in microphone array for voice commands. For memory and storage, it supports up to 128GB of LPDDR5X RAM and has three M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots.
In terms of connectivity, it includes three USB-A ports and three USB4 ports. For networking, it features both a 10G and a 2.5G LAN jack. Display outputs include one HDMI and one DisplayPort, and the system is rounded out with an SD card slot, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a security cable slot. Additionally, if you want to keep your desk completely clear, the metal chassis can be VESA mounted directly to the back of a monitor.
Minisforum MS-03 Specifications
For the more workstation-minded crowd, Minisforum is also launching the MS-03 at the end of June. Acting as a direct successor to the popular MS-01, the MS-03 bumps the TDP up to 70W and brings some heavy I/O upgrades. You get dual PCIe 5.0 SSD slots, DDR5 support up to 7200MHz, WiFi 7.
The port layout includes one 10G LAN jack and one 2.5G LAN jack, alongside two SFP+ ports for high-speed enterprise networking. For peripherals and displays, the system is equipped with five USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port with FRL support, and a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack.
There is one minor downgrade on the MS-03 to be aware of: the PCIe expansion slot has been reduced from x8 to x4. Minisforum says this is a limitation of the Panther Lake-H CPU PCIe lanes. While an x4 slot is still plenty for most network or capture cards, you might see a slight performance hit if you plan on squeezing a low-profile graphics card into that slot.
In related news, Asus recently unveiled the ROG NUC 16 Edition 20, a compact gaming PC featuring Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090 graphics and a distinctive semi-transparent chassis design.
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