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  • azfacea - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    external psu. bummmmmmmmmmmmmmmer
  • frbeckenbauer - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    Show me a PC in this form factor that doesn't have an external CPU
  • yannigr2 - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    Hmmmmmmm.......all of them? :p
  • frbeckenbauer - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    derp, PSU not CPU
  • close - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    This is not because the PSU didn't fit inside, they just didn't want the additional heat inside that enclosure. It's likely that most people care a lot more about such a system being small and quiet than getting rid of that small 3-4cm wide power brick.
  • rahvin - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    As frbeckenbauer noted, all the NUC cases use external power bricks. You just can't accommodate the power conversion in that space or heat profile. This is just an AMD NUC.

    I'm curious how popular the NUC's are, it would seem outside HTPC (I own two in this signment) or digital signage, industrial or other niche's there aren't a lot of demands of NUC size computers.
  • damianrobertjones - Friday, August 7, 2020 - link

    We use them for desktops where I work. Low power consumption with up to 6 cores. Can't complain.
  • AdrianBc - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    You did not look at the size of the computer. Nobody has ever made a computer of this size with an internal PSU. You must increase the volume of the case at least 3 times to find the smallest computers with internal PSUs. This has about the same size as an Intel NUC or a Gigabyte BRIX, and it has an external PSU, exactly like those. Otherwise it has more features than those (except Thunderbolt), e.g. up to 4 monitors.
  • close - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    It's azfacea you're replying to, someone with the same understanding of these topics as a goldfish...
  • Alistair - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    and the mac mini, sure the mac mini is 1.4L, but come on that is VERY tiny also. Volume tends to increase dramatically with very little difference in appearance when at low volume. For example a 10L case would be smaller than any ITX case in the store, so 1.4L Mac Mini with an integrated PSU is ideal.
  • frbeckenbauer - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    The mac mini has 3x the footprint area of this. It's gigantic in comparison. The PN50 literally fits into the palm of the hand.
  • Alistair - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    The Mac Mini is TINY, we are talking about 1.4L vs. 0.6L, don't mislead people. We just pointed out the PSU is included in the Mac Mini case.
  • Samus - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    The PSU is included in many small game consoles, too. The PS2 Slim is 1L and the SCPH-90000 models had an internal PSU...AND A DVD-ROM Drive. But its a bunk comparison too, because like the Mac Mini, it's proprietary, non-upgradable and border-line unserviceable due to its highly-integrated nature.
  • Samus - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    As stated, the Mac Mini comparison doesn't hold up. It's twice the footprint and nearly twice the volume.

    The Mac Mini is also highly integrated. All models after 2014 lack either upgradable memory or upgradable storage, as most components are soldered to the motherboard (even the wireless controller.)

    The last decently upgradable Mini was the 2012 model which had tremendous thermal throttling issues, part of the reason they discontinued the server editions and moved exclusively to laptop CPU's.

    I have also replaced more than a few PSU's in Mac Mini's over the years, and they are EXPENSIVE to replace and a pain in the ass to service as ALL components need to be removed to slide the PSU out.

    Apples to Oranges comparison. Might as well compare a NUC to a PlayStation 1 if we are going to randomly compare something with an external PSU to something with an internal PSU.
  • FMinus - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    Ever heard of pico PSUs. Here's one 150W https://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-150-XT and here's a more appropriate 90W https://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-90. They are barely larger than the 24 pin ATX connector.
  • Spunjji - Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - link

    ...and the PicoPSU needs to be fed power by an external power brick, just like this device.
    🤦‍♂️
  • J0S3R - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    Didn't try to shoehorn a hot bulky PSU into a tiny case. perrrrrrrrrrfect.
  • Alistair - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    A 65W or 95W PSU doesn't have to be hot and bulky... ala Mac Mini
  • Samus - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    The last Mac Mini that had any upgradability was the 2012 model. They were notorious for PSU failures. Since then, the 2014 and 2018 models have been highly integrated in order to make the PSU larger and improve cooling. The 2014 and 2018 models have virtually no upgradability (soldered RAM, even soldered storage) so the comparison is ridiculous. The NUC is completely modular and servicable which naturally sacrifices internal volume.
  • hetzbh - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    So? This is the same with Intel NUC, as well as the Intel variant of this mini PC.
  • nicolaim - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    What is the disadvantage of an external PSU?
  • Samus - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    None. People are being ridiculous. The worst part is people are ignoring the ADVANTAGES of an external PSU: lower cost, globalization to different power standards, reduced heat, and obviously smaller footprint. External PSU's are subjectively (my anecdotal experience) more reliable, too.

    Efficiency is virtually equal, from standby to load.
  • Rookierookie - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    Is the adapter plug proprietary, or can you substitute it for a generic laptop power supply?
  • Luminar - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    Less loss to resistance due to shorter length of copper.
  • Eliadbu - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    Most people see it as another brick that has to sit somewhere which make a less tidy desk. To be honest I don't like it either I have so many things on my desk I have to put my monitor power brick somewhere else and it end up on the floor below - very suboptimal with potential failure point. I think that with new GaN power ICs making an space and power efficient internal solution would be easy even with 90w PSU.
  • damianrobertjones - Friday, August 7, 2020 - link

    Please design something, of this size, WITH the psu inside. We'll wait... .
  • frbeckenbauer - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    Let's see how availability will look like for these
  • yannigr2 - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    I really love seeing how Intel $$$influences$$$ OEMs.

    The better model, the one with a Renoir chip that can go up to 8 cores 16 threads carries a lower product number compared to the Intel one that comes with an 8th gen core CPU, with max 4 cores 8 threads.
  • Rookierookie - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    Man, how much did Intel have to pay Asus for Asus to offer an AMD product that's twice as fast as theirs at £100 less?
  • phila - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    Would love to see a Ryzen 4000 based passive cooling unit with multiple NICs would be a great firewall appliance.
  • Guspaz - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    The DisplayPort socket shoved into a plug filling a VGA-shaped hole just screams "Half-assed product" to me.
  • frbeckenbauer - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    it's configurable for business. Need more display connections? put DP or HDMI in it. Two ethernet connections when using it as a micro server? Sure. VGA for a legacy display? Go ahead.
  • KaarlisK - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    The real bummer is that it's annoyingly loud. I bought the Intel version and promptly had to return it. Louder than the desktop it was slated to replace.
  • Showtime - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    Terrible design is what I thought after seeing the pics. Simply venting the top would have quieted it down a bit, noticeably brought temps down.
  • Tomatotech - Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - link

    it has no top vent because people put paper or coffee mugs on top of them or wedge them into tiny spaces. Better to design it without a top vent then it won't get blocked by accident (taps forehead).

    You will note the vent is on the only side that has to have cables sticking out of it, which will prevent the vent being pushed up against a flat surface (and causing a fire risk).
  • SeanFL - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    Loud under heavy load or was it loud with simple web surfing and document editing? Hoping the versions with AMD will have been thermal profiles. The NUC's I use can spin up a bit loud when hitting the CPU hard playing video or installing a Windows update. Otherwise they are pretty quiet.
  • Alistair - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    A Mac Mini with this CPU would be AMAZING. Somebody has got to do it, I don't trust Asus, these computers usually suck (hot and noisy and cheap).
  • Maltz - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    Apple is dumping x86 entirely for their own silicon. I don't see them releasing any AMD-based machines for the foreseeable future.
  • Alistair - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    I meant the same design, but by a PC maker. The cooling in the Mac Mini is superior, and it is quite small, and has an integrated PSU. I want a PC version of that, but for some reason no one has done it. These Asus NUC devices tend to be cheap in quality.
  • SeanFL - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    Curious about the known UK release dates, but nothing anywhere about the US release date. Really looking forward to the PN50...when can we buy it in the states?
  • JohnyNFullEffect - Friday, August 7, 2020 - link

    Seriously interested here too. US based
  • eek2121 - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    Not gonna lie. I want one. No U.S. availability or pricing?
  • dihartnell - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    Yep me too. Hope they come to New Zealand as well.
  • Ubiqutious - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    Hope they make it across the ditch to Aus. as well. I have been waiting for something like this.
  • tokyojerry - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    Being in Japan and with ASUS Japan having a quite strong presence and prevalence here, It's a given that it will come here as well. Just the timing not sure. Perhaps sooner than UK given the proximity and size of the market.
  • vladx - Monday, August 3, 2020 - link

    65W is too much for a mini PC, it should be 15-20W max.
  • psychobriggsy - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    C'mon, it's using a 15W APU in the first place, and that's before all other components, and turbo peaks. It also might be cTDP configured to 25W (I hope it is).

    I'd like to see a -H or even a -G version of this - slightly larger for cooling of course.
  • vladx - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    AMD needs a competitor to Intel Atom otherwise they won't gain any significant marketshare in this space.
  • rahvin - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    AMD has had Atom competitive chips for years, I used a G-series for close to a decade in the 2000's. They don't increment often enough but you can find them if you want. Intel provides billions in incentives, primarily advertising, that distort the market so atom gets more products and market coverage. But AMD does have competitive low power chips and boards serving primarily the embedded marketplace. AMD just doesn't have the lift to pull these chips into all the Niche's and OEM's that Intel has with Atom because they can't spend that kind of money on incentives.

    https://www.anandtech.com/show/15549/sapphire-anno...
  • Spunjji - Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - link

    I'd love to see your evidence for this assertion, given how manifestly unpopular Atom is in this particular space.
  • Spunjji - Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - link

    I know you mostly come here to misrepresent things, but complaining about a power adaptor being over-provisioned - as if it has any bearing on the TDP of the actual product - is a real low point. You apparently missed that the USB-C port has battery charging support. That wouldn't be much use if the power adaptor only had 5W of headroom.

    Unless you're complaining about 15W mobile CPUs being used in this form-factor, in which case you're still a jackass but for different reasons.
  • scottjames_12 - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    No HDMI 2.1 is a bit of a bummer, guess you could get an active displayport adapter if you wanted 4k120. Then again 4k60 would be fine for HTPC
  • vladx - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    Can these cut-down Vega graphics even display 8k 60hz?
  • sonny73n - Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - link

    What!? You have an 8k monitor but can’t afford a real PC with decent dGPU?
  • Spunjji - Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - link

    It's literally in the spec that it can do that. Who knows why anybody actually would, though.
  • GreenReaper - Thursday, August 6, 2020 - link

    Showing a big video? Or a map? Not everything has to be a heavy graphics load.
  • dromoxen - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    I am shocked .. Not completely Bonkers prices .. and seem to be well specced . The Price gap between the 2 top models does seem excessive , but thats becoz ppl will alows want the most powerful. Will def keep an eye on these
  • SpudmanWP - Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - link

    Where does the WiFi plug in?
  • Spunjji - Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - link

    I think it has an internal antenna
  • Azix - Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - link

    Is AMD actually able to provide supply for all these various uses of their CPUs?
  • RSAUser - Friday, August 7, 2020 - link

    Depending on the noise, quite tempted to get the 4500U/4700U one depending on the performance, would be a nice to have in the living room as a media PC that can occasionally do a small game like rocket league.
  • Defleur - Saturday, August 8, 2020 - link

    I am very interesting in this. Yet on the official website it says: "Dual-storage design with up to a 2.5-inch HDD up to 1 TB and an M.2 SSD up to 512 GB" - I assume the 2.5" slot is HDD or SSD, but 1 TB max & a 512GB max m2 nvme doesn't sound very attractive. The link is here - https://www.asus.com/Mini-PCs/Mini-PC-PN50/
  • Billy Tallis - Sunday, August 9, 2020 - link

    Ignore the capacity limitations. The motherboard doesn't have much to do with what capacity of drives will work, and ASUS would have to go out of their way to break the firmware for large drives.
  • LuckyKnight - Sunday, August 9, 2020 - link

    Would prefer one without a 2.5" bay, if ASUS is listening. HDMI 2.1 for some future proofing if possible.
  • AdditionalPylons - Monday, August 10, 2020 - link

    I really want to buy a Renoir based mini PC. I thought this was the first, but the sentence "one of the first mini-PCs on the market with the new Renoir hardware in a mini-PC design" seems to indicate that there are others. Which ones?

    Otherwise, my two concerns are:
    1. Why is this only 1 GbE? 2.5 GbE is only $2-3 more expensive. Don't cheap out on this please!
    2. I'm worried the cooling is noisy. The vent looks pretty small from the outside. Why are there no photos of the internals on the ASUS website?

    (Also, I seem to be in the minority preferring external PSU. Yes, a bit more cable mess, but external also means less heat inside the machine, i.e. more silent.)
  • Gigabee Mini PC - Wednesday, September 9, 2020 - link

    it is good for work from home

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