The Minisforum MS-A2 Workstation Revealed at CES 2025

Minisforum MS-A2 Workstation – Coming Soon

We spoke about a lot of mini PCs in 2024, and as 2025 rolls around, you will be unsurprised to know that many of the existing brands hoping to take advantage of growing demand for efficient, compact, yet powerful computers have not exactly been resting! One of the most popular mini PC releases of 2023/2024 was the Minisforum MS-01, a powerful compact workstation that supported an Intel i9, 10GbE connectivity, and huge expandability in both SSDs and PCIe. Fast forward to January 2025 at CES in Nevada, and we learn that the brand is already working on the spiritual follow-up—the Minisforum MS-A2! Building on most of the innovations seen in the MS-01, this new mini PC spices things up even more with AMD architecture, ECC memory, and more! Arriving soon at retail, they plan on running this new MS-A2 alongside the MS-01, thereby providing interested users the choice of which architecture best suits their tastes. So let’s dig into everything we have learned about this new mini PC.

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Minisforum MS-A2 Mini PC Specifications

It’s worth highlighting that there is a decent amount of crossover between the new MS-A2 and the previous MS-01. This system actually manages to find a sweet spot between the MS-01 specifications and the recently released MS-A1, further fleshing out their portfolio of workstation mini PC solutions. Here are the specifications confirmed so far:

Component	Details
Processor	AMD Ryzen™ 9 7945HX (16 Cores / 32 Threads, 64MB Cache, Base: 3.5GHz, Boost: 5.4GHz)
GPU	AMD Radeon™ 610M
Memory	DDR5 Dual Channel (up to 5200MHz, Max 96GB
Storage Expansion	– 3x M.2 NVMe SSD slots (2x PCIe Gen 4×4, 1x PCIe Gen 3×4)
	– Supports M.2-to-U.2 adapters
PCIe Expansion	1x PCIe x16 (PCIe 4.0)
Networking	– 2x 10Gbps SFP+ (Intel X710)
	– 2x 2.5Gbps Ethernet Port (Intel i226V)
	– Wi-Fi 6E (Upgradeable to Wi-Fi 7 via M.2 adapter)
USB Ports	– 4x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A, 10Gbps)
	– 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C, 10Gbps, Alt DP)
	– 2x USB 2.0 (Front)
Video Output	– 1x HDMI 2.0
	– 2x USB-C (Alt DisplayPort 2.0)
Audio	1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
Power	DC-IN (19V/12.63A)
Dimensions	196 x 189 x 45 mm
Operating System	Linux/Windows supported

First and foremost, let’s dig into that CPU! When the original MS-01 arrived with a 13th-generation i9 core processor, many users (myself included) were absolutely blown away that this rather compact system had an absolute beast of a CPU. For this AMD-focused device, a similar level of processor enthusiasm is evident! Much like the MS-01, active and passive cooling is tactically placed to run horizontally throughout the system. The system CPU fan feeds directly into a metallic vent panel that runs directly into the southernmost backplane. Equally, there are heatsinks located over the majority of key components and an additional baseline laptop-style fan that resides over the M.2 storage areas.

The AMD Ryzen™ 9 7945HX is a high-end mobile processor introduced in January 2023, featuring 16 cores and 32 threads based on AMD’s advanced Zen 4 architecture. Operating at a base clock speed of 2.5 GHz and capable of boosting up to 5.4 GHz, it delivers exceptional performance for demanding applications. Manufactured using a 5 nm process, the processor includes 64 MB of L3 cache, enhancing data access speeds and overall efficiency.

Integrated within the Ryzen 9 7945HX is the AMD Radeon™ 610M GPU, an entry-level graphics solution based on the RDNA 2 architecture. Equipped with 128 shading units and operating at clock speeds up to 2.2 GHz, the Radeon 610M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, ensuring compatibility with modern graphics features. While its performance is modest, making it suitable for less demanding tasks and light gaming, it offers energy-efficient graphics capabilities for everyday use.

As this is an AMD modern series processor, you’ll be pleased to hear that this compact workstation system supports ECC memory. So you aren’t just reliant on DDR5’s native on-die ECC—you can have the best of both worlds here . (This has been confirmed as not supported) Supporting up to 96GB of DDR5 SODIMM memory across two slots, this little workstation has plenty of memory scalability to ensure that intensive Proxmox or general virtual machine deployment is going to be a piece of cake.

Much like the MS-01, the MS-A2 also arrives with three individual M.2 NVMe SSD slots. All three slots are optimized for speed; however, two of them are PCIe Gen 4×4, and one is a PCIe Gen 3×4 slot. Despite the difference in PCIe generations on the slots, the fact that all three are full-speed M.2 is definitely appreciated. It’s actually surprisingly rare in a mini PC to have all three slots at full speed. Moreover, two of the individual M.2 NVMe slots are 22110 length, meaning this system can support larger SSDs or even PLP-supported M.2 NVMes that tend to be longer than typical 2280-length drives.

Additionally, much like a few other Minisforum devices, the MS-A2 supports the in-house M.2-to-U.2 adapter. It is unclear whether this system can support two M.2 adapters at once, leaving the third drive for a traditional NVMe SSD, but nevertheless, I know this is a useful feature for some who want to take advantage of the largest storage benefits.

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Alongside the triple M.2 NVMes, the system also features a low-profile PCIe x16 slot (physical x16, but x8 in bandwidth). This is a pretty tight slot, and you will need to be selective about which PCIe expander cards you choose, but the brand was keen to highlight that you can even get laptop-scaled PCIe GPU cards that comfortably fit inside this available slot.

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In terms of network connectivity, the MS-A2 arrives with two SFP+ 10Gb Ethernet connections and two 2.5Gb Ethernet connection. This is perhaps a little disappointing for those who were hoping the MS-A2 would match the incredible network connectivity of the MS-01(which featured the same, plus an additional 2x USB4 which supports network over Thunderbolt/USB in some setups), but this is still a decent upgrade from the majority of mini PCs in the market right now and comfortably keeps this system in the prosumer mini workstation category, as well as ahead of the MS-A1.

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Alongside the physical network connections, this mini workstation also features Wi-Fi 6E connectivity via an internal M.2 adapter, which can be easily upgraded to Wi-Fi 7 via numerous affordable Intel modules. The system features a plethora of USB 3.2 Gen 2 connections in Type-A and Type-C, located on both the front and rear of the system. Discussions around USB 4 and its support on some AMD processors do raise questions about this system being a preferred alternative to the USB4/TB4-supported MS-01, but at the very least, it’s going to be a while before you run out of USB ports on this mini workstation.

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Arriving with the same slide-out tray, physical design, and modest 196 x 189 x 45 mm size, Minisforum has once again managed to pack an incredible amount of hardware into a relatively small amount of space. I will try to remain as neutral as possible about this device until we physically have the unit in for review, but I think it would be fair to say that I have always been, and will always be, a huge fan of the design that Minisforum has opted for on their series of workstation devices.

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Early information on the physical design and hardware specifications of this device leaves me pretty impressed at the moment and definitely eager to learn more about it when it reaches retail. The brand tells me it is targeted for launch in early Q1 2025, although pricing has yet to be confirmed. Stay tuned as we learn more about other solutions from Minisforum soon.

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