GEEKOM A8 Max vs MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max
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GEEKOM A8 Max
Ryzen 9 8945HS / 32GB DDR5 / 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD / Windows 11 Pro / silver chassis / US market
MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max
Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB RAM, 2TB SSD, US
Amazon results may include other models. Verify the processor, memory, storage, and seller before buying.
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Storage |
1Is it fast for normal work?
GEEKOM A8 Max
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Video editing with effects
TT Technology reported choppy playback when adding heavier effects and stabilization to a 4K Premiere Pro timeline on his 32GB/2TB unit. He found proxies useful for smoother editing. This is a report about his project, not a MiniPCBench performance measurement.
TT Technology · 3:21 -
Cinebench 2024 single-core Not available
MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max
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Video editing with effects Not available
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Cinebench 2024 single-core 110 points
Jim's Garage measured 110 in Cinebench 2024 single-core on its exact 128GB review unit.
Cinebench 2024 single-core · Ryzen AI Max+ 395; 128GB/2TB review unit
Jim's Garage · 13:52
2Can it handle sustained work?
GEEKOM A8 Max
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Cinebench R23 multi-core Not available
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Cinebench 2024 multi-core Not available
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Qwen3 235B local inference Not available
MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max
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Cinebench R23 multi-core 37062 points
Level1Techs measured 37,062 in Cinebench R23 multi-core on the MS-S1 Max.
Cinebench R23 multi-core · Ryzen AI Max+ 395; 128GB review system
Level1Techs · 14:22 -
Cinebench 2024 multi-core 1886 points
Tech Notice measured 1,808 in Balanced mode and 1,886 after switching the same exact-config review system to Performance mode.
Cinebench 2024 multi-core · Performance BIOS mode; exact 128GB/2TB review unit
Tech Notice · 15:50 -
Qwen3 235B local inference 13.73 tokens/s
Jim's Garage reported 13.73 tokens per second for Qwen3 235B A22B Instruct Q3_K_XL under Ubuntu, with about 102GB of unified memory in use.
Qwen3 235B A22B Instruct 2507 Q3_K_XL local inference · Ubuntu bare metal; 1GB fixed graphics allocation; Performance BIOS mode; exact 128GB review unit
Jim's Garage · 22:13
3Can it game?
GEEKOM A8 Max
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Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Not available
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Cyberpunk 2077 Not available
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Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Not available
MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max
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Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail 68 fps
Level1Techs measured 68 FPS at 1440p High in the Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail benchmark.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail benchmark · 1440p High preset; Radeon 8060S; exact 128GB review system
Level1Techs · 10:00 -
Cyberpunk 2077 67 fps
RandomGaminginHD measured 67 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p using the High preset with no upscaling.
Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay · 1080p High; no upscaling; Performance mode at 130W; Radeon 8060S
RandomGaminginHD · 7:00 -
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II 90 fps
RandomGaminginHD measured 90 FPS in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II at 1080p High using SMAA 2TX.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II gameplay · 1080p High; SMAA 2TX; Radeon 8060S
RandomGaminginHD · 9:58
4Is it loud or hot?
GEEKOM A8 Max
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Maximum observed CPU temperature Not available
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Load sound level Not available
MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max
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Maximum observed CPU temperature 63 C
Jim's Garage observed no more than 63 C during its Cinebench run, while Tech Notice independently saw 64 C before changing from Balanced to Performance mode.
Cinebench 2024 multi-core · Exact 128GB review unit; Jim's Garage test mode was not stated in the narration
Jim's Garage · 14:06 -
Load sound level 43 dBA
ServeTheHome measured about 42 to 43 dBA at one meter while the system drew about 120W and said it was clearly audible rather than silent.
Sustained local-AI workload · One-meter distance; exact 128GB review system; room floor not stated in the narration
ServeTheHome · 10:53
5How much electricity does it use?
GEEKOM A8 Max
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Idle wall power Not available
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Cinebench wall power Not available
MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max
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Idle wall power 12 W
ServeTheHome observed a 9 to 12 W idle range in Windows. Jim's Garage independently observed 7 to 10 W at idle on its exact-config unit.
Windows idle · Observed range 9-12 W; exact 128GB review system
ServeTheHome · 10:32 -
Cinebench wall power 130 W
Jim's Garage saw about 130 W at the wall through most of its Cinebench run, with brief spikes up to 150 W.
Cinebench 2024 multi-core · Exact 128GB review unit; brief observed spikes to 150 W
Jim's Garage · 14:12
6Can I upgrade and connect everything?
GEEKOM A8 Max
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Memory is upgradeable Yes
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Storage is upgradeable Yes
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Opening the case
Robtech showed that opening his A8 Max required removing four glued rubber feet before prying off the bottom cover. Allow extra care and time when accessing the memory or SSD.
Robtech · 2:03 -
Thunderbolt is present Not available
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High-speed I/O Not available
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Linux 10GbE support Not available
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Expansion limits Not available
MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max
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Memory is upgradeable No
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Storage is upgradeable Yes
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Opening the case Not available
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Thunderbolt is present No
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High-speed I/O 4x USB4 and 2x 10GbE
The chassis provides two front 40Gbps USB4 ports, two rear 80Gbps USB4 v2 ports, and two Realtek RTL8127 10GbE controllers. The internal 320W power supply avoids an external brick.
Manufacturer specification and hands-on port inspection · MS-S1 Max chassis
MINISFORUM -
Linux 10GbE support Driver work required
Jim's Garage could not use the two RTL8127 10GbE ports out of the box under Debian 13 or Proxmox and obtained only 5Gbps after adding a driver manually. Wi-Fi 7 worked in the same Linux testing.
Debian 13 and Proxmox network detection and throughput testing · Exact 128GB/2TB review unit; software state in September 2025
Jim's Garage · 1:58 -
Expansion limits PCIe 4.0 x4, no 75W GPU power
Level1Techs verified that the physical x16 slot is electrically PCIe 4.0 x4, is closed-ended, and cannot supply 75W. Tech Notice likewise found that it is suitable for networking or storage expansion rather than a conventional graphics card.
Hands-on chassis and slot inspection · MS-S1 Max chassis
Level1Techs · 11:35
7Is it good value?
GEEKOM A8 Max
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Manufacturer price Not available
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Verified Amazon configuration Not available
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Reviewer purchase assessment Not available
MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max
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Manufacturer price $3,719
MINISFORUM listed the exact 128GB/2TB US configuration for $3,719 when checked, against a $4,649 compare-at price.
Manufacturer retail-price check · MS-S1-MAX12US; Ryzen AI Max+ 395; 128GB RAM; 2TB SSD; Windows 11 Pro
MINISFORUM -
Verified Amazon configuration B0G348H88N
Amazon ASIN B0G348H88N matched the exact Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB RAM, and 2TB SSD configuration when checked.
Retailer identity check · MS-S1 Max 128GB/2TB
MINISFORUM -
Reviewer purchase assessment Preferred despite premium pricing
ServeTheHome said the MS-S1 Max was not the cheapest system in its class, but still called it the reviewer's preferred Ryzen AI Max+ 395 system among the compared units because of its overall feature mix.
Review-date comparative purchase assessment · Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB unified memory, 2TB SSD review system
ServeTheHome · 16:32
8Will it be dependable?
GEEKOM A8 Max
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Seller warranty Not available
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Cooling and acoustics Not available
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Operating-system caveat Not available
MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max
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Seller warranty 3 years
MINISFORUM advertises a three-year seller warranty and 30-day returns on the US store page.
Manufacturer warranty-policy check
MINISFORUM -
Cooling and acoustics Cool but audible
Independent testing found low-60s C temperatures in Cinebench, but ServeTheHome still measured 42 to 43 dBA at one meter around 120W. The cooling system controls temperature without being silent under sustained load.
Sustained CPU and local-AI workloads · Exact 128GB review systems
ServeTheHome · 10:32 -
Operating-system caveat Linux NIC caveat
The current Windows configuration was stable in the retained reviews, but Jim's Garage documented immature RTL8127 support under Debian 13 and Proxmox. Linux buyers should verify current driver support for the dual 10GbE controllers.
Windows, Debian 13, and Proxmox hands-on testing · Exact 128GB/2TB review unit
Jim's Garage · 16:53
References
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GEEKOM. A8 Max specifications and US retail configurations. Product page. Accessed .
Configuration: Ryzen 9 8945HS / 32GB DDR5 / 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD / Windows 11 Pro / silver chassis / US market
Disclosure: Manufacturer specifications; no MiniPCBench measurements.
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Robtech. Bigger and Better Ryzen Mini PC - GEEKOM A8 MAX Review. Video review. . Accessed .
Configuration: Ryzen 9 8945HS / 32GB DDR5 / 2TB SSD / Windows 11 Pro; firmware unconfirmed. Storage differs from this 1TB catalog configuration.
Disclosure: Manufacturer supplied review unit; affiliate and coupon links.
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TT Technology. Geekom A8 Max - Epic Mini Pc!. Video review. . Accessed .
Configuration: Ryzen 9 8945HS / 32GB DDR5 / 2TB SSD / Windows 11 Pro; UK power adapter; firmware unconfirmed. Storage differs from this 1TB catalog configuration.
Disclosure: Sponsored by GEEKOM; manufacturer supplied unit and retail/coupon links.
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MINISFORUM. MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max 128GB Max AI Compute Edition. Product page. . Accessed .
Configuration: MS-S1-MAX12US: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB LPDDR5X-8000, 2TB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, US power cable
Disclosure: Manufacturer specifications, current price, availability, warranty, and return terms.
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ServeTheHome. The BEST AMD Strix Halo Mini PC Minisforum MS S1 Max. Video review. . Accessed .
Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB unified memory, 2TB SSD review system
Disclosure: The description contains an Amazon affiliate link and does not state how the review unit was obtained.
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Level1Techs. Minisforum MS S1 Max AI Review, Benchmarks, and Comfy UI Setup Guide. Video review. . Accessed .
Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB unified memory MS-S1 Max review system; installed SSD capacity not stated in narration
Disclosure: The description does not state how the review unit was obtained and does not contain a retailer affiliate disclosure.
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Tech Notice. NOTHING is better than THIS ... AMD is too good! | Minisforum MS-S1 MAX review. Video review. . Accessed .
Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB unified memory, 2TB SSD review system
Disclosure: The description contains product and software affiliate links and does not state how the review unit was obtained.
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Jim's Garage. Running LLMs Locally - MinisForum MS-S1 MAX Review. Video review. . Accessed .
Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB unified memory, 2TB SSD review system
Disclosure: The reviewer says in the narration that the device was sent free; the description links MINISFORUM without an affiliate disclosure.
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RandomGaminginHD. The Fastest Integrated Graphics Yet - The Radeon 8060S (ft. Minisforum MS-S1 MAX). Video review. . Accessed .
Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, Radeon 8060S, 128GB LPDDR5X-8000, 2TB SSD review system
Disclosure: The description links the tested system but does not state how the unit was obtained or include an affiliate disclosure.
Value for money
No value comparison is available. It requires eligible test scores and at least four current price observations in seven days.
Specification differences
Differences supported by the listed manufacturer specifications
Higher listed specifications for GEEKOM A8 Max
Higher listed specifications for MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max
- Supports 64 GB more memory
- Provides 2 storage slots versus
Verified specifications
Manufacturer-sourced specifications and current testing status
Processor
| Specification | A8 Max | MS-S1 Max |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS | AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 |
| Cores / threads | 8 / 16 | 16 / 32 |
| Processor default TDP | Not disclosed | 130 W |
| Integrated graphics | AMD Radeon 780M | AMD Radeon 8060S integrated graphics, 40 compute units |
Memory and storage
| Specification | A8 Max | MS-S1 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Memory type | DDR5 SO-DIMM | LPDDR5X-8000 unified memory |
| Maximum memory | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| Upgradeable memory | Yes | No |
| Storage slots | 2 |
Connectivity
| Specification | A8 Max | MS-S1 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Ethernet | 2 × 2.5GbE | 2x 10GbE RJ45 (Realtek RTL8127) |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4 |
| USB4 | Yes | Yes |
| Thunderbolt | Not published | No |
Size and price
| Specification | A8 Max | MS-S1 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure volume | Not published | 3.53 liters |
| List price | Not published | $4,649 |
| Product class | Not assigned | Local AI and high-speed networking |