The AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM01 was provided by AYANEO for review. Thank you!
Ever since I can remember, I have always loved and valued portability. While I had a desktop PC and home consoles like the Gamecube and PS2, nothing compared to my laptop and DS/PSP. Being able to take my device wherever I go easily increases the value in my eyes, which keeps me playing games consistently and helps me work wherever I go. That’s where mini PCs started catching my eye. A portable workstation that I can fit in my backpack sounds like a perfect companion, and AYANEO’s Retro Mini PC AM01 is exactly that.
This is one of my first times using a mini PC, so a lot of what I was testing and doing here was trial and error. However, I discovered that this computer has easily become my go-to work device and will probably remain that way for the foreseeable future. I love it, and the price point is extremely competitive for what it can do. You won’t need to look any further if you are looking for a computer that will be a great portable workstation and multimedia center with some light gaming in the works.
Before we get into the meat of the review, I want to go over the different models, specs, and prices that you can choose from on Indiegogo. There are two main versions of the Retro Mini PC AM01, one with an AMD Ryzen 3 3200U APU and one with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U APU. Under that, each model has a different selection of RAM and storage space, with the option to expand if you want to open up the device. Otherwise, here are the specs:
Each model also has a multitude of ports. There are:
The biggest difference between the two models is the APU. The Ryzen 3 3200U is based on the original Zen architecture and has 2 cores with 4 threads. It has a max clock rate of 3.5GHz, consumes around 15W, and was made with a 14nm process. It uses Vega 3 integrated graphics with 3 CUs and a max clock rate of 1.2GHz. The Ryzen 7 5700U is based on the Zen 2 architecture and has 8 cores with 16 threads. It has a max clock rate of 4.3GHz, consumes around 25W, and was made with a 7nm process. It uses Vega 8 integrated graphics with 8 CUs and a 2.1GHz clock rate.
The other difference between the models is connectivity. The 3200U models of the Retro Mini PC AM01 have WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 support, while the 5700U models have WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 support. The 3200U does support expanding RAM to 32gb, and the 5700U supports expanding to 64gb. Other than that, the differences are storage and RAM size:
There is also a barebones version of the mini PC, which doesn’t have any RAM, storage, or an OS installed. This allows you to customize the machine the exact way you want, installing any operating system or even using it as personal NAS storage:
For this review, I was sent over a 5700U device with 32gb RAM and 1tb SSD. In general, I would recommend the 5700U over the 3200U versions due to the huge upgrade the Ryzen 7 has over the Ryzen 3. The extra power adds to what the computer can do tremendously, so I would seriously consider going with models that have the 5700U APU. And, with that out of the way, let’s get to the review!
First, let’s talk about the most unique feature of this mini PC: its design. AYANEO is going with a retro theme for their line of mini PCs, and this one is modeled after the original Macintosh computer from Apple. AYANEO did an incredible job with it, too. It looks nearly identical; the power button is on the fake floppy disk slot, and there is a big fake screen on the front that you can customize with stickers!
With each purchase, AYANEO provides some stickers and magnets that you can use to customize your mini PC. These stickers are nice options, though you can use any stickers you want, and the company encourages putting them on the screen. There are also magnets they provide, which can be swapped out with that rainbow magnet to the left of the power button. These are small but really awesome ways to make the mini PC feel like your own.
When using it, it will need to be placed on its back due to how the heat dissipation works. The intake fan is on the top of the Retro Mini PC AM01, while the outtake vents are on the right side.
While the aesthetic is the show stealer, the size and weight are also wonderful. AYANEO provides a picture of the PC next to an iPhone 15 to show it is smaller and is very accurate. It is a box, so it is thicker than other handhelds and devices I have, but it is overall smaller and much lighter. This made carrying it around in a backpack much nicer, especially when the alternative was one of my larger handhelds and a portable monitor for work.
Next, let’s get to general use. Before I get into it, I want to mention that setup is extremely easy, and startup is speedy. From power off to on, it took around 2.5 – 3 seconds before I could log in and start using the computer. This was fantastic, considering I kept accidentally turning the PC off, so it being able to start up so fast was lovely.
The Retro Mini PC AM01 either comes pre-installed with Windows 11 or no OS (barebones edition), and it can have another OS installed. I chose to stick with Windows 11, and since this isn’t reliant on handheld controls, it is much easier to use. I turned the mini PC into my work computer and used it primarily for writing and researching. With the 32gb RAM, I had tons of tabs open with no slowdown, and it was fantastic to work with overall. Before this, I used handhelds with a dock to work on the go, but with how speedy and easy to set up, this became my new portable work computer.
I have used the mini PC as a movie station, too. There were a couple of times I just plugged it in and connected it to a TV just to stream some movies from Netflix and Amazon Prime, which worked extremely well. Since it doesn’t take up much space, I could easily set it right next to my TV, which is on a small table.
While these are generally light tasks, and the PC handles them swimmingly, it can handle some harder tasks, too. I could do my Photoshop work, touch up photos with little issue, and even export a small video from Premiere Pro. I didn’t experience any slowdowns, but I wouldn’t recommend doing heavy video editing and rendering here. Doing some light edits here and there for shorter videos should work fine, but I wouldn’t render 20 to 25-minute videos at 4K resolution if you need it done fast.
Just like all of AYANEO’s devices, the Retro Mini PC AM01 comes with AYASpace. This is a pre-installed management tool that allows you to change some settings to improve your experience, as well as provide a hub for all installed games. With the settings in the full application, you can change themes and wallpapers, tune-up performance, enable a performance overlay, and even change mouse mode. Outside of that, you can view your installed games across all your storefronts, including Steam, Epic, and Game Pass.
There is also a quick-access menu that you can pull up. This menu will allow you to set and change the TDP and FPS limit on the fly, turn on that performance overlay, toggle airplane mode, wifi, Bluetooth, and house some quick ways to access specific programs like Device Manager and Control Panel. This can come in handy, especially while in-game, but even just for general navigation. It isn’t as easy to get to and from because it is mostly geared for handhelds, but it has some nice tools that can make navigation easier.
The Retro Mini PC AM01 is being marketed as a light gaming device, so with that in mind, I wanted to look at game performance. I downloaded various games, ranging from some big AAA titles to some smaller indie games and some emulation. Since this doesn’t rely on battery life, I will be playing the games with the intention of how much power we can push and aim to hit 60 FPS. So, with this in mind, here is what you can expect gaming-wise.
While some PC games will run decently on the 5700U, most won’t run well on the 3200U models. So, if you hope to get some non-retro gaming out of the Mini PC, I would spring for the models with that 5700U APU.
While the game is optimized, it isn’t enough to be playable here. On benchmarks, I regularly got sub-9 FPS in most scenes. This isn’t amazing, but I wasn’t expecting a powerhouse to handle Cyberpunk for the price point and the use of the Mini PC.
After seeing Street Fighter on the Retro Mini PC’s Indiegogo page, I wanted to see if Street Fighter 6 was playable. Sadly, even with heavily lowered settings on 720p, it can’t handle 60 FPS. I would automatically consider this unplayable, but it’s possible Street Fighter 5 would work ok here!
Surprisingly, Elden Ring was able to run better than I expected. It requires many compromises, including lower resolutions and low-quality settings, but if you are willing to play at 720p with 30 FPS, it will be worthwhile.
For the most part, Dishonored will run quite well. It defaults to 720p resolution; with that, you will get a solid 60 FPS experience. You can push up to 1080p, which will sometimes drop to the 50s, but it is still playable, especially if you put a FPS cap of 40 or 45.
DUSK HD runs wonderfully on the mini PC. Throughout campaign levels and endless mode, I found little to no dip from 60 FPS, and it feels very playable. This is a great boomer shooter to have on the device.
Stardew Valley runs perfectly here. I am not surprised by this one bit. Most older PC games, even some older AAA games, will run fine with the Retro Mini PC AM01.
Most retro and handheld emulation will run perfectly fine with the mini PC. GameCube was running well at 1080p upscaling for the games I tested, and PS2 was running similarly with 1080p upscaling. Most 3DS and Wii U games ran alright, but I wouldn’t recommend this for PS3 emulation. Some lower-end Switch games run all right on here, though I wouldn’t expect to play Super Mario Odyssey or Breath of the Wild here, either.
The AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM01 is a hard device not to recommend. For that incredible price alone, you are getting an aesthetically pleasing computer that you can customize with stickers and magnets that can fit in your backpack with ease and weigh less than most, if not all, laptops. It can handle the majority of office tasks and research, especially with more RAM, and can even handle some harder-to-run programs like Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro to a degree.
As for gaming, emulation will be a breeze on this PC regarding most consoles. Some 3DS, Switch, PS3, and Wii U titles may have some issues, but for the most part, you won’t be disappointed. It can even handle some decent-sized PC games with compromises, like Elden Ring, but for smaller or older titles like Dishonored and Stardew Valley, you won’t have any issues playing them.
Overall, this is the portable work computer I have always wanted. It is easy to carry around, very versatile in performance and for gaming, and it is at a very competitive price. For $300, you can get a 5700U model with 16gb RAM and a 512gb SSD, and for $30 more, that can turn into 32gb RAM. For the value and possibilities in what you can do with the device, this is an easy recommendation for someone looking for a portable computer that will mainly be used for work or watching movies but can still be utilized with some light gaming here and there. I recommend getting the 32gb RAM + 512gb SSD option, but the 16gb RAM should be more than enough if you want to save as much as possible.
You can purchase one of these mini PCs for yourself over on Indiegogo where the price is temporarily reduced before going up to its full retail price.
If you enjoyed this review, check out the rest of the content on HandheldHQ! We have a wide variety of reviews and news that are sure to help your gaming experience. Whether you’re looking for news and handheld reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we’ve got your back.
