Mini gaming computer with Ryzen 9 processor

At the end of 2021, microcomputer manufacturer Beelink, known for its inexpensive SER3, funded another microcomputer via its Indiegogo crowdfunding platform: the GTR5. It is a powerful PC with a small footprint and gaming ambitions. How compact the computer really is when you compare the liter specs between the Apple Mac Mini and the Beelink GTR5: While the M1 Mac Mini takes up 1.4 liters of space, Beelink packs the Ryzen 9 into just 0.8 liters. If you are looking for a gaming PC that is as fast as possible but also small, to place unobtrusively on your desk, for example, the GTR5 with Ryzen 9 5900HX processor could be the thing for you.

With its compact dimensions, the GTR5 feels right at home on almost any desk. Thanks to the rubber straps on the underside, the mini PC is held firmly in place. The GTR5 comes with a total of 5 USB-A ports. There is also a USB-C port on the front, which can also be used to connect monitors. But there are also HDMI and display ports on the back. Unfortunately, it is not possible to connect to eGPUs due to the lack of Thunderbolt. Beelink has given the GTR5 two LAN ports in the back. There are two microphones on the front, but you won’t find an internal speaker. Given the potential quality of such a speaker, that’s not too bad, but a small tweeter would have been nice for hints. Beelink gave the GTR5 a fingerprint sensor. This is placed at the top of the device and can be easily operated during operation. This sensor also has a second function: it also acts as a power button, so that the computer can also be turned on and off through it. The fingerprint sensor has proven to be reliable in the long run. Beelink powers the GTR5 with WLAN 6E. Thus the microcomputer is well prepared for the future. In addition, the AMD logo on the top of the device is white. Games are more associated with RGB, but the bright color spectacle can be unnecessarily distracting for some people. The white lighting is not prominent enough to be noticed but is also ignored. As is customary at Beelink, the manufacturer includes two HDMI cables. One of them is quite short, for example to connect the mini-computer directly behind the screen. Beelink also provides the appropriate VESA mount adapter.

Not surprisingly, the GTR5 is a really powerful little PC. When you start your computer for the first time, Windows 11 setup will welcome you. Since the GTR5 is equipped with the current operating system, you don’t have to worry at least about updating to the latest version of Windows. The colleagues from SemperVideo explained here how to continue using Windows 11 with an offline account. With a Ryzen 9 CPU, the GTR5 not only handles everyday tasks with ease, but can also carry your game or other performance-hungry game with computing power. If the performance in the standard BIOS settings is not enough, then the AMD processor can also be overclocked. With the Radeon RX Vega 8 GPU, you rarely have to turn off graphics settings in games. while our colleague Tim Poppy Usually not a passionate player, he bought the mini PC mainly for “Star Trek Resurgence” release soon.

The Beelink GTR5 is powerful, but you can hear the strength in everyday life. This is probably one of the reasons why Beelink prints instructions on the underside of the minicomputer on how to put the computer into the so-called equilibrium position. In it, the power consumption of the GTR5 is reduced, which leads to reduced fan noise. Anyone expecting quieter operating noise due to switching to reduced power consumption may be disappointed: the background noise of the mini-computer can also be heard in equilibrium mode. The difference is certainly there, but at the same time it is so small that you can directly leave the performance mode turned on. In addition to the Performance and Balance mode, an “Auto” option can also be selected. This setting toggles back and forth dynamically.

With the GTR5, Beelink tried to pack as much power as possible into the smallest space possible. After a few weeks with the crowdfunding computer, this project can be described as a success. The system works stably, reliably and does not overheat. Meanwhile, existing games like “Life is Strange: True Colors” run smoothly on the mini PC. It can rightly be said that the GTR5 delivers maximum power in the smallest of spaces. While the performance of the mini PC isn’t just convincing on paper, you should consider whether you can accept the background noise that comes with performance before you buy it. For example, if you primarily play with a headset or put the GTR5 out of the way, the audible operating noise will be perfectly put into perspective. Since the package is not much bigger than the computer itself, you have to buy the monitor, keyboard and mouse. If you don’t have any of these at home, you should consider any additional costs when planning your budget. After debuting on Indiegogo, the GTR5 has mainly appeared on the manufacturer’s website Sold. Different hardware versions can be chosen: the 64GB RAM version comes with a 1TB SSD hard disk, while the 32GB RAM version comes with only 500GB storage. If you need more storage space and previous RAM work, you pay 1369 euros. The 32 GB version is slightly cheaper at 1099 euros.

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