Beelink SER9 HX-370: 30-second review
The Beelink SER9 HX-370 mini PC is one of a new generation of mini PCs that pack larger desktop performance into a small form factor. This model has been designed around AI applications, with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX-370 processor at its heart with the processor boasting an impressive 12 cores and 24 threads. On paper, this all looks impressive, but it's only when you power up Adobe's Premiere Pro that you start to see just how well-equipped this new technology is for handling heavy computing tasks. The onboard Radeon RX Vega 8 graphics provides plenty of graphics processing for creative work, but even with the heft of the processor, the latest games, while smooth, lack some of the punch and smoothness of visuals that you expect from a larger system.
While small, the SER9 HX-370 still offers plenty of options when it comes to connectivity, including Wi-Fi 6E and a good selection of USB 3.2 ports, although some are a little dated. For both creative and office workers, the fact that it also supports three 4K displays via HDMI 2.1, DP and USB4 makes it a great choice if screen real estate is important.
The CPU and GPU are well specified for a mini PC and the power that the supply is boosted by the inclusion of a new generation AMD XDNA 2 NPU that introduces AI acceleration. This NPU chip can be used by applications designed for use with AI as well as enabling machine learning and deep learning tasks. So if you want to delve into the world of TensorFlow or a similar platform, this could be a great starting point.
The SER9 HX-370 has many appealing features considering its small size; however, the features and performance come at a premium. The price is at the higher end for the best mini PCs we've reviewed, and the form factor will, of course, limit future upgrade options.
Beelink SER9 HX-370: Price and availability
- How much does it cost? $1249
- When is it out? Now
- Where can you get it? Widely available
The Beelink SER9 HX-370 is priced at $999 and $1,249, depending on the choice of internal SSD (500GB or 1TB SSD). It’s available directly from Beelink’s website by clicking here and through online retailers.
- Value: 4 / 5
Beelink SER9 HX-370: Specs
Beelink SER9 HX-370: Design
The Beelink SER9 HX-370 measures just 136mm x 136mm x 50mm, and despite its premium build, high-end processor, and features, its sleek, high-quality design is somewhat understated. A close inspection of the exterior reveals that the main all-metal case is elegantly designed, providing an instant premium feel. The weight, at 819g, while not heavy by any standards, is a bit more substantial than your average mini PC.
The casing — front, sides, and top — is made from a single piece of metal, with the base and back constructed from grey plastic, all of which is well finished and gives the impression that the device is robust enough to handle transport without issue. The exterior not only protects the internal components but also integrates with the internal cooling system. With large vents across the back and an aerated base, it's obvious the casing has been engineered to manage the high-performance internal processor and components.
Like many high-performance mini PCs, there are plenty of connectivity options. Across the front of the machine, there's the small power button, CLR CMOS, 3.5mm audio jack, USB Type-C 10Gbps, and a surprising addition: a row of four small holes, which are part of a dedicated microphone array. Around the back, there’s the DC input, USB4 40Gbps, HDMI 2.1 4K 120Hz, 3.5mm audio, USB 2.0 480Mbps, DP 1.4 4K 120Hz, LAN 2.5G, another USB 2.0 480Mbps, and a USB 3.2 10Gbps.
It’s actually a bit surprising for a model that packs in premium features to hold back on some connectivity options, especially with only a single USB4 port, which limits you to a single ultra-fast storage option and as it stands even with this single USB4 port the machine itsefl isn't optimsed for use with an eGPU.
- Design: 4 / 5
Beelink SER9 HX-370: Features
While mini PCs are, by their very nature, compact, the number of features they can pack into their small forms is often impressive. Leading the features for the SER9 is the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370 Processor, which uses AMD’s latest Zen 5 architecture, with a 12-core, 24-thread setup. What distinguishes this CPU is that it has been optimized for AI-driven tasks and applications. It also features a max boost clock of 5.1 GHz, making it an ideal choice for creative work where intense processing of graphics, images, and video is crucial.
The AI acceleration for the CPU comes via the NPU, a dedicated Neural Processing Unit AMD XDNA 2 NPU, which delivers 80 AI TOPS. For applications able to leverage AI-enhanced workloads, there’s a noticeable boost in performance over more traditional processing, as we've seen with Adobe apps and the advancements in video editing, 3D design, and processing.
As standard, the machine comes with 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, clocked at 7500MHz, which should suffice for most tasks. Unlike most mini PCs, however, this RAM is integrated and cannot be upgraded.
Regarding graphics, the Ryzen CPU is paired with an AMD Radeon 890M, featuring 16 Compute Units and a clock speed of 2900MHz. This GPU is more than sufficient for most creative and high-intensity applications, but gamers may find it a little limiting. While the SER9 does have a USB4 port, it is not optimized for use with an eGPU, so the internal graphics will likely be the best option available.
In terms of storage, this is an area where the SER9 really stands out compared to other mini PCs. While you can attach ultra-fast external SSDs, there are two PCIe 4.0 x4 slots for SSD storage, supporting up to 8TB of internal storage. Our review version included a 1TB Crucial PCIe SSD, which proved to be extremely fast.
As with most high-performance mini PCs, internal cooling is a significant consideration. Beelink has designed the MSC2.0 cooling system, which uses a vapor chamber, a silent fan, and an SSD heatsink to manage the temperatures that can rise under heavy workloads.
When it comes to display options, the SER9 is capable of using one or all three different display port options to support up to three 4K displays. These options are HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and the USB4 ports. For connectivity, aside from the 2.5Gb wired LAN connection, the system features Wi-Fi 6 (Intel AX200) and Bluetooth 5.2.
On the audio side, there are two 3.5mm audio ports, one on the front and another on the back for headphone or a mic. Interestingly there are also built-in dual speakers which is again an unusual option for this type of mini PC. Another interesting, and quite unique audio feature are the front-facing microphones. These enable AI-powered voice interaction, providing smart audio pickup for voice command recognition for different tasks.
- Features: 4.5 / 5
Beelink SER9 HX-370: Performance
The SER9 HX-370 is a high-performance mini PC, and that's evident from the outset, with Microsoft Office apps and using Google Docs through the browser, all running at speed with no slowdown or issues. This machine definitely has processing power, and as you switch between applications, that speed really becomes apparent.
Benchmark results show that the Beelink SER9 HX-370 offers solid all-round performance for office tasks, creative work, and some gaming, thanks to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370 processor, 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and integrated AMD Radeon 890M graphics.
In everyday tasks, the machine's performance was reflected in the benchmarks, with a Geekbench CPU Single score of 14,728 and a PCMark score of 7,205. These scores reflect well with the real world use of applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Google Docs (Through Chrome).
For creative applications like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, the machine easily handled multiple RAW files from the Sony A7 IV and Canon EOS R5 C, with this performance again reflected in the Geekbench Compute score of 42,770. Switching to Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve for some 4K video editing, the machine again impressed with speed, although the 1TB SSD was a little small and a Samsung EVO T5 was used to expand on the capacity through the USB4 port. However, there was also the option to upgrade the internal storage to an impressive 8 TB, which again is quite a unique feature for a machine of this size. The easy handling of video editing was reflected in the Cinebench CPU Multi score of 21,718 and Cinebench CPU Single score of 2,045.
To truly test the performance, a few games were tried, including Hogwarts Legacy, Tekken 8, and Red Dead Redemption 2. Again, the small machine impressed, although it's unfortunate that the system hasn't been optimised for use with an external GPU. Still, with the AMD Radeon RX Vega 8, performance was impressive, with all games running smoothly, though some slight reductions in quality settings to around medium were necessary. The 3DMark scores (Fire Strike Graphics: 10,256, Time Spy Graphics: 3,666, Fire Strike Overall: 9,384, and Wild Life: 23,206) all reflect the system’s solid gaming performance.
Another point to note on the performance is the speed of the internal SSD. In the benchmark test using CrystalDiskMark, the score showed read/write speeds of 5175.50 MB/s and 4751.30 MB/s. This is extremely fast and ideal for any application that requires high speed disk access.
Overall, the performance of the Beelink SER9 HX-370 is impressive, easily handling office applications and taking on processor-intensive creative tasks. While the machine was able to handle gaming smoothly, the best gameplay was achieved with medium graphic settings, but for a mini PC, this is extremely impressive.
- Performance: 5 / 5
Beelink SER9 HX-370: Final verdict
The Beelink SER9 HX-370 is a powerful mini PC that combines compact size with desktop-level performance. Ideal for gaming, creative applications, and heavy multitasking, it offers exceptional value for its price. While its gamer-centric design might not appeal to everyone, its performance and versatility make it a standout choice.
