The AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM01 has arrived on IndieGoGo. But even is a mini PC and should it be on your radar? Let’s dig in.
Operating System.
The Retro Mini PC AM01 comes equipped with Windows 11 Home Edition.
Why go with Windows 11 rather than the other popular choices in Android and Linux? In short, with Windows 11 you’ll be able to play games from Steam, the Epic Games Store, GOG, Xbox, and other PC-only platforms. Android can’t run Windows games and Linux is limited to just Steam unless you’re willing to get technical.
Is Windows 11 perfect? Not by a mile. But if you’ve ever used a Windows PC before, chances are you’ll take to Windows 11 fairly easily.
Specifications Made Easy.
The important thing to keep in mind with the Retro Mini PC specs is that it isn’t designed to be a high-end or even mid-range system. With the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, you’ll be able to play PC games, but most non-indie releases from the last two or three years may struggle to run.
You also need to factor RAM into this equation. 8GB will be enough for emulation, but for AAA PC gaming, you’re going to need the 16GB or 32GB options.
As for the AMD Ryzen 3 3200U, I’d treat that as a strictly indie and emulation chipset.
- Chipset: AMD Ryzen 3 3200U or AMD Ryzen 7 5700U.
- RAM: 8GB or 16GB or 32GB (DDR4).
- Storage: M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD in either 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB.
- Operating System: Pre-Install Windows 11 Home Edition
What it all comes down to is what you want the Retro Mini PC for. If it’s low-end AAA gaming at 720p with recent releases pulling in sub 30 frames per second, and high-end emulation (think Switch and Wii U), you want the Ryzen 7 model with as much RAM as you can afford.
If you’re looking to play classic retro titles – like SNES, Genesis, or MAME – then the Ryzen 3 model should be more than enough.
Performance Expectations.
I’ve been doing some research to give you an idea of what is and isn’t possible on the Retro Mini PC based on how those Ryzen chips perform on PC hardware.
With the Ryzen 7 and 16GB of RAM, God of War at 720p runs at 21 frames per second, Cyberpunk 2077 at 720p runs at around 19 frames per second, GTA V at 1080p can manage 48 frames per second, and Genshin Impact at 1080p comes in at 39 frames per second.
Moving on to the Ryzen 3 with 8GB of RAM, GTA V at 720p runs at around 30 frames per second, Cyberpunk 2077 just about manages 10 frames per second, while Red Dead Redemption 2 at 720p comes in at 19 frames per second.
Before anyone panics, it’s worth reiterating the Retro Mini PC isn’t being sold as a high-end device. Those chipsets are great at what it’s being sold as – an emulation box.
The important takeaway from the results is this: It all comes down to what you want to use the Retro Mini PC for. If you want something akin to a Raspberry Pi 4 and 5, then the Ryzen 3 version with 8GB of RAM will be more than enough, it just may struggle with higher-end emulation like Switch, Wii U, and the few PS3 and Xbox 360 games that do work. 8 and 16-bit games it’ll breeze through, though.
If you are interested in emulating devices like Wii U, indie games, and some lightweight AAA games, then the Ryzen 7 model is the one to look at.
Price.
There are a whopping seven available options for the Retro Mini PC, each with a different price point. the choices here come down to three things: What chipset you want and how much RAM and storage you’ll need.
It’s also worth noting the sooner you order it, the less it costs. The early bird offer on the IndieGoGo page is the cheapest but they’re limited to 100 units. Once they’re gone, the standard IndieGoGo price will be the next cheapest.
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200U with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage: $149 for the early bird price or $199 at retail.
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200U with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage: $219 for the early bird price or $239 on the IndieGoGo campaign, or $259 at retail.
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700U with 8GB of RAM and no storage: $219 for the early bird price or $239 on the IndieGoGo campaign, or $259 at retail.
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700U with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage: $269 for the early bird price or $299 on the IndieGoGo campaign, or $319 at retail.
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700U with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage: $299 for the early bird price or $359 on the IndieGoGo campaign, or $389 at retail.
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700U with 32GB of RAM and 512GB of storage: $329 for the early bird price or $359 on the IndieGoGo campaign, or $389 at retail.
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700U with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage: $379 for the early bird price or $419 on the IndieGoGo campaign, or $459 at retail.
Should You Buy It?
Who is the Retro Mini PC for? Let me answer that. It’s for gamers who want to emulate older systems at home from within a Windows 11 environment. This device also should double up as a solid home media player and Internet browser. Video editing and photo manipulation may be pushing it, but for lightweight PC apps, it should be more than fine.
As far as alternatives go, the only real option out there is the Raspberry Pi 4 and 5, and even then, it’s Linux-based most of the time and will require more effort to set up than what AYANEO is offering.
The bottom line overall is this: If you want to play retro games on a device small enough to fit almost anywhere with minimal fuss, the Retro Mini PC from AYANEO is well worth considering.
