Looking to grab a camera for your Nintendo Switch 2? Well, the Hori USB Camera for Nintendo Switch 2 is a cheaper option that provides video functionality for both GameChat and certain in-game features.
This model comes from video game accessory player Hori, but is actually licensed by Nintendo itself. It’s a pretty interesting model, offering a flexible design that works for both docked and handheld modes. You can insert it directly into your Nintendo Switch 2 via its USB-C connector, or you can instead plug it into a base, which can be connected to your Switch 2 console with an included cable.
In fact, there’s even a clip on the underside of the base that can be used as a mount. I found this to be stable and easy to use, although it’s worth noting that it won’t fit on chunkier displays – my TV, for example, proved to be too thick. Still, the overall versatility of the camera’s design is something that I look for when testing the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, and it is highly practical.
(Image credit: Future)
Just generally, this camera is well designed. It’s phenomenally compact and lightweight, making it easy to fit into a top-class case, like the Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case, for example. The camera can also be angled to your liking, there’s an effective privacy shutter on board, and it’s got a classy, albeit basic, black finish.
Sure, it doesn’t have the pizzazz of the Hori Piranha Plant Camera for Nintendo Switch 2 – that model’s main selling point – but if you’re looking for something understated, then it isn’t half bad.
(Image credit: Future)
But with regret, this is where my praise starts to run dry for Hori’s Nintendo Switch 2 accessory. Why? Well, if you’re looking for strong performance, then Hori’s USB Camera is not for you. It has the same specs as the Piranha Plant camera, meaning it offers a 480p resolution. Yes, that’s the same quality we saw on the Nintendo DSi, which was released in… 2008. Ouch.
That low resolution means that you’re getting pretty dismal picture quality overall. The camera made my face look blurry, with finer details like lines on my face and individual hairs looking blocky and poorly defined. If you’re using the camera in TV mode and sitting at a distance, the restrictions of 480p are even more prominent. A logo on my clothing melded into a blob, and everything in my room lacked clarity.
Even colors look washed out, lacking saturation and that true-to-life tone you’d hope for. When I switched over to the 1080p official Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, these issues were thrown into even sharper relief. With that model, I was instantly struck by more eye-popping colors, with the striking red of a Switch 2 game box and the delicate pink of flowers in my living room a joy to behold. Sure, my face still wasn’t incredibly clear at a distance, but it appeared far less blurry than it did with the Hori USB Camera.
One more small thing. The field of view on the Hori USB Camera isn’t fantastic. At 85 degrees, it can cram a decent amount into the picture, but again, the 110 degrees you get from the official Switch 2 camera is optimized far better for those who want to get four or more players in view, say.
(Image credit: Future)
I want to make one thing clear, though. Despite its low resolution and fairly limited field of view, the Hori USB Camera is, at least, functional. I didn’t experience any bugs or compatibility issues, 30fps performance was pretty consistent, and it tracked my face pretty well when playing Mario Kart World.
Another thing worth considering is that Hori’s USB Camera is usually a fair bit cheaper than the official Switch 2 camera. Although this model has a list price of $59.99 / £29.99 / AU$64.95, I’m already seeing it go for less, with some online retailers selling it for under $35 / £20 / AU$45. Meanwhile, the official camera launched at $54.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.95, and is usually full price in the US – though I’ve spotted it going for less than £30 in the UK and AU$60 in Australia.
Is this model worth buying, then? Well, for the majority of people, I’m tempted to say no. There are the obvious issues, like poor picture quality and color replication, but it’s also worth flagging that there aren’t tons of games that support camera functionality. A few titles – like Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TVand Mario Kart World –have segments that use video, but the list of supported software is slim at the moment.
If you simply need a camera that functions and is easy to use, then this model works. It’s a little cheaper than the official model, and is pleasingly flexible too. But the Piranha Plant alternative is similarly priced and has a fun factor that the USB Camera lacks, meaning it ends up being a fairly hard sell.
(Image credit: Future)
Hori USB Camera for Nintendo Switch 2 review: price & specs
Price
$59.99 / £29.99 / AU$64.95
Resolution
480p at 30fps
Field of view
85 degrees
Dimensions
1.2 x 1.2 x 2.3in / 30 x 30 x 58mm (camera); 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.6in / 39 x 37 x 40mm (base)
Weight
0.2lbs / 80g
Compatibility
Nintendo Switch 2, Windows, MacOS
Should I buy the Hori USB Camera for Nintendo Switch 2?
(Image credit: Future)
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Design
Flexible build, dual TV / handheld mode, but clip won’t fit all screens and a tad basic-looking.
4/5
Performance
Poor 480p resolution results in blurry picture quality, but framing works well.
2/5
Value
A bit cheaper than the official Switch 2 camera, but performs poorly.
2.5/5
Buy it if...
You want a cheaper way to access video functionality on Switch 2 If you don’t want to pay the higher asking price of the official Switch 2 camera, then this option from Hori will likely suit you better. It regularly sells for less than $35 / £20 / AU$45, making it a fairly affordable option.
You’re looking for a compact option Something I appreciate about this model is just how small it is, which makes it incredibly easy to tuck away inside a Switch 2 case, or even place in a small-sized bag when you’re on the go.
Don't buy it if...
You’re expecting good performance With a 480p resolution, you’re getting underwhelming performance from Hori’s USB camera. Picture quality is pretty blurry, and colors don’t pop in the way they do on pricier alternatives like the official Switch 2 camera.
You want a camera with character Although the Piranha Plant camera shares the same low resolution and more restrictive field of view, it’s got a lot more character. Its colorful and character-filled design is a feast for the eyes, whereas this rival is on the plain side of things.
Hori USB Camera for Nintendo Switch 2 review: also consider
Nintendo Switch 2 Camera You’ll get far better picture quality from the official Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, which boasts a 1080p resolution. It’s solidly made and has a more luxurious feel than Hori’s USB model, though it's lacking in terms of flexibility, and costs a fair bit more.
Hori Piranha Plant Camera for Nintendo Switch 2 This lil’ camera is packed full of charisma, and is based on the classic Super Mario baddie. It can be used while docked or plugged into your Switch 2 for handheld play, and has a mount too. However, it suffers from the same problems as the Hori USB Camera, with a poor 480p resolution and a lower field of view than the official cam.
How I tested the Hori USB Camera for Nintendo Switch 2
(Image credit: Future)
Tested across the course of one week
Used at home in handheld and TV mode
Compared directly against rival models
I used the Hori USB Camera for Nintendo Switch 2 within a one-week testing period, assessing every aspect of its performance and design. For the most part, I had it set up with my Nintendo Switch 2 docked and connected to the Sky Glass Gen 2 TV.
For the testing itself, I made use of the Switch 2’s USB Camera testing function in the settings menu, but also used it while playing Mario Kart World online. I also compared it against the official Switch 2 camera to judge picture quality, color accuracy, and motion.
In a world of smart glasses that can listen and speak to you, show you new worlds, and provide information on top of your world, Xreal's brand of display glasses is almost quaint. They're not smart. There's no effort to bring in information from the outside world or redefine how you see the real world. Put simply, this is a virtual 200-inch screen in your backpack, bag, or pocket that you can put on at any moment to enjoy a movie, gaming, or even a much larger laptop work screen.
Xreal, in fact, delivers this niche capability better than most and, with the new Xreal 1S, offers greater clarity, a wider view, and a better price than ever before.
From a practical perspective, Xreal 1S is a wearable display that uses impressive passthrough technology to take the display feed from almost any display-laden device that offers USB-C output and project it in front of your eyes on a pair of prisms backed by high-resolution Sony Micro-OLED displays.
There's no power source; inside the lightweight frames are powered by the connected device. There is virtually no setup beyond donning the frames and connecting your device.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Instead of fancy gesture and gaze control, you still control your external device as you would without the Xreal 1S. You use the touchscreen on your phone, the keyboard and mouse on your laptop, and joysticks on your gaming devices.
The Xreal 1S brings a handful of important upgrades, including brighter screens (now 700 nits, up from 600 nits on the Xreal One), higher resolution (was 1080, now 1200), and a slightly wider field of view (was 50-degree, now 52-degree FoV).
Nestled under some settings in the new eyewear is a new Real 3D capability that can turn virtually everything on-screen, including 2D photos and videos, even an interface, into a 3D landscape. It's a work in progress that, as of this writing, provides decidedly mixed results (I suspect slipstream software updates will improve it over time).
As for how the eyewear works, the Xreal 1S headset is an excellent companion at home, work, or on the road (think a long flight or commute). It's quite easy to lose yourself in the immersive screen, and now, with a somewhat cheaper device, this might be the antidote to all those more expensive, immersive, and intelligent wearables. It qualifies as one of the best AR glasses I've used to date.
Xreal 1S: Price and availability
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
The Xreal 1S was unveiled on January 4, 2025, and is now available to order in the US and UK from Xreal.com for $449 / £449. [CHECK]
This is notably a $50 price reduction from the Xreal One, while enhancing several features. The Xreal 1S frames are still more expensive than the Meta AI-sporting Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Gen 2 ($329), but, despite their intelligence, the Meta frames do not include a pair of displays (See the Meta Ray-Ban Display for that).
Throughout this review, I also test-drove a couple of optional accessories, including the $99 Xreal Eye, a 12MP modular camera, and the Xreal Neo ($99), a battery pack and video passthrough device necessary for using the Xreal with your Nintendo Switch. While the camera is a nice-to-have and nudges the Xreal 1S toward Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses territory (it takes passable photos and fun POV videos), the Neo is a must-have if you want the Nintendo Switch virtual big-screen experience.
Value: 4/5
Xreal 1S: Design
Wired USB-C connection
Lightweight – just 84 grams
Auto-dimming shades
The benefit of the Xreal 1S not being stuffed with technology and battery power is immediately obvious. It's a light, almost stylish piece of eyewear that doesn't weigh heavily on the face.
At a glance, it might be easy to mistake them for a large-ish pair of sunglasses. The flexible stem does get a bit bigger than your standard ones to house microphones, Bose speakers, and, on one side, control and volume buttons.
The frames rest comfortably on your nose with a sort of floating bridge. Xreal provides three sizes of nose pads. I was able to stick with the mid-sized.
Behind the dimmable lenses are a pair of thick prisms that aim the Sony Micro OLED displays, which sit horizontally at the top of each lens, at each eye.
I wear glasses, and since I can't put contacts in my eyes, I needed the optional $99 prescription insert from Honsvr. It's pretty easy to attach the prescription lens's lightweight frame to the main Xreal 1S housing: you just have to pop out a pair of tiny rubber stoppers (I used a SIM car remover) and then stick the tiny matching stems into the newly exposed holes. Once my prescription was firmly in there, it never shifted or fell out.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
The good news is that the inserts do not push the frames any further from your face (they're already further away than your standard eyewear). If there's one downside to my inserts, it's that the Xreal 1S already looks a little odd when viewed from the side. Now I have another set of lenses in front of my eyes.
Without a companion system, the Xreal 1S is just an inert pair of awkward-looking glasses.
On the back end of one stem is a USB-C port that accepts one side of the roughly, included 4 ft woven cable (the Xreal 1S also ships with a case and cloth for cleaning). The other end plugs into your device of choice. As I mentioned earlier, there's no external battery. Plugging the Xreal 1S into, say, your laptop automatically powers up the glasses.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
I also added the optional Xreal Eye modular 12MP camera. Like the subscription lenses, I had to remove a rubber plug before inserting the camera at the peak of the bridge. The camera is useful for capturing decent photos and videos (stored locally, you offload them by plugging the frames into a device and switching to transfer mode). The placement of the camera dead-center on the frames may make them less than welcome in some social situations.
Overall, these are relatively low-key digital frames that won't draw much attention at the office, on a plane, in a train, or at home. They are not for deep immersion of walking about and will draw the occasional stare, but are otherwise well-built for their purpose, and even with a cable running out of the back of one stem, they never feel heavy or uncomfortable to wear.
Design score: 4/5
Xreal 1S: Performance
1200p, 120Hz image at 700-nit brightness
Works with almost any USB-C device with a screen
Good Bose audio
As I mentioned, there's minimal setup to use these display glasses. All you need is a device with a screen and a USB-C port that supports video output.
Inside the Xreal 1S is the X1 chip that handles its video processing duties as well as spatial awareness that allows me to either fix the virtual screen in place or let it follow my gaze.
As soon as I plugged into the frames, they powered up (yes, they draw power from the host system), and within seconds, I saw an extended screen; the system does not instantly present you with the Mac's main desktop. Instead, my MacBook Pro saw the Xreal 1S as another display. I was then able to use the Mac to arrange my displays so that the Xreal 1S virtual display was stacked above my laptop display.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
After that, I could use the mouse to move windows onto that screen. Because the Honsver prescription inserts only had my near-vision prescription and not the far-vision one to match my progressive eyeglasses, I could not effectively see and use the laptop keyboard while wearing the Xreal 1S.
That's okay, though, it's with entertainment and social content where the Xreal 1S's virtual display really shines.
I started my entertainment journey by plugging the lenses into the new Lenovo Legion Go S, where I played Spider-Man Remastered.
As I held the portable game platform in my hand and used the Legion's joysticks to play, I marveled at the large, clear, and colorful virtual display. Not only is the 1200p screen sharp, but the motion is perfectly smooth thanks, in part, to the 120Hz refresh rate, and there is effectively zero lag time (it's been measured at 3ms latency). Even in bright spaces, the now 700nit displays held fast, looking just as bright and solid, almost as if I were in a darkened theater. The Bose speakers delivered clear, crisp, and relatively loud sound to my ears, and I quickly lost myself in the gameplay. If you plan on wearing these while, say, on a flight, I would suggest you use earbuds (they'll still pull audio from the host system) so you don't disturb your seatmates.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
The Xreal 1S offers two view styles: one fixes the big, virtual screen in place, and if you look away, the display remains anchored in space (this is the extent of the system's spatial capabilities). The other option is to let the screen follow you. Xreal smartly made sure that the screen follows with a smooth lag so that you never feel even a hint of motion sickness.
Switching between these screen modes is easy. You just single-press the control button to anchor the screen or let it move with your gaze. I generally found that I like fixing the screen in place. If you choose the anchored view and you can't see all of the screen, you can long-press the button to realign the view.
There's also the ability to move the screen further away or closer to you, or enlarge os shrink the virtual screen by inch increments. Doing so, though, means accessing the Xreal 1S's slightly confusing menu system. To access the menu, you double-press the control button under the left-hand stem and then press one side of the volume, which also doubles as menu navigation. You can choose to make the screen quite large, but then you're looking all around the 52-degree FoV to see everything. I'd suggest always keeping the four screen corners in full view.
It's through the volume button that you access the lens darkness control. I made it full darkness for a more immersive feel, which is especially useful when watching video.
I next connected the Xreal to my iPhone. As soon as I unlocked the iPhone 17 Pro Max, my virtual screen appeared. I opened social media, including Instagram Reels and TikTok, and had a ball leaning back and flicking through posts on my phone, as the big screen floated in front of my eyes. It's worth noting here that the video feed from the phone to the Xreal 1S does not turn off your iPhone screen. So, yes, someone next to you could still see what you're viewing. You might want to lower the brightness on your iPhone screen for some degree of privacy.
I particularly enjoyed watching Netflix videos in full-screen mode and can honestly imagine myself enjoying a full, big-screen movie on my next cross-country flight.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Xreal's new Real 3D mode was in beta when I tested the glasses. It can convert any image or video (even interfaces) into 3D. Some of it looks good, but most of my early experiences with it on the iPhone 17 Pro Max were not great. Some images developed duplicate images behind them (there was me and an outline of me behind me), and others looked jagged. I'll withhold judgment on this feature until I get the final version.
Xreal 1S also works with the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, but not without a special $99 adapter, the Neo. Nintendo has blocked some third-party video adapters, but Xreal quickly updated the Neo to get around the latest block.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Neo is not just an adapter. It's also a 10,000mAh battery backup and can power the Nintendo Switch or any other device you plug into it. It even has an integrated MagSafe-style magnet if you want to attach it to the back of your iPhone.
It took me a minute to realize I needed to remove the Joy-Cons from the console to make this work. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
To use the Neo, you connect it to the Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 and then plug the Xreal 1S into the Neo. The Nintendo Switch only works with the adapter in docked mode, which means you need to remove the Joy-Cons. After that, it's another great experience. I played Super Mario Kart on both the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. It was easy to get lost in the big-screen gameplay, and, in a way, not having to hold the entire Nintendo Switch was a side benefit. To play, I just gripped the two Joy-Cons.
The Neo will work with almost any device, delivering power while also passing the video signal through. You can even plug an external power source into it, which will then let you keep using your third-party device even if it's run out of power (and the Neo is tapped, too). Just remember, the Neo will run you another $99.
Performance score: 4.5/5
Should you buy the Xreal 1S glasses?
Xreal One Scorecard
Attribute
Comment
Score
Value
The Xreal 1S are more affordable than the last model but with even better visual clarity and a larger viewport. Does that make then fully-worth nearly $500. That deopends on how much you value a lean-back big, virtual screen experience.
4/5
Design
Sticking to one core feature makes these frames lither and more comfortable than most AR glasses. They still have some awkwardness, but are generally attractive and rugged enough to wear whenever yo want a big virtual screen experience.
4/5
Performance
This is an excellent virtual screen experience that enhances social media, gaming and video watching. I do wish the menu system was easier to navigate.
4.5/5
Buy it if…
You want a big screen wherever you go The Xreal 1S is a no-fuss virtual big screen for all your devices.
You want a lean-back experience Stop leaning over your phone. The Xreal 1S's virtual screen lets you lean back and enjoy.
You don’t need AI and connectivity on your face Xreal 1S do one thing and do it well: deliver a big-screen experience in a wearable, but don't weigh it down with extra AI and notifications.
Don’t buy it if…
You were expecting augmented reality Xreal 1S puts a floating screen in front of you but that image does not interact with the real world in any meaningful way.
You don’t want to spend more than $250 The Xreal 1S are excellent but they do cost almost $450, If you have a Nintendo Switch, you'll be shellign otu another $99 for the Neo.
You want full immersion These glasses can dim to cut out some of the outside world, but the sound is open-eared, and the glasses do not wrap around your face to form a light seal.
Also consider
Xreal Air 2 If you want to stick with Xreal, the Xreal Air 2 or its electrochromic dimming-enhanced Xreal Air 2 Pro are both solid options that cost a little less – though expect a slightly less good image and noticeable inferior audio. Read our Xreal Air 2 reviewView Deal
Meta Quest 3 While not a direct competitor to Xreal’s glasses, the Quest 3 is an XR product that you should consider if you want to experience what VR and MR have to offer – it’s simply superb. Read our Meta Quest 3 reviewView Deal
How I tested the Xreal 1S glasses
I spent a couple of weeks with the Xreal 1S using them to play games. view movies, and pursue social media. I tried them with the Neo adapter on a Nintendo Switch (1 and 2) and also connected that accessory to my iPhone.
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi Speed: 5.4Gbps Ports: 1x Gigabit Ethernet Antennae: 4 Dimensions: 348 x 106 x 80mm
Wi-Fi 6E, which the Asus RP-AX58 features, is a bit like the missing link of the Wi-Fi family. It was the first version of Wi-Fi technology to introduce the high-speed 6.0GHz frequency band – in addition to the existing 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands used by previous generations of Wi-Fi. However, it never really took off as many people had only just upgraded to Wi-Fi 6, and it wasn’t long before the absurdly fast Wi-Fi 7 came along and made poor old 6E look a bit irrelevant.
The advantage of that, though, is that you can now pick up a high-performance range extender that uses Wi-Fi 6E at a pretty competitive price.
We liked TP-Link’s BE3600 range extender thanks to its ease of use and installation, but its dual-band Wi-Fi 7 performance was actually fairly modest, with a top speed of 3.6Gbps. The AXE5400 (model number RE815XE) is around the same price as the BE3600, but the use of Wi-Fi 6E means that it can provide tri-band Wi-Fi performance and a speed of 5.4Gbps that should be more than adequate for use with most home broadband services.
TP-Link AXE5400: Price And Availability
How much does it cost? $139.99/£119.14
When is it available: Now
Where can you get it: US, UK
The AXE5400 costs $139.99/£119.14, which is slightly less expensive than the TP-Link BE3600 with Wi-Fi 7, even though the tri-band Wi-Fi 6E used by the AXE5400 actually provides stronger performance with a top speed of 5.4Gbps.
It’s not currently on sale in Australia, though, where it looks like TP-Link is skipping a generation and going from an older Wi-Fi 6 model to the new BE3600 with Wi-Fi 7 instead.
Value: 4.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
TP-Link AXE5400: Design
Big, bulky design
Four external antennae
Easy-to-use app
It’s safe to say that the AXE5400 is not going to quietly and unobtrusively blend into your home décor.
Its four large external antennae make it one of the biggest and bulkiest range extenders we’ve come across, and with the antennae fully extended the AXE5400 measures a full 348mm high, 106mm wide and 80mm deep (including the plug section that is inserted straight into a mains power socket).
In fact, it’s so large that it actually blocked an adjacent power socket when we set it up in our offices. There’s also a series of status indicator lights on the front panel, which are useful when setting up the AXE5400, but also mean that it may take up even more space in order to keep the front of the unit clear and visible.
The bulky design does serve a purpose though, as the large antennae help to beam the range extender’s tri-band Wi-Fi signal far and wide, and ensure that it obliterates any annoying deadspots in your home. There’s an Ethernet port on the right-hand side of the unit to provide a wired connection too – although, of course, the AXE5400 still relies on Wi-Fi to connect to your main broadband router.
Design: 3.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
TP-Link AXE5400: Features
Simple installation
Helpful status indicators
Plugs directly into mains power socket
It may not support the latest Wi-Fi 7, but the AXE5400 includes plenty of features that enable it to provide strong Wi-Fi performance, and also to help people who may not have used a range extender before.
The use of tri-band Wi-Fi 6E allows the AXE5400 to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal on three separate frequency bands. The 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands provide compatibility with older PCs and mobile devices, while the high-speed 6.0GHz band boosts the Wi-Fi performance to a healthy 5.4Gbps – which is significantly faster than dual-band range extenders that use Wi-Fi 7, such as TP-Link’s BE3600, or the Asus RP-BE58.
And, as mentioned, there’s a Gigabit Ethernet port on the AXE5400 to provide a wired connection as well. It also provides a feature called ‘adaptive path selection’ – often just called ‘roaming’ by most other manufacturers – which can monitor a laptop or mobile device as you move from room to room, and decide when to hand the Wi-Fi connection back to your main router in order to maintain the best performance.
Like most range extenders, the AXE5400 will work with routers from any manufacturer, but it also supports TP-Link’s OneMesh system, which allows it to be used as part of a wider mesh networking system if you already own a TP-Link router with OneMesh.
It’s easy to use too (although the annoying Christmas ads that seemed to pop up every now and then within the app were pretty shameless). The TP-Link Tether app can automatically detect the Wi-Fi signal from the AXE5400 and guide you through the process of connecting to the three different frequency bands.
You can use the same name and password as your main network from your broadband router, or create a new name and password just for the AXE5400. There’s even a signal test within the app to help you find the best spot to place the AXE5400 in order to deal with any deadspots in particular rooms within your home. And, for more advanced users, there’s a web browser interface that provides more detailed control over your network settings.
Features: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
TP-Link AXE5400: Performance
Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E
5.4Gbps Wi-Fi
1x Gigabit Ethernet
Our offices are a good place to test range extenders, as we have one office towards the back of the building that does suffer from a very noticeable Wi-Fi deadspot – which is usually managed with the use of some PowerLine adaptors to provide a wired network connection instead.
TP-Link AXE5400 benchmarks
Ookla Speed Test – 2.4GHz (download/upload)
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 140Mbps / 140Mbps
20GB Steam Download - 2.4GHz
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 110Mbps
Ookla Speed Test – 5.0GHz (download/upload)
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps / 150Mbps
20GB Steam Download - 5.0GHz
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps
Ookla Speed Test - 6.0GHz (upload/download)
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps/150Mbps
20GB Steam Download - 6.0GHz
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps
Thankfully, though, the AXE5400 dealt with that problem in no time at all, providing a strong Wi-Fi signal on all three frequency bands as soon as I set it up in a hallway just outside that back office.
The office broadband runs at 150Mbps, and even the slower 2.4GHz band on the AXE5400 managed to hit 140Mbps with the Ookla Speed Test. Steam downloads were a little slower at 110Mbps, but that speed is still in line with the 2.4GHz performance of other range extenders that we’ve tested.
Switching to the 5.0GHz band immediately boosted performance, hitting the full 150Mbps with both the Ookla and Steam tests. And, of course, the fastest 6.0GHz band had no trouble maintaining those speeds as well.
If you only have older PCs or mobile devices that use Wi-Fi 5 or 6 on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands then you may not need a tri-band range extender such the AXE5400.
But, if you’re able to make use of that 6.0GHz band, then the AXE5400 is a fast, reliable way of getting rid of Wi-Fi deadspots at a more competitive price than newer Wi-Fi 7 models.
Performance: 4/5
Should You Buy The TP-Link AXE5400?
TP-Link AXE5400 Scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Score
Value
Wi-Fi 6E may be the forgotten member of the Wi-Fi family, but that means you can pick up this tri-band range extender at a very competitive price.
4.5 / 5
Design
The sheer size of the AXE5400 and its four large antenna means that it’s a bit of an eyesore, and may even block an adjacent power socket.
3.5 / 5
Features
The four antennae do earn their keep though, providing tri-band Wi-Fi for maximum compatibility with both older and newer PCs and mobile devices.
4 / 5
Performance
Tri-band Wi-Fi and a top speed of 5.4Gbps means that the AXE5400 can even outperform some of its dual-band Wi-Fi 7 rivals.
4 / 5
Final Score
Good performance, maximum compatibility, and an easy-to-use app make this a great option for anyone that needs to fix a Wi-Fi deadspot.
4 / 5
Buy it if...
You need speed Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E with a top speed of 5.4Gbps is more than enough for streaming video and online gaming.
You have a new laptop It may not support Wi-Fi 7, but the Wi-Fi 6E used by the AXE5400 still lets you use the speed 6.0GHz frequency band.
Don’t buy it if...
You’re on a budget The AXE5400 is a fairly high-end range extender, and there are less expensive options available for under $100/£100.
You don't need super-speed Many of us don’t really need Wi-Fi 6E, as we’re still using older PCs, consoles, and mobile devices that only support the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequencies.
Also Consider
If you're undecided about the TP-Link AXE5400, I've compared its specs with two other options that might be a better fit.
TP-Link AXE5400
Asus RP-BE58
TP-Link RE700X
Price
$139.99/£119.14
$99.99/79.99/AU$150
$119.99/£56.99/AU$123.90
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 6
Wi-Fi Speed
5.4Gbps
3.6Gbps
3.0Gbps
Antennae
4 (external)
2 (internal)
2 (internal)
Ethernet ports
1x Gigabit Ethernet
1x Gigabit Ethernet
1x Gigabit Ethernet
Dimensions
348 x 106 x 80mm
150 x 72 x 87mm
149 x 78 x 36mm
If you do want a range extender that supports Wi-Fi 7 then the RP-BE58 from Asus is a good affordable option. It offers dual-band Wi-Fi running at 3.6Gbps, and can easily handle gaming and streaming video.
This previous-generation range extender from TP-Link is a good budget option for many people. It supports dual-band Wi-Fi 6 with a top speed of 3.0Gbps, which is fine for most domestic broadband services. Read our full review
We liked the RP-BE58 range extender from Asus, which provides dual-band Wi-Fi 7 with good performance at a competitive price. However, most people are still using older PCs and mobile devices that don’t support Wi-Fi 7 yet.
There are also many brand-new PCs and laptops now available that don’t have Wi-Fi 7 either (yes, Apple, we’re looking at you). And, of course, there’s no need to buy a range extender with Wi-Fi 7 if you’re still using an old router that only has Wi-Fi 5 or 6. In that case you might want to look at the Asus RP-AX58 range extender instead, which sticks with Wi-Fi 6 and an even more affordable price.
Admittedly, its dual-band Wi-Fi does run at a relatively modest 3.0Gbps, but that should still be more than adequate for streaming video or gaming in most homes, and the RP-AX58 will be a good, affordable option if you just need to boost your Wi-Fi into an upstairs bedroom or other area that suffers from a Wi-Fi deadspot.
Asus RP-AX58: Price And Availability
How much does it cost? $79.99/£64.99/AU $103.62
When is it available: Now
Where can you get it: US, UK, Australia
Sticking with Wi-Fi 6 means that the RP-AX58 is currently available for a very competitive $79.99/£64.99/AU $103.62.
That makes it one of the most affordable range extenders we’ve seen recently, and it’s considerably cheaper than Asus’ RP-BE58 with Wi-Fi 7, as well as rivals such as TP-Link’s BE3600. It’s available in most regions and, as Wi-Fi 6 is a few years old now, you can find it discounted online quite often if you want to shop around.
Value: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
Asus RP-AX58: Design
Compact, slimline design
No cables, plugs directly into mains socket
2x internal antennae
The RP-AX58 looks virtually identical to its Wi-Fi 7 stablemate from Asus, with a similar slimline design that hides its two Wi-Fi antennae inside the body of the range extender.
It measures just 150mm high, 72mm wide and 87mm deep and, like most range extenders it’s designed to plug directly into a mains power socket, so its compact design ensures that you can simply plug it into any convenient socket in any room around your home or office.
There’s a Gigabit Ethernet port on the right-hand side of the range extender that can provide a wired connection as well (although the RP-AX58 will still connect to your main broadband router via Wi-Fi).
Design: 4
(Image credit: Future)
Asus RP-AX58: Features
Supports Asus AiMesh technology
Compatible with most routers
App feels a little clumsy
The Asus RP-AX58 provides dual-band Wi-Fi 6, running on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency bands, which ensures compatibility with most PCs, consoles, and mobile devices.
Its 3.0Gbps performance isn’t going to break any speed records, but it should be more than adequate for use with most home broadband services, and fast enough to eliminate any Wi-Fi deadspots in rooms or other areas that suffer from poor Wi-Fi. The RP-AX58 will work with broadband routers from most manufacturers, but it also supports Asus’ AiMesh technology, which allows it to act as part of a mesh Wi-Fi network in conjunction with Asus’ own routers or mesh systems.
The Asus Extender app has a few rough edges, though. As I’ve seen before, the opening screen of the app displays some jumbled text on the screen of my iPhone (although that’s not a problem on the larger screen of an iPad).
However, even when the text is clear it’s... well... still a bit unclear. The app tells you to enter the ‘default password’ for the Wi-Fi network created by the range extender, when in fact the network doesn’t initially require a password.
It’s only after connecting the RP-AX58 to your existing Wi-Fi network that the app gives you the opportunity to set a password. You can create an entirely new network name and password just for connecting to the RP-AX58, or if you want to keep things simple you can just tell the app to use the same name and password as your existing Wi-Fi network.
The low price of the RP-AX58 means that there’s not much in the way of additional features, but that’s not a problem as long as it delivers the goods when tackling your Wi-Fi deadspots.
Features: 3/5
(Image credit: Future)
Asus RP-AX58: Performance
Dual-band Wi-Fi 6
3.0Gbps speed
1x Gigabit Ethernet port
The use of Wi-Fi 6 and a top speed of 3.0Gbps seems almost quaint when compared to the blazing speeds of the latest Wi-Fi 7 devices. Yet few people really need multi-gig speeds for their home or office Wi-Fi, so the RP-AX58 should still provide all the speed you need for most home broadband services.
Asus RP-AX58 benchmarks
Ookla Speed Test – 2.4GHz (download/upload)
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 120Mbps / 120Mbps
20GB Steam Download - 2.4GHz
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 120Mbps
Ookla Speed Test – 5.0GHz (download/upload)
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps / 150Mbps
20GB Steam Download - 5.0GHz
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps
It worked well with my own Wi-Fi deadspot, located in an office towards the back of a building that my normal office router struggles to reach. I installed the RP-AX58 in a hallway just outside that office and immediately said goodbye to the dead zone – and to the PowerLine adaptors that I normally use to provide a wired connection in that room.
My office broadband runs at 150Mbps, and the slower 2.4GHz band provided by the RP-AX58 was able to provide a perfectly reliable speed of 120Mbps in the back office for Steam downloads and the Ookla Speed Test.
Admittedly, the RP-BE58 range extender from Asus ran slightly faster on that frequency band, hitting 135Mps, but the RP-BE58 is more expensive because of its up-to-date support for Wi-Fi 7, and 120Mbps will still be enough to handle web browsing and streaming video with no trouble.
And, as expected, the faster 5.0GHz band delivered the full 150Mbps available with our office broadband for both Ookla and Steam. Owners of newer devices that support Wi-Fi 7 might prefer a more up-to-date router or range extender that can deliver the higher performance of Wi-Fi 7, but if you just need to boost the Wi-Fi in one or two rooms around your home then the RP-AX58 will do the trick without breaking the bank.
Performance: 3/5
Should You Buy The Asus RP-AX58?
Asus RP-AX58 Scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Score
Value
It’s very much an entry-level option, but the RP-AX58 is an affordable option for dealing with Wi-Fi deadspots.
4 / 5
Design
A slimline design that plugs directly into a mains power socket and doesn’t take up too much space.
4 / 5
Features
Entry-level price means entry-level features, but the RP-AX58 does the job of boosting your home Wi-Fi.
3 / 5
Performance
Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 running at 3.0Gbps is far from breath-taking, but it should still be able to handle most online tasks with ease.
3 / 5
Final Score
It’s last-gen Wi-Fi, but still a perfectly good option for those of us that haven’t upgraded to the latest Wi-Fi 7.
3.5 / 5
Buy it if...
You’ve got a deadspot It does what it says on the tin – extending the range of your existing Wi-Fi network to reach into a room that struggles with poor Wi-Fi.
You're on a budget It’s very much a no-frills option, but the RP-AX58 is very good value for money and suitable for use with most home broadband services.
Don’t buy it if...
You’re an early adopter If you own a PC or any mobile devices that already have Wi-Fi 7, then you should probably spend a little extra for a more modern range extender.
You need 'whole home' Wi-Fi Range extenders are great for reaching just one or two rooms, but larger homes with several bedrooms may need a mesh Wi-Fi system with greater range.
Also Consider
If you're undecided about the Asus RP-AX58, I've compared its specs with two other options that might be a better fit.
Asus RP-AX58
TP-Link AXE5400
Asus RP-BE58
Price
$79.99/£64.99/AU $103.62
$139.99/£119.14
$99.99/79.99/AU$150
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6
Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi Speed
3.0Gbps
5.4Gbps
3.6Gbps
Antennae
2 (internal)
4 (external)
2 (internal)
Ethernet ports
1x Gigabit Ethernet
1x Gigabit Ethernet
1x Gigabit Ethernet
Dimensions
150 x72 x 87mm
348 x 106 x 80mm
150 x 72 x 87mm
It’s one of the biggest range extenders we’ve ever seen, but the four antennae used by the AXE5400 provide tri-band Wi-Fi 6E running at a healthy 5.4Gbps.
The Wi-Fi 7 version of the RP-AX58 is a little more expensive, but also a little faster at 3.6Gbps. It also includes Wi-Fi 7 features such as MLO that further help to boost performance.
The Geekom AX8 Max is a mid-range mini PC designed for office workers using Microsoft Office and Google Docs, but also needing a machine powerful enough for some light multimedia editing. Inside is a relatively powerful AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS CPU, complemented by an integrated Radeon 780M graphics processor that enables support for up to 4 displays or a single 8K monitor.
The small size of the machine is ideal for small home offices as well as general offices, with plenty of connection options for easy integration. One of the features I always like to see on a mini PC is a VESA mount on the back, so it can be neatly tucked away, further helping to save space.
The Geekom AX8 Max is a well-specified mid-range machine, and this is reflected in its price point. The mix of a new AI-ready CPU and PCIe Gen4 SSD all comes together in a solid mini PC that will suit many different types of users, although Geekom have tried to make this mini PC a little more interesting by giving it a slightly peculiar pale blue colourway.
For most day-to-day office tasks, the AX8 Max fares exceptionally well, ploughing through large PowerPoint presentations without issue. When working with Word and Excel on dual 4K monitors, it takes the whole process in its stride. Surprisingly for a mid-range machine, it also handles Premiere Pro, editing HD and straight 4K video, as long as the edits don't get too complex and there isn't too much colour grading applied. However, as the render process builds up for more complex projects, you can start to hear the fans kick in, helping to keep everything cool and avoid any thermal throttling.
Having edited a 30-minute video, it was possible to feel that some thermal throttling was happening, as the inner workings of the machine were pushed with 4K video from the Sony A7 IV. However, considering the form factor, it fared incredibly well, and whilst the fans were audible, they were by no means the loudest I’ve come across.
In reality, mobile phone 4K and HD video is better suited for editing on this machine. While it does have the power to edit higher resolution video, the limited upgrade options when it comes to memory, with maximum internal storage only reaching 2 TB and RAM capped at 64 GB, mean even with an upgrade, it only has enough clout for base 4K video editing, with little headroom if effects do get more complex.
When it comes to storage, there is the ability to upgrade the internal capacity. However, with two USB4 ports on the back, you have instant expandability with external SSDs that will provide very decent 40 GB/s transfer rates.
Another point that lends itself towards office use is the wide range of connectivity options. There are plenty of USB-A ports across the front, but unfortunately, no USB-C. Around the back, there’s a full array of HDMI, USB-A and USB4 ports, including network LAN, meaning if you’re working in an office, it’s easy to hook this into your network as well as connect accessories.
Like many of the best mini PC machines I've tested this year, the performance all around is exceptionally good. While its Windows Experience score was like other mid-range machines, an exceptionally fast SSD and DDR5 RAM ensure most applications run quickly and smoothly, giving extremely solid performance throughout the test.
Gaming, as with multimedia editing, is well-handled, but again, the fans kick in with anything too complex. Most games play without issue, and if you're into just a bit of light gaming, even with high-end titles, this small machine will suffice.
My only other comment on this machine is the colorway, which appears to be pale blue. While this machine is exceptionally good considering its mid-range profile, that seems a bit of an odd choice.
The price of mid-range mini PCs has definitely escalated, but then again, so has the processing power. The Geekom AX8 Max certainly raises the bar when it comes to what we now expect from a machine at this price level.
The review machine I tested will set you back around $629 directly from the Geekom website and can also be purchased through most major online retailers, including Amazon.com.
Value: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Geekom AX8 Max: Specs
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS Graphics: AMD Radeon 780M integrated GPU RAM: Dual‑channel DDR5, up to 64 GB Storage: M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4×4 SSD, up to 2 TB Front Ports: 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 3.5mm headphone, Power Rear Ports: DC Jack, HDMI 2.0, 2 x USB4, 2 x 2.5G RJ45 Connectivity: Dual 2.5G LAN, Wi‑Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 Audio: HDA CODEC Size: approx. 135 × 132 × 46.9 mm OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro (64-bit) Accessories: VESA mount, HDMI cable, power adapter, user manual
Geekom AX8 Max: Design
Geekom mini PCs have continued to evolve, and with the AX8 Max, you can see an update in the quality of the design. The small mini PC feels exceptionally well built and robust, with a metal chassis that means it's equally at home in a static office setup, used in a van, or taken between locations as a powerful portable mini PC. As a choice for Van Life it’s also well suited offering more protection against moisture, shock and dust than most.
As I mentioned earlier in the review, while the build quality of the mini PC is exceptionally good, it is finished in a slightly peculiar colourway which will appeal to some, but for me personally is a little off-putting and doesn’t really feel very office-centric.
The size is also on the larger side for a mini PC, measuring 135 x 132 x 46.9 mm, still small, but slightly larger than what we've seen recently. Weight-wise, it's also well balanced, coming in at 800 g for the machine with an additional weight for the power adapter, meaning it's equally at home placed on the desktop or mounted onto a VESA mount and placed out of sight behind a monitor or on a dedicated wall mount.
Despite the colourway, it does have a premium finish, and this is reflected in the slightly higher mid-range pricing. This also reflects the quality of the internal components that enable this mid-range mini PC to make an impact with higher-demand applications that would have overwhelmed some older mid-range options.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Around the body, there's a good volume of ports. Across the front of the machine, there are 4 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and the power button. It is a bit of a shame there’s no USB Type-C on the front of any denomination. However, around the back, again, there's a good volume of ports. Alongside the DC jack for power, there are also 2 HDMI 2.0 ports, 2 USB4 ports, 2 2.5G RJ45 ports, a USB 2.0 Type-A and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A — enabling accessories both new and old to be plugged in without much issue.
Inside the machine, there is dual-channel DDR5 5600 MT/s RAM with a maximum of 64 GB. In the review sample, it arrived with 32 GB of RAM — more than enough for day-to-day office tasks and just enough for light multimedia editing. Surprisingly, the SSD storage is a little limited: it's only possible to install an M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4×4 SSD up to 2 TB. This is quite limited for this level of machine, and I would’ve expected support for at least 4 TB. However, while the maximum capacity is limited, I think more due to heat dissipation than anything else, it is exceptionally quick and one of the fastest internal SSDs I’ve seen in recent mini PC tests.
Helping to keep everything cool is the IceBlast 2.0 cooling system, which features air outlets on both sides of the machine to help dissipate internal heat from the CPU, memory and SSD. Access to these components is made through the bottom of the machine by simply undoing the screws and lifting away the base plate. Once removed, it reveals the dual-channel RAM and SSD slot, allowing quick upgrades or replacements.
Design: 3.5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Geekom AX8 Max: Features
The speed and specifications of mid-range mini PCs have recently improved with the integration of the latest AI-ready CPUs. The Ryzen 7 8745HS features eight cores, 16 threads, and has been coupled with the integrated Radeon 780M GPU, which has a good track record for performance in mini PCs.
This combination of CPU and GPU, along with 32 GB of DDR5 RAM and a PCIe Gen4×4 SSD, is well-suited for anyone looking to use the machine for software beyond standard office applications, including creative programs such as Illustrator, Photoshop and Lightroom, and even photo and video editing at 1080p and light 4K.
What sets this mini PC apart from other mid-range options we’ve seen in the past is that it features the Ryzen 7 8745HS CPU, which includes AMD’s XDNA-based NPU architecture. This means it’s better able to handle lightweight AI workloads locally, such as background blur in video calls, speech transcription, and voice assistants in applications like Photoshop and Premiere Pro. It also enables faster localised AI processing.
It’s not just the CPU that has an AI boost, the integrated Radeon 780M GPU also supports AI-enhanced media. Although it doesn’t feature dedicated AI silicon, it still improves processing in enhanced video encoding and supports hardware-accelerated AV1 codec, which is useful for both DaVinci Resolve and Adobe products.
If you're looking for an AI workstation for development and thinking this mini PC might be a great option, then it’s worth noting that it's not designed for deep learning or running an LLM chatbot locally. Instead, it’s better suited for more mainstream AI use. For something more AI-tuned, it’s probably best to look at something like the Sapphire Edge AI 370.
As covered in the design section, there’s a good number of ports, including exceptional connectivity with USB4 ports on the back that offer 40 Gbps transfer and 100 W PD power. So, if you have other devices that need quick charging, that port is an option. Alongside the physical ports, there's also Bluetooth 5.2 for connecting most wireless keyboards and mice, and Wi-Fi 6E for fast internet connection speeds.
Another big feature is the ability to connect up to four 4K monitors — two through USB4 ports and two through the HDMI 2.0 ports. There's also the option to connect an 8K monitor, although you’ll only be able to use one 8K monitor at a time, rather than four 4K displays.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Features: 4 / 5
Geekom AX8 Max: Performance
Benchmark scores
CrystalDiskMark Read: 6,731.02 MB/s CrystalDiskMark Write: 6,023.3 MB/s Geekbench CPU Multi: 12,660 Geekbench CPU Single: 2,440 Geekbench GPU: 29,050 PCMark Overall: 6,741 Cinebench CPU Multi: 15,518 Cinebench CPU Single: 1,703 Fire Strike Overall: 7,346 Fire Strike Graphics: 7,965 Fire Strike Physics: 27,074 Fire Strike Combined: 2,746 Time Spy Overall: 3,162 Time Spy Graphics: 2,808 Time Spy CPU: 11,076 Wild Life Overall: 16,022 Steel Nomad Overall: 499 Windows Experience Overall: 8.2
Getting started with the Geekom AX8 Max is relatively straightforward. Once plugged in, all you need to do is run through the Windows 11 Pro setup screens, log into your Microsoft user account along with any others, and the machine is ready to go. This process now takes between five and ten minutes to complete, as Microsoft tries to encourage sign-ups to its various services.
However, once done, you don’t have to go through it again, and the speed of the internet connection from the outset, provided by the Wi-Fi 6E, helps speed things up.
During setup and plug-in, it’s worth noting that, while this mini PC is compact, the power adapter must also be considered. While not especially large, it is still a bulky addition.
Starting the tests, both Microsoft Office and Google Docs ran exceptionally smoothly. Microsoft Office applications opened quickly and ran without issue. Checking through the benchmark tests, the Windows Experience score of 8.2 is about average for mid-range mini PCs. While some may experience slight lag in more media-intensive apps like PowerPoint, the very fast SSD ensures image and large file processing is handled exceptionally quickly.
In fact, when I started looking at more advanced applications, I felt like this small machine was able to cope with a lot more than expected. That’s in part due to the speed of the internal SSD, which recorded one of the fastest transfer rates I’ve tested this year, 6,731.02 MB/s read and, more impressively, 6,023.3 MB/s write. This meant it didn’t just handle media-intensive Microsoft applications quickly, but also large image files in Photoshop and Lightroom, as well as video data within Premiere Pro.
This makes it a great option for office workers who need to create large presentations with images or video, or for those involved in multimedia creation using CapCut or Premiere Pro.
Taking processing demands up a notch I loaded a few images from the Canon EOS R5C into Photoshop, the speed was good, and it handled high-resolution image files, applying adjustment layers and effects without noticeable lag.
As I experimented with Lightroom, general use was excellent, and even batch editing was handled without issue. The only time I noticed a slowdown, compared with my desktop, was when using AI features such as Denoise or Enhance Details. While it processed the images, there was a marked difference compared to my desktop machine. In Photoshop, day-to-day work, including layers, effects and exports, was all good, but when using local smart features like Neural Filters or Smart Portrait, some slowdown was noticeable, especially with tasks requiring GPU power.
In multimedia production, starting with CapCut and footage from the iPhone 15 Pro, the machine handled the data with no issue. As templates were applied, the speed remained solid, and CapCut ran smoothly, making editing easy.
Upgrading the production using Premiere Pro, things began to slow down slightly, but the machine still handled thumbnail and timeline renders at a decent pace. It was only when I loaded in 4K video that it started to struggle, with the fans kicking in, especially during grading.
One of the main issues with Premiere Pro was that, while 1080p footage from an iPhone or DJI Action 5 edited without issue, moving to 4K footage led to stuttering during playback and increased render times, along with noticeable fan noise.
When it came to AI features such as Auto Reframe, Scene Edit Detection and Speech to Text, processing was considerably slower compared to my desktop PC.
To finish the test, I played a couple of games, Hogwarts Legacy and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Both were fortunately playable, but settings had to be reduced for smooth playback. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, in particular, showed noticeable stutter, the kind you often get when the CPU and GPU are struggling with the detail.
So overall, this is definitely a machine designed for mid-range office and light multimedia work, less suited to anything beyond that, and especially not a great option if you are gaming.
Performance: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Geekom AX8 Max: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Geekom AX8 Max is a great option for any office looking for a slightly quirky-coloured mini PC that enables them to complete day-to-day tasks, create relatively complex presentations, and do a little light multimedia editing.
Some highlights of this mini PC include its connectivity, with two RJ45 ports at the back enabling direct network connection and offering plenty of storage expansion. I also like that it comes with two USB4 ports, allowing connection to mass external storage or ultra-fast PC accessories.
Colourway aside, the build quality is exceptionally good, and with all those ports, it offers a great office solution. I am, however, a little surprised that upgrade options are limited to just 64 GB RAM and 2TB internal storage.
If you are in the market for a slightly quirky-coloured mini PC, this offers solid performance across the board and is reasonably well priced, particularly compared with a machine like the Beelink SER9.
Should I buy the Geekom AX8 Max?
Value
Good value for money for a solid office machine that allows light multimedia editing
4
Design
Solid design with plenty of ports that enable easy connectivity — just a shame about the colour
3.5
Features
A well-balanced mid-range mini PC with a good range of features, including AI readiness
4
Performance
SSD transfer speeds are exceptionally good, giving the CPU and GPU a performance boost compared with similarly specced machines
4
Overall
A great no-fuss machine for the office that offers excellent speed for day-to-day administration and multimedia editing
4
Buy it if...
You need office desk space You want a compact PC that doesn’t take up much desk space but handles office, coding and creative workloads smoothly.
You're creating a multi‑monitor setup You need 4K/8K output, multiple displays or a hidden setup, but still want good performance in a small form factor.
Don't buy it if...
You're running heavy‑duty GPU workloads You plan extensive 3D modelling, rendering, high-end gaming or anything where a GPU is needed.
You demand maximum performance under load If your workflows involve sustained heavy multi-core or graphics tasks, thermal throttling might limit performance compared with a full-size desktop tower.
The UPerfect Delta Max stacked monitor is a great idea, essentially two monitors, one on top of the other, in a clamshell design with a full metal build that makes it easy to transport and connect. However, from the outset, it's not quite as easy as it seems, and the single USB connection only gives you limited options over how the display works. Sure enough, it is able to mirror or extend the display from your laptop, be that Mac or PC, but the additional options just aren’t as well integrated as you feel they should be, and it takes quite a bit of messing around with the options and settings both on the machine and on the monitor to get it configured exactly as you want.
This use doesn’t initially give you the option to use it as a triple monitor system, so, for example, your laptop monitor and then two additional displays, one stacked over the other. Instead, what it gives you is either a mirror of your laptop display on those two monitors or a display extension, but with the same extension being shown on both and not two different screens, as you’d normally expect with a triple monitor setup. It’s a little bit confusing, and if you want to use this with anything other than a relatively high-powered MacBook Pro or higher-end PC, then you’ll also find that you’ll need to plug in external power.
To get the actual configuration that I was expecting in this test, I ended up having to plug in external power to the USB-C port at the base of the monitor than another USB-C into the USB port, and a second HDMI cable into one of the upper clusters of ports and then into the MacBook Pro in order to get that triple-screen array that I wanted.
Then I could either configure the way the monitor displayed the content through my computer's display options, or there were a few additional configuration possibilities through the monitor’s on-screen display, although these didn’t always seem to work.
Essentially, it all works, but it does take quite a bit of figuring out. Thankfully, UPerfect has included a decent amount of cables in the box, so you're not having to search around for extras or purchase anything in addition.
In use, the monitor actually works surprisingly well, and I really do like that small footprint. However, when running several tests, I came across a number of small glitches, such as the monitor would flicker on and off, or one would suddenly go blank when loading up another bit of software. Also, if my laptop went to sleep and then reawakened, which is common, especially when I disappear for lunch, then I'd have to reset the monitor, as it seems to lose its settings.
When I ran through the usual SpyderX benchmarking test to check out the quality of the screen, it also came out pretty well. It highlighted that the screens are perfectly suited for office work; however, this won't be the best portable monitor for creative use, as the AdobeRGB percentage for the gamut was in the high 60s. Really, if you want to do anything creative, you need a monitor that at least comes in around 80% plus. However, for office work, it is a good solution once you figure it out.
UPerfect Delta Max: Price and availability
How much does it cost? From approximately $450 / £450
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Directly from UPerfect official store or Amazon
The UPerfect Delta Max Touch is widely available online at around the $450 / £450 mark depending on where you buy it. It's available directly from the UPerfect official store and online retailers such as Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
It's worth noting that a non-touchscreen version of the Delta Max is also available, which is otherwise largely the same device with a cheaper price-tag.
Value: 3 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
UPerfect Delta Max: Specs
Ports: USB-C power, 2× USB-C, 2 × mini HDMI Audio: Stereo speakers Size: Folded footprint approx. 18.5" Resolution: 1080p (FHD) Weight: 2.36kg Accessories: 2 x USB-C cable, 2 x HDMI cable, power adapter
UPerfect Delta Max: Design
The build and design of the Delta Max is extremely well thought through, with the two large 18.5-inch panels set in a clamshell design. Essentially, the two screens fold facing each other, ensuring they're fully protected when transported. The main casing for the monitor is a good, high-quality metal, and there's a very sturdy fold-out stand that folds flat into the design. This enables you to prop it up next to your laptop nice and neatly, and because of that stacked, one-over-the-other design, it takes up a minimal footprint on your desktop.
The full metal design has obviously made this monitor a little bit heavier than some other portable monitors, but because of the quality of the workmanship, I’m not too bothered. Even with the additional weight from the high-quality design, it still comes in at 2.36 kg and has a folded size of 425 x 260 x 20 mm. When unfolded, it extends to 425 x 520 x 10 mm, so it’s actually relatively compact despite the large amount of screen space on offer.
This design also means that you can have it standing next to your laptop, or you can fold it over so the two monitors are in a tent-like position, viewable from either side. That means if you place it in the middle of your desk, people on either side will have a good view of the monitor, something that I really like, especially for presentations where a monitor or projector is not available.
On the left-hand side of the lower monitor are all the connection ports. Starting at the bottom, you have a USB-C port for power, then another USB-C and mini HDMI, which feed the display data connection to the bottom monitor, then you have another set of USB-C and mini HDMI for the top monitor.
The reason for this selection of ports becomes apparent as you start to use the monitor. It essentially enables you to use it as two separate monitors or as an extended display for whatever machine you're plugged into. It’s a little bit confusing in configuration, especially when you start to delve into the on-screen display and all the different display options.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
On the right-hand side of the monitor are the controls and on-screen display functions for the top and bottom monitors. Again, these are set out as a single button and toggle/push switch to enable you to navigate all the settings and options.
When it comes to the actual aesthetic and functional design of the physical monitor itself, it's exceptionally high and one of the best portable monitor designs I’ve come across, making it both ultra-portable and offering plenty of connectivity options.
Beyond the actual design, I also liked the fact that the company has included two very decent HDMI cables and two equally impressive USB cables, so you don't have to go searching around for your own. In the box, alongside those cables, is an AC-USB adapter to supply the monitor with power.
Design: 4.5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
UPerfect Delta Max: Features
Taking a look at some of the key features of the Delta Max Touch Stacked Monitor, and first of all, there’s the fact that it is touchscreen. On PC systems, it works as expected with any touchscreen functionality, and on Mac systems, it has limited touchscreen functionality. More often than not, as with other monitors, the touch ability on a Mac can be a bit hit and miss.
For basic use and functionality, you can get away with connecting this stacked monitor set-up with a single cable, although as I discovered through the process of this test, at least two cables, one for power, one for display, is more commonplace. And if you want that display to be properly split into two, then you will need three cables to provide two separate video feeds and additional power for reliable viewing.
The clamshell design of the monitor is really well thought out and enables a 360° foldable design. For transport, you can fold it flat so the two screens face each other and are fully protected when you’re carrying it in a bag or backpack. When you arrive at the location, simply fold it out so it stands on your desk with a minimal footprint, or you can fold it all the way over so that the screens are viewable from both sides.
The stand that's incorporated into the design is simple, but it is one of the most effective that I’ve come across. Again, because it’s really good, high-quality, it holds the monitor nicely and stably, with the base of the monitor screen sitting very close to the desktop, it’s all very neat.
On the back of the monitor, there are speakers. Compared with some other portable monitors, they’re okay, but I wouldn’t rely on them as your primary source of audio for anything other than making video calls or watching back online videos. If you are thinking of watching any modern media or you’re using these monitors for media production, then I would highly recommend plugging in an external audio source.
The design of the monitor means it can be used with both Mac and PC systems, with HDMI and USB connections, which essentially means it’ll work with pretty much any modern system from Windows, Linux, Android, and macOS. It is also fully compatible with consoles, most laptops, tablets and smartphones that are able to output to a display.
When it comes to monitor resolution, it has a max resolution of 1920 x 1080 with a refresh rate of 100Hz, so if you want to do a little bit of gaming, then it will be perfectly suitable.
Whilst this monitor has been designed to be portable, it does include a VESA mount on the back, which makes it extremely easy to mount in your home office or at your desk.
When it comes to brightness, the screen is limited to 300 cd/m², which is okay for most office locations. Setting the brightness around 50–60% should suffice for most settings.
The UPerfect Delta Max will work with both Windows and Mac systems, but its integration with both is a little bit glitchy from the outset. Through this test, I found that having external power for almost all the machines I used was essential. Otherwise, there was the potential for the monitors to flicker on and off, even when plugged into a MacBook Pro M1 Max or the Minisforum S-S1 Max, which was surprising.
The basic idea of these stacked monitors is excellent, as the design folds closed in a clamshell style, helping to protect each of the large screens. When folding out, the high-quality metal surrounds and casing not only ensure that it stays well protected in transport but also give it a solid feel and a premium look.
Unfolded, the two screens stack one on top of the other, with the bottom screen at a slight angle and the top screen on three solid hinges that can be angled perfectly for use. This area of the design and concept of the monitor is exceptionally well thought out and executed, and if you fold over the top screen, the display automatically flips to the correct orientation.
However, it’s once you start to plug the monitor in that things start to fall apart. Initially, connecting a single USB-C cable between the monitor and the MacBook Pro, both monitors flicker into life, mirroring the contents of the MacBook on the two screens. You then go into the MacBook’s display settings and change the display so that instead of mirroring, it acts as an extension. But by default, the two screens display the same extension. This would be good if you’re in a presentation or meeting and need the display mirrored, but if you’re using it as a workflow display, then really, you want those two screens to act independently.
This is where things get a little bit confusing. Using the controls on the side, you can select different options, including clone mode (which clones screen A and screen B), expansion (which should show screen A and screen B in a three-screen set-up sequence, essentially splitting the screen in two), and stand-alone, which means that each screen can act independently.
As I was testing several mini PCs, this feature, stand-alone, was exceptionally useful as I was able to have both mini PCs up and running with the display stacked, which helped with the testing process. For anyone who runs several machines at the same time, this is an especially useful feature.
However, in a normal case scenario, you want three independent screens connected to a single machine, so that one monitor shows your browser, one for whatever application you're using, and I always like to have Word or Excel open. This is what I expected through that single USB connection to the monitor. However, selecting expansion from the settings on the monitor doesn’t enable this. If you go into your computer settings, I noted that rather than showing two displays, you only get one.
It turns out that to get the screen to split as two separate monitors, as with other multi-monitor systems, you need to plug in a secondary USB-C or HDMI cable into your computer. Due to the fact that I have other devices plugged into my MacBook Pro, I opted to have USB and HDMI plugged into each of the right-hand ports, then linked out to the two ports on the left-hand side of the monitor.
The configuration of the ports is interesting, as you have mini HDMI–USB-C, mini HDMI–USB-C, and another USB. Essentially, they’re broken into pairs: the top HDMI–USB linking to the top monitor, the bottom HDMI–USB linking to the bottom monitor, and the final USB is for power.
Once you’ve worked it all out and connected the monitors, it does kind of make sense. But even then, there do seem to be a few glitches with the system. Whilst the touchscreen option enables you to extend the functionality of your Mac, even though MacBook Pros don’t have touchscreen functionality as standard, the integration isn’t 100%.
Once you do finally figure out all of your settings, the monitors do work well. However, every time I reconnected the monitors, I’d have to go through the same setup process and also remember which HDMI and which USB to plug in, which did become a little bit tiresome.
Having tested the monitors on the Mac, I then switched to a PC laptop. Again, I had similar configuration issues, this time, definitely needing external power in order to get those two monitors to work correctly. Then, when I plugged it into a mini PC, for some reason, it just seemed to confuse the monitor, as there was no main monitor connected to the host machine. It took a while to go through the display settings to sort everything out.
Through the process, I also noticed, highlighted by the Mac, that the screens had a bad description tag. It looks like, whilst they’ve done quite a lot of product design on the look and style of the monitors, when it comes to actual application of use, there are still a good volume of glitches. The volume of cables that you end up needing to get it to work reliably is far more than I would’ve expected, especially compared with many other systems, which is a real shame. Ultimately, it’s a great product and a great concept, just not applied quite as well as it should have been.
At the moment, this is one of those products that has huge potential and one that I personally would really love to see working well. But even before you delve into the screen quality options, it seems that its development hasn’t been completed.
When it comes to the monitor’s actual visual quality, it fares pretty well, with decent colour gamut, contrast, and colour uniformity, all highlighted by SpyderX2 software as being between 4.5 and 5 points. Likewise, internal response and white point also look pretty good on the results, with the only real let-down being the luminance uniformity, which comes in at 2.5. However, this gives an overall star rating of 4, which for any monitor isn’t bad at all.
When it comes to who this monitor is suitable for, it’s clearly office space work, with 89% sRGB colour gamut, 68% AdobeRGB, and 68% P3, so it’s not really that ideal for any creative use. The other point about this monitor is its clamshell design. If you do get it up and running and you’re running presentations in an office without a projector or screen, then the clamshell design, placed in the middle of the desk, is an easy way for everyone around that desk to see exactly what’s going on. For this, it works exceptionally well.
Ultimately, when it comes to performance, it can be quite time-consuming to initially configure, which is disappointing, as you would expect it to be a simple plug-and-play device, since that’s what it’s designed to do. But it just hasn’t been that well integrated.
Performance: 3 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
UPerfect Delta Max: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
I really like the idea of the UPerfect Delta Max. It seems like an ideal solution if you're travelling with your laptop and need a compact, easy-to-use monitor to expand your screen real estate. Initial impressions are superb, as the screen features a solid metal surround that gives you a high-quality, premium feel, and with its three large hinges, it all feels of superb quality.
As you fold it out and fold out that rear stand, again, it just reinforces that premium feel, and you start to think that, despite costing nearly £400 / $400, what you have here is something of real value.
Initial setup using a single USB cable into my MacBook Pro and then one of the mini PCs that I was testing duplicated the main screen’s content onto the two displays with no issue. If I were running a meeting and needed screen expansion so that other people could see what I was doing, this screen would be simple to use and straightforward. However, for me, I’d really want this screen as additional real estate when working with documents, applications and email.
This is where things started to fall apart. Whilst the screen itself is good, clear and great for administration work, it took a while to fully figure out the configuration that I needed. In the end, for pure reliability, I discovered that I really needed to plug in power into the base USB port, then connect the first set of ports into either HDMI or USB on my laptop, then connect the second set again into my laptop to split the display output equally between the two monitors. I could then configure them as needed.
The problem was that for most tasks, once set up, it was absolutely fine. However, there were constant glitches; one of the screens would suddenly black out, or suddenly duplicate the other screen’s content or the main display, and trying to reconfigure everything back to how I had it initially was just a complex process.
Having used the monitor for a couple of weeks, I did eventually find a happy medium, but still, there were one too many glitches along the way. Whilst I love the design and the concept of the stacked monitor setup, at present, it's just not reliable enough to meet its full potential.
Should I buy the UPerfect Delta Max?
Value
If the monitors worked as they should, then it would be exceptional value for money. However, the glitches make it expensive and slightly infuriating
3
Design
One of the best designs for portable monitors that I’ve seen. Well-built, robust and full of potential
4.5
Features
Whilst this is limited to full HD resolution, the suggested features do look attractive. It’s only when you start to use the monitors that you realise how limited this is
4
Performance
Unfortunately, just one too many glitches through the test affected the performance of what could have been a superb product
3
Overall
While I love the design, there’s just one too many glitches with this stacked monitor system to make it a worthwhile purchase
3
Buy it if...
You need mobile screens Ideal for professionals or students who need stacked screen space without carrying two separate monitors
You’re short on desk space Compact vertical layout gives you more viewable area without taking up a wide footprint.
Don't buy it if...
You need a colour-critical display The Delta Max is not built for professional-grade image or video colour work.
You don't want loads of cables While this is supposed to be a single cable display, in reality most use requires three.
The UPerfect Delta Max stacked monitor is a great idea, essentially two monitors, one on top of the other, in a clamshell design with a full metal build that makes it easy to transport and connect. However, from the outset, it's not quite as easy as it seems, and the single USB connection only gives you limited options over how the display works. Sure enough, it is able to mirror or extend the display from your laptop, be that Mac or PC, but the additional options just aren’t as well integrated as you feel they should be, and it takes quite a bit of messing around with the options and settings both on the machine and on the monitor to get it configured exactly as you want.
This use doesn’t initially give you the option to use it as a triple monitor system, so, for example, your laptop monitor and then two additional displays, one stacked over the other. Instead, what it gives you is either a mirror of your laptop display on those two monitors or a display extension, but with the same extension being shown on both and not two different screens, as you’d normally expect with a triple monitor setup. It’s a little bit confusing, and if you want to use this with anything other than a relatively high-powered MacBook Pro or higher-end PC, then you’ll also find that you’ll need to plug in external power.
To get the actual configuration that I was expecting in this test, I ended up having to plug in external power to the USB-C port at the base of the monitor than another USB-C into the USB port, and a second HDMI cable into one of the upper clusters of ports and then into the MacBook Pro in order to get that triple-screen array that I wanted.
Then I could either configure the way the monitor displayed the content through my computer's display options, or there were a few additional configuration possibilities through the monitor’s on-screen display, although these didn’t always seem to work.
Essentially, it all works, but it does take quite a bit of figuring out. Thankfully, UPerfect has included a decent amount of cables in the box, so you're not having to search around for extras or purchase anything in addition.
In use, the monitor actually works surprisingly well, and I really do like that small footprint. However, when running several tests, I came across a number of small glitches, such as the monitor would flicker on and off, or one would suddenly go blank when loading up another bit of software. Also, if my laptop went to sleep and then reawakened, which is common, especially when I disappear for lunch, then I'd have to reset the monitor, as it seems to lose its settings.
When I ran through the usual SpyderX benchmarking test to check out the quality of the screen, it also came out pretty well. It highlighted that the screens are perfectly suited for office work; however, this won't be the best portable monitor for creative use, as the AdobeRGB percentage for the gamut was in the high 60s. Really, if you want to do anything creative, you need a monitor that at least comes in around 80% plus. However, for office work, it is a good solution once you figure it out.
UPerfect Delta Max: Price and availability
How much does it cost? From approximately $450 / £450
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Directly from UPerfect official store or Amazon
The UPerfect Delta Max Touch is widely available online at around the $450 / £450 mark depending on where you buy it. It's available directly from the UPerfect official store and online retailers such as Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
It's worth noting that a non-touchscreen version of the Delta Max is also available, which is otherwise largely the same device with a cheaper price-tag.
Value: 3 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
UPerfect Delta Max: Specs
Ports: USB-C power, 2× USB-C, 2 × mini HDMI Audio: Stereo speakers Size: Folded footprint approx. 18.5" Resolution: 1080p (FHD) Weight: 2.36kg Accessories: 2 x USB-C cable, 2 x HDMI cable, power adapter
UPerfect Delta Max: Design
The build and design of the Delta Max is extremely well thought through, with the two large 18.5-inch panels set in a clamshell design. Essentially, the two screens fold facing each other, ensuring they're fully protected when transported. The main casing for the monitor is a good, high-quality metal, and there's a very sturdy fold-out stand that folds flat into the design. This enables you to prop it up next to your laptop nice and neatly, and because of that stacked, one-over-the-other design, it takes up a minimal footprint on your desktop.
The full metal design has obviously made this monitor a little bit heavier than some other portable monitors, but because of the quality of the workmanship, I’m not too bothered. Even with the additional weight from the high-quality design, it still comes in at 2.36 kg and has a folded size of 425 x 260 x 20 mm. When unfolded, it extends to 425 x 520 x 10 mm, so it’s actually relatively compact despite the large amount of screen space on offer.
This design also means that you can have it standing next to your laptop, or you can fold it over so the two monitors are in a tent-like position, viewable from either side. That means if you place it in the middle of your desk, people on either side will have a good view of the monitor, something that I really like, especially for presentations where a monitor or projector is not available.
On the left-hand side of the lower monitor are all the connection ports. Starting at the bottom, you have a USB-C port for power, then another USB-C and mini HDMI, which feed the display data connection to the bottom monitor, then you have another set of USB-C and mini HDMI for the top monitor.
The reason for this selection of ports becomes apparent as you start to use the monitor. It essentially enables you to use it as two separate monitors or as an extended display for whatever machine you're plugged into. It’s a little bit confusing in configuration, especially when you start to delve into the on-screen display and all the different display options.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
On the right-hand side of the monitor are the controls and on-screen display functions for the top and bottom monitors. Again, these are set out as a single button and toggle/push switch to enable you to navigate all the settings and options.
When it comes to the actual aesthetic and functional design of the physical monitor itself, it's exceptionally high and one of the best portable monitor designs I’ve come across, making it both ultra-portable and offering plenty of connectivity options.
Beyond the actual design, I also liked the fact that the company has included two very decent HDMI cables and two equally impressive USB cables, so you don't have to go searching around for your own. In the box, alongside those cables, is an AC-USB adapter to supply the monitor with power.
Design: 4.5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
UPerfect Delta Max: Features
Taking a look at some of the key features of the Delta Max Touch Stacked Monitor, and first of all, there’s the fact that it is touchscreen. On PC systems, it works as expected with any touchscreen functionality, and on Mac systems, it has limited touchscreen functionality. More often than not, as with other monitors, the touch ability on a Mac can be a bit hit and miss.
For basic use and functionality, you can get away with connecting this stacked monitor set-up with a single cable, although as I discovered through the process of this test, at least two cables, one for power, one for display, is more commonplace. And if you want that display to be properly split into two, then you will need three cables to provide two separate video feeds and additional power for reliable viewing.
The clamshell design of the monitor is really well thought out and enables a 360° foldable design. For transport, you can fold it flat so the two screens face each other and are fully protected when you’re carrying it in a bag or backpack. When you arrive at the location, simply fold it out so it stands on your desk with a minimal footprint, or you can fold it all the way over so that the screens are viewable from both sides.
The stand that's incorporated into the design is simple, but it is one of the most effective that I’ve come across. Again, because it’s really good, high-quality, it holds the monitor nicely and stably, with the base of the monitor screen sitting very close to the desktop, it’s all very neat.
On the back of the monitor, there are speakers. Compared with some other portable monitors, they’re okay, but I wouldn’t rely on them as your primary source of audio for anything other than making video calls or watching back online videos. If you are thinking of watching any modern media or you’re using these monitors for media production, then I would highly recommend plugging in an external audio source.
The design of the monitor means it can be used with both Mac and PC systems, with HDMI and USB connections, which essentially means it’ll work with pretty much any modern system from Windows, Linux, Android, and macOS. It is also fully compatible with consoles, most laptops, tablets and smartphones that are able to output to a display.
When it comes to monitor resolution, it has a max resolution of 1920 x 1080 with a refresh rate of 100Hz, so if you want to do a little bit of gaming, then it will be perfectly suitable.
Whilst this monitor has been designed to be portable, it does include a VESA mount on the back, which makes it extremely easy to mount in your home office or at your desk.
When it comes to brightness, the screen is limited to 300 cd/m², which is okay for most office locations. Setting the brightness around 50–60% should suffice for most settings.
The UPerfect Delta Max will work with both Windows and Mac systems, but its integration with both is a little bit glitchy from the outset. Through this test, I found that having external power for almost all the machines I used was essential. Otherwise, there was the potential for the monitors to flicker on and off, even when plugged into a MacBook Pro M1 Max or the Minisforum S-S1 Max, which was surprising.
The basic idea of these stacked monitors is excellent, as the design folds closed in a clamshell style, helping to protect each of the large screens. When folding out, the high-quality metal surrounds and casing not only ensure that it stays well protected in transport but also give it a solid feel and a premium look.
Unfolded, the two screens stack one on top of the other, with the bottom screen at a slight angle and the top screen on three solid hinges that can be angled perfectly for use. This area of the design and concept of the monitor is exceptionally well thought out and executed, and if you fold over the top screen, the display automatically flips to the correct orientation.
However, it’s once you start to plug the monitor in that things start to fall apart. Initially, connecting a single USB-C cable between the monitor and the MacBook Pro, both monitors flicker into life, mirroring the contents of the MacBook on the two screens. You then go into the MacBook’s display settings and change the display so that instead of mirroring, it acts as an extension. But by default, the two screens display the same extension. This would be good if you’re in a presentation or meeting and need the display mirrored, but if you’re using it as a workflow display, then really, you want those two screens to act independently.
This is where things get a little bit confusing. Using the controls on the side, you can select different options, including clone mode (which clones screen A and screen B), expansion (which should show screen A and screen B in a three-screen set-up sequence, essentially splitting the screen in two), and stand-alone, which means that each screen can act independently.
As I was testing several mini PCs, this feature, stand-alone, was exceptionally useful as I was able to have both mini PCs up and running with the display stacked, which helped with the testing process. For anyone who runs several machines at the same time, this is an especially useful feature.
However, in a normal case scenario, you want three independent screens connected to a single machine, so that one monitor shows your browser, one for whatever application you're using, and I always like to have Word or Excel open. This is what I expected through that single USB connection to the monitor. However, selecting expansion from the settings on the monitor doesn’t enable this. If you go into your computer settings, I noted that rather than showing two displays, you only get one.
It turns out that to get the screen to split as two separate monitors, as with other multi-monitor systems, you need to plug in a secondary USB-C or HDMI cable into your computer. Due to the fact that I have other devices plugged into my MacBook Pro, I opted to have USB and HDMI plugged into each of the right-hand ports, then linked out to the two ports on the left-hand side of the monitor.
The configuration of the ports is interesting, as you have mini HDMI–USB-C, mini HDMI–USB-C, and another USB. Essentially, they’re broken into pairs: the top HDMI–USB linking to the top monitor, the bottom HDMI–USB linking to the bottom monitor, and the final USB is for power.
Once you’ve worked it all out and connected the monitors, it does kind of make sense. But even then, there do seem to be a few glitches with the system. Whilst the touchscreen option enables you to extend the functionality of your Mac, even though MacBook Pros don’t have touchscreen functionality as standard, the integration isn’t 100%.
Once you do finally figure out all of your settings, the monitors do work well. However, every time I reconnected the monitors, I’d have to go through the same setup process and also remember which HDMI and which USB to plug in, which did become a little bit tiresome.
Having tested the monitors on the Mac, I then switched to a PC laptop. Again, I had similar configuration issues, this time, definitely needing external power in order to get those two monitors to work correctly. Then, when I plugged it into a mini PC, for some reason, it just seemed to confuse the monitor, as there was no main monitor connected to the host machine. It took a while to go through the display settings to sort everything out.
Through the process, I also noticed, highlighted by the Mac, that the screens had a bad description tag. It looks like, whilst they’ve done quite a lot of product design on the look and style of the monitors, when it comes to actual application of use, there are still a good volume of glitches. The volume of cables that you end up needing to get it to work reliably is far more than I would’ve expected, especially compared with many other systems, which is a real shame. Ultimately, it’s a great product and a great concept, just not applied quite as well as it should have been.
At the moment, this is one of those products that has huge potential and one that I personally would really love to see working well. But even before you delve into the screen quality options, it seems that its development hasn’t been completed.
When it comes to the monitor’s actual visual quality, it fares pretty well, with decent colour gamut, contrast, and colour uniformity, all highlighted by SpyderX2 software as being between 4.5 and 5 points. Likewise, internal response and white point also look pretty good on the results, with the only real let-down being the luminance uniformity, which comes in at 2.5. However, this gives an overall star rating of 4, which for any monitor isn’t bad at all.
When it comes to who this monitor is suitable for, it’s clearly office space work, with 89% sRGB colour gamut, 68% AdobeRGB, and 68% P3, so it’s not really that ideal for any creative use. The other point about this monitor is its clamshell design. If you do get it up and running and you’re running presentations in an office without a projector or screen, then the clamshell design, placed in the middle of the desk, is an easy way for everyone around that desk to see exactly what’s going on. For this, it works exceptionally well.
Ultimately, when it comes to performance, it can be quite time-consuming to initially configure, which is disappointing, as you would expect it to be a simple plug-and-play device, since that’s what it’s designed to do. But it just hasn’t been that well integrated.
Performance: 3 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
UPerfect Delta Max: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
I really like the idea of the UPerfect Delta Max. It seems like an ideal solution if you're travelling with your laptop and need a compact, easy-to-use monitor to expand your screen real estate. Initial impressions are superb, as the screen features a solid metal surround that gives you a high-quality, premium feel, and with its three large hinges, it all feels of superb quality.
As you fold it out and fold out that rear stand, again, it just reinforces that premium feel, and you start to think that, despite costing nearly £400 / $400, what you have here is something of real value.
Initial setup using a single USB cable into my MacBook Pro and then one of the mini PCs that I was testing duplicated the main screen’s content onto the two displays with no issue. If I were running a meeting and needed screen expansion so that other people could see what I was doing, this screen would be simple to use and straightforward. However, for me, I’d really want this screen as additional real estate when working with documents, applications and email.
This is where things started to fall apart. Whilst the screen itself is good, clear and great for administration work, it took a while to fully figure out the configuration that I needed. In the end, for pure reliability, I discovered that I really needed to plug in power into the base USB port, then connect the first set of ports into either HDMI or USB on my laptop, then connect the second set again into my laptop to split the display output equally between the two monitors. I could then configure them as needed.
The problem was that for most tasks, once set up, it was absolutely fine. However, there were constant glitches; one of the screens would suddenly black out, or suddenly duplicate the other screen’s content or the main display, and trying to reconfigure everything back to how I had it initially was just a complex process.
Having used the monitor for a couple of weeks, I did eventually find a happy medium, but still, there were one too many glitches along the way. Whilst I love the design and the concept of the stacked monitor setup, at present, it's just not reliable enough to meet its full potential.
Should I buy the UPerfect Delta Max?
Value
If the monitors worked as they should, then it would be exceptional value for money. However, the glitches make it expensive and slightly infuriating
3
Design
One of the best designs for portable monitors that I’ve seen. Well-built, robust and full of potential
4.5
Features
Whilst this is limited to full HD resolution, the suggested features do look attractive. It’s only when you start to use the monitors that you realise how limited this is
4
Performance
Unfortunately, just one too many glitches through the test affected the performance of what could have been a superb product
3
Overall
While I love the design, there’s just one too many glitches with this stacked monitor system to make it a worthwhile purchase
3
Buy it if...
You need mobile screens Ideal for professionals or students who need stacked screen space without carrying two separate monitors
You’re short on desk space Compact vertical layout gives you more viewable area without taking up a wide footprint.
Don't buy it if...
You need a colour-critical display The Delta Max is not built for professional-grade image or video colour work.
You don't want loads of cables While this is supposed to be a single cable display, in reality most use requires three.
For a machine that just fits the mini PC classification, the Minisforum MS-S1 is something on another level and almost by definition, and this is reflected in the near £2,500 / $2,500 price tag. That price affords the latest components and technology inside, as well as an incredibly solid build. If you're thinking about buying this powerful mini PC, there are a few things to consider.
First and foremost, this isn't your average desktop machine. Sure, it will run all the usual applications like any other mini PC or desktop, but it goes far beyond, with its AI-tuned AMD CPU/GPU providing a perfect localised development workstation for AI or AI-enhanced applications.
It's also worth considering that the major components of this machine are soldered in place, so there's no option, unlike a desktop, to replace the CPU, GPU or RAM. However, there are plenty of options to boost the internal storage capacity, or even boost the graphics with a discrete card, as the machine has space for a full-sized PCIe x16 expansion, though you do need to consider that this is a mini PC, so whatever card you opt for will need to be relatively small.
Looking through the rest of the specifications, all features are cutting-edge, and Minisforum haven’t held back on any part of this machine, with unified RAM, those AI processes, USB4 and PCIe 4.0, with the ability to install up to 8TB of internal storage in the M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slot.
The specification of this machine is impressive, but it’s only once you navigate Windows that you can really start to feel that boost in processing power and the speed at which Windows 11 Pro operates. Applications open almost instantly. When you load Microsoft Office, everything is exceptionally fast and responsive. Copying and pasting huge documents from one application to another presents no issue, and even when you start to load up memory-hungry applications such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom, this machine just takes them in.
The real difference comes when you start to utilise the AI features in those applications, and even in Premiere Pro, with the CPU and GPU capable of processing Photoshop, Lightroom, and Premiere Pro’s AI-at-heart features quickly, both locally and utilising remote processing options.
If you are into AI development, then the AI setup is going to work as a perfect starting point, with the ability to install a local LLM such as LM Studio on your machine.
Throughout the test, the machine just impressed. While the AMD Radeon graphics lag slightly behind Nvidia alternatives, it is still incredibly capable, flying through all video production I threw at it, as well as performing well when it came to gaming.
The Minisforum MS-S1 Max is essentially a specialist machine, especially when you consider its price point and the fact that it has been made to fit neatly into a U2 rack system, meaning that whether you use it on your desktop as a very compact and powerful mini PC for content creation, or as a machine that can take full advantage of most programs’ AI-enhanced features, or you’re looking to use the best mini PC for local AI development, the Minisforum MS-S1 Max is an option, especially when you cluster it with others.
What really appeals to me is that because of its small size and its durability, thanks to its full aluminium build, it’s also a great option to utilise in the field, offering a relatively compact and lightweight, yet extremely powerful machine that rivals many desktop video workstations.
Minisforum MS-S1 Max: Price and availability
How much does it cost? From £2399 / $2499
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Directly from Minisforum or Amazon
CPU: AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (16-core Zen5) Graphics: AMD Radeon 8060S (Integrated) RAM: Up to 128 GB LPDDR5x-8000MT/s Storage: M.2 2280 SSD Left Ports: 1× USB4 v2, 2× USB-A, Mic jack Right Ports: 1× USB4 v2, Power, DisplayPort, HDMI, PCIe slot Connectivity: Dual 10GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Audio: 3.5mm combo jack Camera: None Size: Compact chassis; fits on desktop or 2U rack. OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro Accessories: Power cable, mounting options
Minisforum MS-S1 Max: Design
While the Minisforum MS-S1 Max is classed as a mini PC, you can tell from the outset that it is something far more, with a matte black industrial design that feels a level up from even standard premium mini PCs. The design is exceptional, with rubber feet on one of the longer edges as well as the base, so you have plenty of options for how to position it on your desk. It’s also been designed to fit directly into a U2 rack, so if you want to place it alongside your server, that’s easy enough.
The size, whilst not as small as most mini PCs, is still relatively compact at 222 x 206 x 77 mm, and it comes in at 2.8 kg, so it's substantially heavier than we usually expect.
However, unlike most mini PCs that remain small and compact yet always come with a power adapter that is almost the same size and weight as the actual machine, here with the MS-S1 Max, the power supply is built-in, so all you need is a standard kettle lead for the power.
Checking over the body of the machine, there are plenty of connectivity options. Very neatly on the front, there’s a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A with 10Gb/s transfer rate and 2 USB4 offering 40Gbps DP 2.0, PD power out (15W), and next to this is a 3.5mm audio combo jack enabling you to use standard headphones and mic.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Round the back, the selection of ports is equally impressive, with an HDMI 2.1 capable of providing 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 120Hz, 2 USB 2.0, 2 USB4 v2 (80Gbps, DP 2.0, PD out 15W), two USB 3.2 Gen 2, two 10GbE LAN RJ45 ports, anti-theft lock, and a reset hole to help clear the CMOS if you’ve been doing some development that’s gone wrong.
All these connections and interfaces are cutting-edge, but most mini PCs would stop there. Here with the MS-S1 Max, there’s a little bit more to it - and a feature that makes this closer to a desktop PC than a mini PC.
Opening up the machine (which is done by removing two screws at the back), the whole backplate and internals of the machine can be removed from the metal casing, revealing the SSD slot and the PCIe 4.0 expansion slot. While the connector is full-size, you will need to be a little bit wary about the size of the expansion card you purchase, but it still gives you plenty of options for discrete graphics and possibly AI enhancement cards in the future.
Design: 4.5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Minisforum MS-S1 Max: Features
For a mini PC, the specification and feature list are slightly abnormal, featuring the latest AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, and this is coupled with an AMD Radeon 8060S GPU. It’s also backed by an AMD Ryzen AI engine that gives this machine the full range of AI potential. The configuration of this machine has been built so that you can run large AI models locally, with all-scenario AI compute that offers up to 126 TOPS and runs 128B+ LLMs locally, such as LM Studio.
One of the other points about this machine is that it’s been designed so that you can either use it as a single machine or as part of a dual-unit 235B cluster or 2U rack cluster to really boost your AI workflow and development. In the marketing material, Minisforum actually state it’ll run the 235B Q4 large model locally if configured in that dual configuration, although that does obviously mean two of these machines and double the price.
If two machines aren’t enough for what you want to do, then that 2U rack deployment is also possible, where even more MS-S1 Max machines can be distributed into a cluster. Again, in the marketing material, Minisforum states that a four-unit cluster is powerful enough to run the DeepSeek-R1671B Q4 large model locally, which is impressive, firstly considering the size of the machines, and secondly, the fact that it comes in at less than $10,000 / £10,000.
What’s impressive here is that Minisforum have created a bespoke cluster design, which means that once configured and wired up, utilising the reserved cascade power-on header, you can then power on and off all machines in one go as if they were one.
As well as the future potential and upgradability into cluster systems, out of the box with just one unit, there are also a few key AI features, such as precise voice recognition with the AI noise-cancelling mic that will support mainstream AI models and help with speech-to-text and other voice commands.
Many of the internal components are also soldered to the motherboard, and it features 128GB of unified LPDDR5X-8000 MT/s RAM.
There an M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slot that’s able to take up to 8TB of storage.
As you look over the body of the machine, there are several things that really stand out. One of those features that’s really appealing is the inclusion of dual USB4 v2 and dual 10GbE LAN ports alongside Wi-Fi 7, enabling ultra-fast transfer speeds from external storage and accessories, and also the ability to connect to a local area network, and more importantly, a system for network editing.
Another of the huge differences between this machine and many others is the volume of I/O options. Including the latest USB4 v2 enables up to 80Gbps transfer rate, but on top of that, it also offers PCIe 4.0 x4, which offers space for full-length x16 slot expansion cards, giving you plenty of capability options from the outset.
As I previously mentioned, unlike other mini PCs, the PSU is actually incorporated into the casing of the machine and offers 320W, which is huge for this size of machine, but obviously needed for all the computing power it holds.
One of the other big features is the design, with the slide-out structure that enables you to slide the main computer out from the casing, so that upgrading and maintenance are exceptionally easy and fast.
There’s a lot going on with the MS-S1 Max, and cooling is essential. Here, they’ve tried to tackle this with an aerospace-grade aluminium chassis that offers both durability and superb airflow through the componentry.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Features: 5 / 5
Minisforum MS-S1 Max: Performance
Benchmark scores
CrystalDiskMark Read: 6061.76 MB/s CrystalDiskMark Write: 5374.64 MB/s Geekbench CPU Multi: 19,653 Geekbench CPU Single: 2,904 Geekbench GPU: 95,729 PCMark Overall: 8,425 Cinebench CPU Multi: 34,648 Cinebench CPU Single: 2,042 Fire Strike Overall: 26,639 Fire Strike Graphics: 29,838 Fire Strike Physics: 35,196 Fire Strike Combined: 12,283 Time Spy Overall: 1,106 Time Spy Graphics: 11,056 Time Spy CPU: 10,732 Wild Life Overall: 65,580 Steel Nomad Overall: 2,135 Windows Experience Overall: 9.1
Running through the setup process, it was apparent that the MS-S1 Max was quite a different machine from most of the mini PCs I tested, only the Sapphire Edge Ai 370 having hints of the same AI enhancement. The Windows 11 Pro setup required the usual final steps, signing into Microsoft and Google and downloading and installing updates.
What’s apparent with that Wi-Fi 7 connectivity is the speed at which you can connect to the wireless router (if, of course, your wireless router supports Wi-Fi 7).
Another noticeable point about this machine right from the outset is not only the number of connection options, enabling you to quickly connect up to 4K monitors. It is worth noting at this early point in the testing that the fans kick in from the outset, and this is far from a silent runner. Obviously, a lot is going on in this machine, and like any server, those fans and the cooling are consistent, unlike the almost silent running we’ve become used to with most mini PCs.
I started off with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. These all loaded almost instantly, even when I threw large documents at the machine, including a large PowerPoint presentation I’d already created on another PC. It was very evident just how well this machine can handle those larger files, and again, there was literally no lag or wait time when it came to saving the files down or editing and adjusting images within any PowerPoint presentation.
As I moved over to some of the imaging applications, such as Photoshop and Lightroom, again, it was apparent that the images from the Sony A7 IV and Canon EOS R5C posed absolutely no issue for this machine. Whilst the Radeon 8060S isn’t quite as powerful as some of the discrete graphics cards, the pure power of the CPU and iGPU is more than enough for these two applications. When it came to running the AI features, it proved just how capable this machine was, running those AI functions locally.
Moving on to Adobe Premiere Pro, I went straight in with some Pro 4K footage shot on the iPhone 15 Pro, and instantly, it was apparent that this machine was going to have no problems with that footage. I then went a level up with some RAW footage from the Canon EOS R5C.
While you could see a little bit of slowdown when it came to 4K after effects and grading, it could still handle a 15-minute edit with absolutely no issues whatsoever. If I were going to do a longer edit, I might consider putting in discrete graphics, but for most people, this machine out of the box will handle pretty much anything you throw at it when it comes to video editing.
One key point here was that I needed to transcribe one of the videos, and the speech-to-text was exceptionally fast, including expanding clips in the timeline, where the AI processing really becomes incredibly valuable.
When it came to CapCut (essentially a far lighter video editor than Premiere Pro and ideal for creating social media content for YouTube), there were no issues. Applying templates gave a really smooth experience; editing was fast and extremely agile.
Of course, this being an AI machine, I had to give some of the more in-depth AI features a go. So here I downloaded and installed LM Studio, as it’s free and has a very easy-to-use interface. Again, the performance was exceptional, and I was able to run that language model locally on the machine. While I’m still investigating the full use of LM Studio and its features, I have to say I was extremely impressed with the speed at which it was able to give responses and compute.
Finally, after trying to figure out the complexities of the AI features, I sat back for a little bit of gaming. This is where the machine starts to have a few issues, mainly because the Radeon 8060S, which, while incredibly powerful, does lag behind most discrete graphics cards I’ve recently seen in the latest Asus ProArt P16 laptop.
Still, playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Hogwarts Legacy, both were more than playable, getting good smooth motion, although not all settings could be turned up beyond medium.
Essentially, this is an extremely powerful mini PC and sits in between a dedicated desktop workstation and a smaller format machine. The power and capability are, of course, reflected in the price. This is a machine that’s been designed with a specific purpose, to utilise the power of AI locally, either as a single machine or as part of a cluster. For that purpose, while the price of the machine might seem high, it actually offers exceptional value for something this powerful and AI-ready.
Performance: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Minisforum MS-S1 Max: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
This isn’t the machine that’s going to suit everyone. Even for content creators, where this machine excels with 4K video editing and image enhancement, there are cheaper and better-suited machines out there. You’ll get the same performance for Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro from machines that cost considerably less and include a dedicated GPU.
Likewise, for gaming, all the games I tried on the system worked perfectly well, even at mid to low effects and graphic settings, but again, there are gaming PCs that are far cheaper and better suited for that purpose.
This machine, then, is really designed for AI developers, engineers, and users who want to investigate what the future of computing holds. The fact that it is a single machine, relatively well priced, and offers plenty of upgrade options, with the ability to put in up to 16TB of internal storage, USB4 V2, and with a PCIe 4.0 slot for expansion cards, gives you plenty of future potential.
What’s really interesting is that this machine is not just designed as a single standard unit, but as one that can be added to, so you can run it as a dual cluster or even build it into a far larger system as your budget and needs increase. For AI developers and engineers, this is an incredibly neat and simple out-of-the-box solution.
So for AI developers, this is a superb option that, while similarly expensive, is actually cheaper than many other alternatives. For everyone else, it would be a nice machine to own, but it might be a little overkill and not really tuned to mainstream use.
Should I buy the Minisforum MS-S1 Max?
Value
Extremely high-end AI computing in a compact box at a surprisingly balanced price
4
Design
Superb design that helps to dissipate heat, offers expansion options and cluster potential
4.5
Features
The big excitement here is the AI CPU and iGPU, alongside PCIe 4.0 expansion and cluster support
4
Performance
Closely matched to mid- to high-end desktops. This mini PC is in another class compared with what we normally expect
5
Overall
AI-focused compact workstation as a perfect option for AI developers
4
Buy it if...
You’re an AI developer
You’re running LLMs, multimodal models, or training workflows locally and need 128 GB RAM with 100+ TOPS AI compute
You want a true creative workstation
It's a top choice if you’re editing 4K video, building 3D models, or running simulations where GPU and fast RAM make a difference.
Don't buy it if...
Budget is tight While this is at the affordable end of AI development machines, if you’re looking for an affordable mini PC for browsing or light media use, this is complete overkill.
You're focused on upgrading everything
If you want to swap RAM and CPU later, unified memory and soldered components mean limited future-proofing.
It's not every day I get to review a PC that looks this good. PC-building brand Starforge Systems makes some excellent pre-built systems worthy of standing among the best computers, but it's the company's collaboration builds that really stand out - and I've been lucky enough to get Starforge's latest themed PC, which is a collab with the popular new anime Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.
Starforge has previously run collabs for novel PC builds with popular media from across anime and gaming, including Jujutsu Kaisen, Path of Exile, and even Old School Runescape. Why am I reviewing this one specifically? 'Cos Frieren slaps, that's why. Chronicling the misadventures of an ancient and powerful (but also frequently goofy) elven mage, it features near the top of our best anime shows list for good reason, and season 2 is out in January - so if you haven't watched it already, get a move on!
Uh, anyway. Enough about the show. Let's actually talk about the PC Starforge has built: because it also slaps. A premium mid-tower gaming desktop with high-end components, it's fundamentally similar to the Voyager III system, with the most notable change being that it features an AMD graphics card rather than an Nvidia one (and that it has the cast of Frieren plastered all over it, obviously).
(Image credit: Future)
As far as PC builds go, it's nothing particularly wild outside the anime-themed aesthetics. I'll get more into the nitty-gritty of the internals down in the Design section, but the guts of this build should look largely familiar to anyone familiar with the art of custom PC building. It's exceptionally colorful when switched on, too; I played around a bit with the RGB settings and was easily able to set up a very pleasing white-and-green light scheme that matched the design of the case.
Thankfully, the performance is solid: this system can comfortably handle 1080p and 1440p gaming, and run all but the most demanding titles at 4K - though you might want to turn on AMD's FSR 3 upscaling for that, especially in ray-traced games like Cyberpunk 2077. If you want a gaming PC that can also pull double duty as a workstation for professional or hobbyist creative work, this system can get the job done.
(Image credit: Future)
The main downside for me here - other than the lack of an Nvidia RTX GPU, which does lock users out from using Nvidia's best-in-class upscaling and frame-generation tech - is the price. I'll do a full breakdown in the next section, but the cost is $2,499.99 (around £1,870 / AU$3,760).
That's not a terrible price, for sure; I took some time to sit down on PCPartPicker and tried to replicate this build as accurately as possible, and even opting for some cheaper components in the same performance bracket (like more budget-conscious RAM and storage), I landed at a price just barely south of $2,300.
The fancy backlit display panel and general extra design features here will be worth that extra two hundred bucks for some people, and the skyrocketing price of RAM will no doubt be pushing some people away from DIY-ing their next PC. Oh, and of course, if you buy from Starforge, you don't have to go through the pain of actually building the damn thing.
Starforge notably does bundle this PC with a large desk mat and acrylic wall art panel matching the Frieren aesthetic, too - which, when purchased individually, would run you an extra $110. Still, you're definitely paying a premium for the Frieren theme, so it's probably a PC you should only pick if you're a serious anime lover.
Starforge Systems Frieren PC review: Price & Availability
Fixed price of $2,499.99 (around £1,870 / AU$3,760)
Available now in the US, ships to UK and Australia
Only one configuration available
There's only one model of the Frieren PC available, and it'll run you a total of $2,499.99 (around £1,870 / AU$3,760). As I noted above, that's only marginally above the price you're likely to pay to build your own similar system at the time of writing, though you'd obviously be missing out on the exclusive design starring everyone's favorite tiny but overpowered elf and her pals, plus the bundled artwork and desk mat.
It should also be noted for British and Australian shoppers that those GBP and AUD conversions don't include regional tax (VAT and GST, respectively), so you will actually end up paying a bit more once you factor in that and shipping fees. Americans, you already know the drill when it comes to sales tax.
(Image credit: Future)
So while the Starforge Systems Frieren PC is undeniably a rather expensive purchase, I can't knock it too hard for that; it's a niche collab targeting the crossover between PC gamers and a relatively new TV show fanbase, and the bundled extras soften the blow of the asking price.
The Frieren PC is already available to purchase directly from Starforge's website, with shipping to anywhere in the US, Europe, and Australia. All of Starforge's PCs come with a 2-year warranty, too.
Value: 4 / 5
Starforge Systems Frieren PC review: Specs
Starforge Systems Frieren PC Specs
Starforge Systems Frieren PC Config
Price
$2,499.99 (around £1,870 / AU$3,760)
CPU
Intel Core i5-14600K
GPU
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB
RAM
32GB DDR5-6000
Storage
1TB PCIe NVMe 4.0 M.2 SSD
Ports and Connectivity
Front I/O: 2x USB-A 3.2, 1x USB-C 3.2, 1x 3.5mm combi audio jack
18.82 x 11.42 x 18.54in (47.8cm x 29.0cm x 47.1cm)
Starforge Systems Frieren PC review: Design
Clean, well-assembled internals
Fantastic aesthetic with swappable platelights
Potentially bigger than it really needs to be
I'll say this right out of the gate: even for a mid-tower system, this is a pretty chunky desktop PC. The specially-customized Lian Li O11 Dynamic case used for the Frieren PC is large, and there's quite a bit of negative space inside the case - this isn't the PC to buy if you're working with limited real estate on your desk.
Still, that extra room does mean that the Frieren PC has a lot of upgrade potential. Removing the glass side panel to root around inside the guts of this system is as easy as pie, and there's ample space for a bigger GPU if so desired in the future, too. Or, you know, an anime figurine...
Size aside, this is obviously one really good-looking system. The art quality is excellent, and the anime-themed print doesn't just extend to the glass panels; there's a separate piece of artwork depicting Frieren's previous adventuring party (shown in flashbacks in the show, which form an important part of her narrative development- okay, I'll shut up now) printed on the metal opposite side panel, as well as a large sigil on the top grille. It's also decked out with plenty of fully customizable RGB lighting, including two slim lightbars that run along the top and bottom edges of the panelling. There's also the usual abundance of ports on the back you'd expect from a gaming PC, and a pretty standard front I/O featuring USB-A, USB-C, and an audio jack.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Future)
I also feel compelled to say that this is one of the tidiest and most well-assembled pre-built PCs I've seen in years, rivalling many of the best gaming PCs. I'm not saying that most reputable PC-builders are messy with their builds, but Starforge's work here is clearly top-class, with masterful cable management. Even the space hidden beneath the vertical PSU shroud is tidy (an area I'm personally accustomed to using as the 'just stuff it out of sight' space in my own PC builds).
In addition to the Frieren-themed extras, you also get a pack containing all the additional bits and pieces that weren't used in the build - drive brackets from the case, spare screws, unused modular cables from the PSU, all that good stuff. Not all PC-builders include this superfluous kit, but it's highly useful if you choose to upgrade your system further down the line.
One particularly nice inclusion here - also seen in some of Starforge Systems' other premium pre-built PCs - is the 'platelight'. That's the tall, thin acrylic art strip with LED backlighting you can see in some of the photos I've taken; pop off the other side panel, and you can easily slide it out and replace it with a different piece of illuminated artwork. Starforge sells a variety of these on its site (there are four other Frieren ones besides the default one included here), which range from other collabs to striking original artwork. You could even theoretically make your own, since it's just artwork printed on a rectangular slab of translucent acrylic.
Design: 5/ 5
Starforge Systems Frieren PC review: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Strong gaming and creative performance
CPU performance is okay, but not spectacular for the price
Fans are impressively quiet even under load
Starforge Systems Frieren PC Benchmarks
Here's how the Frieren PC performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
Powered by the excellent AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card, the Frieren PC has no issues running the latest PC games at 1080p and 1440p resolutions, and can easily spring to 4K without dropping below 60 frames per second in many titles too. If you're willing to switch on upscaling with FSR 3 (and you really should be at this point, as upscaling tech has come a long way in recent years), 4K gaming is comfortably within reach here.
I got stable framerates at 1440p and 4K in all the listed games (plus Black Myth: Wukong, which I'm currently playing through) except Cyberpunk 2077, which struggled a little once ray tracing was turned on. If you're willing to do a very small amount of fiddling in the graphical settings, though, virtually any game should be playable at 4K on this PC.
Considering the synthetic test results too, it's safe to say that this PC is also able to comfortably handle creative workloads such as video editing and 3D rendering. If you're a creative professional who also happens to be an anime fan, this might actually be the perfect computer for you.
(Image credit: Future)
CPU performance is a little less impressive, though still good. Although the Intel Core i5-14600K chip inside the Frieren PC is fast, as an i5 CPU, it's fundamentally just not a high-end processor. That has the potential to create minor bottlenecks in CPU-heavy programs, particularly single-core workloads. It's perfectly sufficient for 99% of use cases, but there will potentially be some users who want to do a lot of stuff beyond gaming on their PC, and this should be an important consideration if you're one of those people.
That i5 chip lacks a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) for handling AI workloads, but that doesn't matter in the slightest, since the far more powerful Radeon GPU can handle locally-run AI tasks to a good degree. This is a fairly niche application, though, so unless you already know you're going to be running AI software locally (or you're planning on building your own LLM) it shouldn't be a major concern.
Lastly, I'd like to note that despite its hefty size and six case fans (plus two on the GPU), it's surprisingly quiet in operation. Airflow overall seems good, with vertical pressure venting heat efficiently (I saw no significant component temperature spikes during my tests). Sure, you can hear the fans, but considering how much whine some PCs put out when running a demanding game or program, I have to say I was impressed at how little noise this system produces.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Should I buy the Starforge Systems Frieren PC?
Starforge Systems Frieren PC Scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
It's not cheap, but the pricing puts it only a little above the cost of a similar DIY PC - and the aesthetics are worth it if you're a weeb like me.
4 / 5
Design
Aesthetically stunning and well-assembled from good quality components, there's very little I can reasonably fault about this PC's design.
5 / 5
Performance
Gaming and creative performance is strong, with only minor tweaks needed to run the latest games at 4K with 60+ frames per second.
4.5 / 5
Total
A love letter to PC gaming and anime, the Frieren PC is the indisputable best possible gift for someone who loves that show.
4.5 / 5
Buy the Starforge Systems Frieren PC if...
You want a powerful, upgradable PC With solid gaming performance and an extremely tidy internal finish that should make future upgrades a breeze, this is a future-proofed system - though I can't guarantee it'll live as long as an immortal magical elf.
You love Frieren Do I really need to explain this one? If you like the show and you're a PC gamer, this is probably the best system you could possibly buy. If you haven't seen the show, how did you even get this far into the article? Leave immediately and watch it, that's an order.
Don't buy it if...
You're on a tight budget Two and a half thousand dollars is a lot of money, I can't dispute that. This is a product for die-hard fans who are willing to pay a bit more (though Starforge does also have some very reasonably-priced generic pre-builds).
You want a compact desktop The Frieren PC has a frankly huge footprint for a mid-tower system, measuring almost as much as my massive old Corsair Carbide 600C build from 2017. If you're already working with a cramped gaming space, I'd advise look for something smaller.
Starforge Systems Frieren PC review: Also Consider
NZXT Player PC One of the best desktop PCs we've reviewed this year, the 'Player PC' from NZXT might have an awful name, but it delivers strong gaming performance in a well-constructed case - plus, as an RTX 5070 system, it'll cost you a bit less than the Frieren PC too.
Asus ROG NUC (2025) If you’re looking for a powerful PC in the same price range that won't take up half your tiny desk's surface area, this compact gaming PC from Asus is a stellar choice. It's incredible how much performance Asus was able to cram into its pint-sized chassis, though it can get a bit noisy while gaming.
Used for work, video calls, and general internet use
Replaced my usual desktop for gaming
I tested the Starforge Systems Frieren PC for a set period of two weeks, during which it replaced my usual home office desktop (a similarly beefy system). I naturally used it for everyday work from home, which usually involves straightforward tasks like word processing, emailing, and web research, but also image editing using GIMP.
As usual with PC reviews, I ran the Frieren PC through our usual suite of benchmarking tests, which includes both in-game and synthetic benchmarks, as well as using it daily for my own gaming activities - it ran Black Myth: Wukong and Doom: The Dark Ages great (and Stardew Valley, but that could run on a lemon clock). Aside from gaming, I also used it for a few other online activities; I'm rewatching Twin Peaks, and on two occasions, it played host to my regular virtual TTRPG session.
I've been reviewing PC hardware for more than seven years and have been a PC gamer for more than twice that time, with so many laptop and desktop reviews under my belt at numerous different publications that I genuinely can't even count them. This was my first time reviewing a system from Starforge, and needless to say, I came away from the experience impressed (and quite frankly, frustrated that I couldn't keep it).
Most people think of scanners as that quaint mechanism that looks like an old photocopier on the printer, or an independent flatbed ideal for capturing receipts.
But in commercial terms, there are two pathways to bulk image capture: industrial document scanners that can handle hundreds of documents in short order, or devices like the CZUR ET24 Pro focused on book scanning.
Scanning books is a critical task for museums and archives where many people wish to see and read rare books, but the process is often detrimental to the documents.
The CZUR ET24 Pro is a camera solution designed specifically to cope with books where the scanning surface is likely to be curved, and the captured data will need to be flattened to provide the best viewing experience for others.
It features a 24MP camera mounted on a stand with its own lighting source and the electronics needed to profile the curve of the pages, and pass that information on to the scanning software to make appropriate adjustments.
The workflow allows the operator to turn the pages, hold them down and then trigger a capture using the foot pedal, hand switch or software-controlled, before moving on to the next page.
In addition to auto-flatten functionality, the software can also de-skew and includes OCR that can understand 180 different languages.
The CZUR ET24 Pro can scan any documents up to A3 size (16.5” x 11.7”), making it suitable for the majority of book scanning projects. CZUR makes a series of these devices, with the ET24 Pro being a mid-range option; it also makes cheaper, lower-resolution ET16 Plus and ET18 Pro models, in addition to the larger ET25 Pro and ET Max variants.
The only significant caveat with this device is the price, with the asking price being $649 for this model. That probably prices this hardware out for anyone who just wants to capture a single book, but for those who do this job regularly, it might be a solid investment.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
CZUR ET24 Pro: Price and availability
How much does it cost? From $649/£649/€629
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Through an online retailer or direct from CZUR
The range of CZUR scanners can be purchased through Amazon and AliExpress, and the asking price on Amazon is $649 in the USA, in the UK it's £649 at Amazon.co.uk, and €629 in Europe. Though the Europeans have a voucher deal running that reduced that to €534, making it the cheapest place to get it via Amazon.
The AliExpress pricing is better for the UK at £507.07, but for both the EU and USA customers, it's more expensive to get it from AliExpress than it is from Amazon.
Book scanning appears to be a subject that CZUR has effectively ring-fenced, since many competitor products are rebadged versions of its products. There are hand scanners and a few cheaper versions of the same concept, but CZUR has a wide range of options progressing from small portal solutions to larger professional installations.
Because there aren’t many competitors, the price is the price, and only the potential purchaser can determine if that represents value for money.
For what hardware is in this equipment, it seems expensive to this reviewer, but for those scanning books every day, it might seem like a bargain.
Value: ★★★★☆
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
CZUR ET24 Pro: Specs
Feature
Specification
Product Type
Smart Book & Document Scanner
Camera Sensor
CMOS, 24 Megapixels
Resolution
5696 x 4272 pixels (320 DPI default)
Max Scan Area
?A3 (420 x 297 mm / 16.5 x 11.7 in); Max: 480 x 360 mm (18.89 x 14.17 in)
Max Scan Thickness
35 mm (A3), 50 mm (A4)
Scan Speed
1.5 seconds per page (single/dual pages)
Image Format
JPG
Export Formats
JPG, PDF, Searchable PDF, Word, Excel, TIFF
Color Depth
24 bits
Video Streaming
MJPG
Preview
PC Visual Presenter: 3072 x 1728 @12fps; Scanning: 1536 x 1152 @20fps
Light Source
Built-in top LED and side lights
Focus Mode
Fixed focus
Trigger Methods
Device control, software, hand button, foot pedal
System Support
Windows XP/7/8/10/11 (32/64-bit), macOS 10.11+, Linux Ubuntu 16.04+
EFL: 4.55mm, BFL: 3.4mm, F/NO: 4.5, IR Cut: 650±10nm, Field of View: 82°, Distortion:
CZUR ET24 Pro: Design
Mostly plastic
Built-for purpose
Plenty of options
I was initially somewhat disappointed with this device, or rather, specifically the build quality, as it is almost entirely made of relatively thin plastic.
Given the L-shaped form factor, I at least expected the base to be mostly metal to counteract the weight of the top arm that holds the camera. It’s not, and therefore, the whole construction isn’t far from toppling over if something or someone accidentally collides with it.
That said, it comes mostly in one piece, and the only feature that requires attaching other than cables is the side lighting component that is roughly halfway up from the base. This is attached using magnets, and again, they needed to be stronger magnets to avoid this part falling if knocked.
The base has four buttons and connections on the rear for attaching the various triggers, an included power supply and, on this model, a display via HDMI.
If you attach all the cables provided, including the foot pedal and hand button, there could be five cables coming out of the scanner, which is a bit messy.
One annoyance is that this uses generally old technology. The USB cable to connect it to a computer is Type-A, so that’s a pain for anyone with a modern laptop which has only USB-C, and the Type-A is USB 2.0, making for longer file transfers than are possible with better connectivity. Not that the scanned files it captures are huge, but USB has got better for many reasons with each subsequent release.
There is another way to use the scanner: use it for presentations and display what it sees via the HDMI output. This sounds super-useful until you realise that the maximum resolution supported by the HDMI is 1080p, whereas the captures are 5696 x 4272 pixels or nearly six times bigger. You can zoom the display to see more detail from the capture, but why this isn’t in 4K is a mystery.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Another curiosity is that on top of the scanner, where the camera is supported, is a small colour LCD display, which shows what the camera is currently seeing. If you are sitting in front of the scanner, unless you are remarkably tall, you won’t be able to see the display unless you are standing up. That might be great for posture, but the idea of scanning a book while standing up seems mildly bonkers for those in the later stages of life.
There is an easy fix for this would be that the display was hinged, just like the ones that are on most 3D printers, and this would have worked for both standing and sitting operations. This evidently was either never considered by the designers or they rejected it on a cost basis. Whatever the reason, it was an obvious omission that needs to be rectified.
Along with the scanner and its cables, CZUR also provides two ‘finger cots’, curious devices I’ll discuss in the user experience section. And, also a CD with the software on it. No, that’s not a bit of my infamously odd UK humour, this scanner came with a CD, something I’ve not seen with a tech product in many a year.
Why wasn’t it a cheap USB flash drive? I’ve no idea, but I take it that CZUR thinks that the market for these devices is those still using technology from the end of the previous century.
And, as if to underline this point in neon marker, the software is provided in a version that runs on Windows XP, disturbingly.
To be clear, you can download the software and the manuals from the CZUR website if you can’t find a PC with an optical drive mounted.
Design: ★★★★☆
CZUR ET24 Pro: Features
OpenRISC 32-bit
1Gbit DDR?
Lasers?
CZUR describes the processor in the scanner as being a dual-core OpenRISC 32-bit, which covers a great many possible processors, none of which is especially impressive. The specifications also tell us that it has 1Gbit DDR. I find that hard to believe, because original DDR isn’t made these days, and also that would be 128MB/s of memory, which seems implausibly small for the job.
Perhaps those were typos, and it has 1GB of maybe DDR4, but I do wonder why they didn’t just take off-the-shelf phone electronics with their 64-bit ARM SoCs rather than building a complete bespoke platform to do the same job as phones do literally for pennies. And if they had taken that path, the scanner could have been wireless-capable and also have had USB-C inherently.
Another head-scratcher in the specs is that it indicates that the scanner has three lasers, which I presume are used to calculate the curve of the pages so they can be accurately flattened once scanned. My problem with this is that there is no evidence in use that there are any lasers, at least not ones that produce visible light frequencies.
I suspect this is another Chinese-made product where infrared and lasers are confused, as I can’t see anyone in the valuable book trade wanting their most valuable assets subjected to laser light if they could help it.
It should be noted that the profiling of the page has some significant limitations in the thickness of the book that can be scanned. The depth that can be adjusted for is 35 mm at A3 and 50 mm at A4. If your book is thicker than that, or you don’t hold it down to flatten it as much as possible, then you will end up with less than perfect scans.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Features: ★★★⯪☆
CZUR ET24 Pro: User experience
Define a workspace
Tons of features
Lacks a clearly defined workflow
Setting up this scanner doesn’t just involve getting it out of the box, plugging it all together and installing the software, as there are some subtle nuances to the installation that I wasn’t aware of.
For starters, there is a black neoprene mat that comes with the scanner that shows exactly the area that the camera is focused on, and it has a notch cut on one side, which is where the scanner must be precisely placed. Failure to do this accurately will impact the scanning process, so make sure it's right.
One thing that I only realised after a few scans was that no objects other than the book and your hands can be inside the border of the mat, and that includes the cabling. If it crosses the threshold of the mat, the software will think it's something to scan, and that will throw all sorts of things out of whack.
The software, which I’ll get to shortly, is designed to realise what fingers look like and will remove them from the processed image if you are using them to hold the pages down. However, also included are two yellow ‘finger cots’, which are devices to perform the same page-holding function, but are easier for the software to erase. They also provide a means to touch the book without adding skin oils to the paper, which is also useful for rare publications.
The biggest issue I had in creating a suitable workspace for this device was the amount of space it required. To avoid cables crossing the mat meant the laptop needed to be well away from the scanner, and my 120cm long pine table was probably the minimum size that is workable. Anything smaller and the computer will be too close to the scanning mat, making the scanning exercise more challenging. It would probably work better with a desktop system under the desk, although where you would put the mouse and keyboard is debatable.
In a previous role, I worked with document scanners, and it was a two-person operation: one handled the scanner and documents, while the other operated the computer.
That might seem people-intensive, but it's significantly more efficient than having one person do the whole thing by themselves.
In my experience, working alone, this process turned out to be more complex than I’d originally anticipated. This was mostly down to the need to use both hands to hold down the book and then needing a third hand or a foot to trigger the scanning process.
There is an ‘Auto-scan’ function that can detect page turns, but it’s easy to make a slight adjustment with the finger cots and trigger another scan of a page you have already captured. Facing pages can be captured as left and right images or as a combined, flattened output, which allows some leeway in cropping and adjusting how the captures are processed on each side.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
There are, however, a few things missing that I’d have liked to have seen. Having worked with a repository containing millions of images, a golden no-no is having images with the same name, since this can lead to overwriting a file with something else.
What this software doesn’t offer is the unique label that is never reused and added to every filename. You can create daily or project-driven folders, but this system would be massively advantaged if the capture files were integrated with a database, possibly detailing who scanned them, what adjustments have been applied and other information, such as an index code for the book.
While it can scan barcodes present on the book, it doesn’t use the same logic to identify page numbers that can then be inserted automatically into the file naming model. That wouldn’t be difficult to achieve, and could make a file collection that is correctly sorted by page, irrespective of the order it was scanned.
What is more comprehensive are the options for exporting the files in PDF, Tiff and various other formats.
My assessment of the software is that it isn’t exactly intuitive, but I did eventually locate the features I was looking for. While I was reviewing the scanner, it was updated, suggesting that it does get improved on some basis, which is gratifying.
What it lacks is an inherent workflow, where a book goes in one end and scanned digital data comes out of the other end.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
User experience: ★★★⯪☆
CZUR ET24 Pro: Final verdict
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Typically, with me, first impressions play a big part, and the amount of plastic in this product I found off-putting out of the box. However, after I’d used it, my opinion of this device subtly improved, because in the end of the day it does what CZUR claims for it.
I still think it needs a heavier base to counteract the arm, and a swivel on the display to make it easier to see when sat in front, but the workflow is practical, and it's possible to scan even a large book in an afternoon.
Does this justify the price? Probably not, but given the minimal product options that anyone wanting to scan a book has, that might be something you are forced to deal with.
I should mention before I get complaints that there are potential legal pitfalls to copying books protected by copyright, and that those using devices like the CZUR 24 Pro need to be aware of where those limitations exist in their specific geography.
This equipment can scan any book or publication, but doing so may not be protected under the law. But, if you have publications you can justify digitising, the CZUR 24 Pro will do it reasonably efficiently with a bit of training.
Final score: ★★★★☆
Should you buy a CZUR ET24 Pro?
Value
Seems expensive, till you realise the limited alternatives
4 / 5
Design
Simple but effective design that is quiet and attractive
4 / 5
Features
Odd hardware choices
3 / 5
User experience
Lots of features but lacks straightforward workflow
4 /5
Overall
Does whats required, but needs training
4 / 5
Buy it if...
You need to scan some books. While this isn't perfect at all, this is far superior to trying to use a flat-bed scanner or taking photographs.
Don't buy it if...
You have no scanning strategy. The worst possible approach to scanning documents is to assume its a photocopy exercise. If you think that, then the CZUR ET24 Pro or any other book-scanning equipment will be a wasted investment. Develop a plan that considers how the contents will be stored, retrieved and distributed, and then think about a scanner.
