A Mini PC Can Game, but Its Graphics Chip Sets the Ceiling

A mini PC with one of AMD’s larger Radeon chips can run demanding current games at 1080p on low settings, on the one published test we found, while the Intel N100 and N150 in the cheapest boxes suit games that ask only for integrated graphics. In one test reported by Notebookcheck, a mini PC with AMD’s Radeon 890M averaged 90 frames per second in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p on low settings with upscaling, a game whose Steam page asks for a GeForce GTX 1060 at minimum.

So the chip name on the listing is the first thing to read, and for Intel, the memory is the second.

The graphics chips, from AMD’s and Intel’s spec pages

Chip	Graphics	Graphics units	Max GPU clock
Intel N100	Intel UHD Graphics	24 execution units	750MHz
Intel N150	Intel Graphics	24 execution units	1GHz
Intel Core Ultra 7 255H	Intel Arc 140T	8 Xe-cores	2.25GHz
AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS	Radeon 780M	12 graphics cores	2,700MHz
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370	Radeon 890M	16 graphics cores	2,900MHz
AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395	Radeon 8060S	40 graphics cores	2,900MHz

Intel and AMD count different things, so compare within a brand, not across the table. Within AMD’s line the jump is large: the 8060S has 40 graphics cores to the 890M’s 16, and AMD lets the Max+ 395 run at up to 120W against 54W for the HX 370.

Makers set their own limits inside those ranges, and not always inside them: Minisforum’s MS-S1 MAX page gives 130W for its Performance mode, above AMD’s 120W.

More cores did not scale one for one. Notebookcheck found the 890M at about 18% faster than the 780M, despite a third more cores, and ETA Prime’s Forza Horizon 5 run at 1080p medium gave 109fps against an estimated 89fps for the 780M at the same settings.

The bottom of the table is the Intel N100, whose limits go beyond graphics: 16GB of memory at most, on one channel. The N150 keeps the same 24 execution units with a higher clock.

What the games ask for

Publishers’ minimums on the Steam store, read 10 October:

Game	Minimum graphics
Stardew Valley	256MB video memory, shader model 3.0+
Balatro	OpenGL 2.1, “integrated graphics”
Counter-Strike 2	1GB card, DirectX 11, Shader Model 5.0
Hades II	GTX 950, Radeon R7 360 or Intel HD Graphics 630
Baldur’s Gate 3	GTX 970, RX 480, Arc A380 or Qualcomm Adreno X1, 4GB+ of VRAM
Cyberpunk 2077	GTX 1060 6GB, RX 580 8GB or Arc A380
Elden Ring	GTX 1060 3GB or RX 580 4GB
Marvel Rivals	GTX 1060, RX 580 or Arc A380

The first four set a low bar, and the N100’s spec page lists DirectX 12.1 support. The last four name discrete cards, and no AMD or Intel page we read compares an integrated chip with a GTX 1060, so the spec sheets cannot tell you whether a 780M or an Arc 140T clears that minimum. Published tests are what answer it.

For the 890M, Notebookcheck reported ETA Prime’s results from a Beelink SER9 running at 54W: Cyberpunk 2077 averaged 90fps at 1080p low with AMD’s FSR upscaling on auto, and Horizon Forbidden West about 47fps at 1080p low, or about 70fps with frame generation. We found no comparable published test of the Arc 140T or the 8060S in a mini PC.

What the mini PC makers say

Mini PC	Chip	Graphics	From the maker’s page
Beelink EQ14 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	Intel N150	Intel Graphics, 24 EUs	“designed for all kinds of light office needs”
ASUS NUC 15 Pro	Core Ultra 5 or 7, among others	Arc or Intel Graphics	Arc “requires using 2 x SO-DIMM”
GEEKOM A9 Max (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 or HX 370	Radeon 890M	Valorant, Fortnite, LoL and CS2 “at 1080p high settings”
Minisforum AI X1 Pro-370 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	Ryzen AI 9 HX 370	Radeon 890M	OCuLink port “for external GPU expansion”
Minisforum MS-S1 MAX (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	Ryzen AI Max+ 395	Radeon 8060S	Sold as an “AI Workstation”, up to 130W in Performance mode
Minisforum AtomMan G1 Pro (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	Ryzen 9 8945HX	GeForce RTX 5060, discrete	350W built-in power supply

GEEKOM’s A9 Max page also lists frame rates, including 115fps in Cyberpunk 2077, without stating the resolution, preset, upscaling or frame generation behind them. Without those, the figure cannot be compared with anything, including the 90fps above.

With Intel, check the memory before the chip

Intel’s own footnote says Arc graphics on H-series Core Ultra chips appear only “with at least 16GB of system memory in a dual-channel configuration”. Anything less, and the same chip is branded Intel Graphics. ASUS’s NUC 15 Pro spec page lists configurations with a single memory module beside a note that Arc needs two.

So an Intel mini PC sold with one 16GB stick is not running the Arc graphics its chip name suggests. Adding a matching second module is the fix Intel’s and ASUS’s wording points to.

If the built-in graphics are not enough

An external GPU. Minisforum’s AI X1 Pro-370 has an OCuLink port for one. USB4 ports can carry an eGPU too, but only where the maker says so. What limits an eGPU covers how much of a card each kind of link lets through.

A mini PC with a graphics card inside. Minisforum’s AtomMan G1 Pro pairs a GeForce RTX 5060 with a 350W internal power supply. Its case is 215 × 57 × 315mm and 3.81kg, against 195 × 195 × 47.5mm and 1.5kg for Minisforum’s AI X1 Pro-370. It is the gaming pick on our mini PC shortlist of reviewed machines, and it is closer to a small desktop than to the boxes above.

Questions people ask

Is a mini PC any good for gaming?

It depends on the graphics chip inside. In one test Notebookcheck reported, a mini PC with AMD’s Radeon 890M averaged 90fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p low with upscaling. Intel N100 and N150 boxes suit games whose minimum is integrated graphics.

Can an Intel N100 mini PC play games?

Light ones. Intel lists its graphics as UHD Graphics with 24 execution units at up to 750MHz. Balatro and Stardew Valley ask for little more than integrated graphics; Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring and Marvel Rivals all name a discrete card such as a GTX 1060 as their minimum.

Is the Radeon 780M good enough for gaming?

It is the entry point of AMD’s gaming-capable tier, with 12 graphics cores on AMD’s page. Notebookcheck put the newer 890M at about 18% faster, and ETA Prime’s Forza Horizon 5 run at 1080p medium gave 109fps on the 890M against an estimated 89fps on the 780M.

Why does my Intel mini PC say Intel Graphics instead of Intel Arc?

Intel says Arc graphics on H-series Core Ultra chips need at least 16GB of memory in dual channel. With one memory module the same chip is called Intel Graphics. ASUS’s NUC 15 Pro spec page says its Arc GPU requires two SO-DIMMs.

Which mini PC chip has the strongest integrated graphics?

Of the chips we checked, AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has the most graphics cores, 40 on its Radeon 8060S. Minisforum sells it in the MS-S1 MAX as an AI workstation with 128GB of memory. We found no reported game benchmark for it in a mini PC.

Can you add a graphics card to a mini PC?

Some take one externally. Minisforum’s AI X1 Pro-370 has an OCuLink port for an external GPU. Others build one in: Minisforum’s AtomMan G1 Pro carries a GeForce RTX 5060 and a 350W power supply, in a case much larger than a typical mini PC.