Recently, AMD officially launched the 7000 series processors. I was somewhat tempted by the performance parameters, so I decided to upgrade my current main “equipment”. Considering my usage scenario mainly involves browsing the web, editing videos, and occasionally playing games, and since there are a few idle monitors at home, I ultimately chose to purchase a mini PC.
Those who follow me may know that a few months ago I got into mini PCs, and the one I am currently using is the Zero刻 SER6. After using it, I feel that mini PCs are indeed quite appealing. This time, I chose the Zero刻 SER6 Pro VEST, which is essentially an upgraded version of the Zero刻 SER6 Pro, upgrading from the original 6800H to the AMD 7735HS processor. In actual tests, the Lu Master score easily exceeds 1 million points, and it can also smoothly run AAA games.
In terms of appearance, the Zero刻 SER6 Pro VEST continues the classic design style of Zero刻 mini PCs. After the configuration upgrade, the overall size has not increased, still measuring 113*126*42mm, which is basically similar to a TV box. The entire machine weighs about 500g, making it easy to carry in a bag when going out.
The front of the machine, from left to right, includes two USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, a full-featured USB 4 (Type-C) port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a power button. The USB 4 port supports 8K 60Hz video output and PD 3.0 power supply protocol (100W), and it can also be used with an external docking station. However, I personally find the design of the USB 4 port on the front a bit awkward, as the cables can appear messy during power supply or video output.
Next, turning to the back of the machine, the leftmost is a 2.5G LAN port, followed by USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, a USB 2.0 port, and two 4K 60Hz HDMI ports, with the power input port on the far right. The two HDMI ports, along with the USB 4 port in the front, mean that this machine supports triple display, meeting various usage needs.
The top of the machine features a removable mesh fabric. In addition to the already installed gray one, the manufacturer also provides a navy blue mesh. After switching, it gives a more business-like feel. As a 90s kid, I still prefer the more stable gray color.
Upon opening the top cover, you can see a large cooling fan underneath, which is primarily responsible for cooling the CPU. Therefore, the mesh design on the top is not only for aesthetics but also serves to ventilate and prevent dust.
In fact, to ensure the cooling performance of the mini PC, the Zero刻 SER6 Pro VEST adopts a dual-fan design. In addition to the top cooling fan, there is another cooling fan located under the motherboard, which helps cool down components such as the SSD, HDD, memory, and motherboard.
Some friends might worry that the dual cooling fans will increase noise, but after testing, I found that the noise in an office environment is around 30db, while playing large games can reach around 50db. You can only hear the fan working at night or during large games; during the day, it is basically imperceptible, so there is no need to worry about noise issues.
Even with such a compact body, the Zero刻 SER6 Pro VEST supports storage expansion. By opening the bottom cover, you can install a 2.5-inch 7mm SATA3 interface hard drive if you have any idle hard drives at home. The motherboard’s design and craftsmanship are quite neat, and it comes with two 16GB Crucial memory sticks and a thermal silicone pad on the M.2 NVMe solid-state drive.
In terms of accessories, the external packaging of the Zero刻 SER6 Pro VEST is significantly smaller than before. In addition to the main unit, it also provides a power adapter, two HDMI data cables, a mounting bracket, a manual, and several screws. It is worth mentioning that Zero刻 has now replaced the included power adapter with a 120W small power supply, which is about the size of a mobile phone charger, effectively addressing a previous shortcoming.
Now that we’ve discussed the appearance and disassembly, let’s take a look at the performance, which everyone is most concerned about. I only thought of running the benchmark after using it for a few days. The actual test shows that the Lu Master comprehensive performance score exceeds 1 million points, with the AMD 7735HS processor scoring 574,000, the integrated Radeon 680M scoring 119,000, the DDR5 memory scoring 176,000, and the solid-state drive scoring 182,000. The performance is on par with the flagship notebooks currently on sale.
The Zero刻 SER6 Pro VEST scored 2705 points in 3DMARK Time Spy, with a graphics score of 2409 and a CPU score of 8924, indicating strong overall performance. Daily tasks like office work, web browsing, video editing, and casual gaming are no problem, and even AAA games can run smoothly at medium to low settings.
Although major brands’ solid-state drives generally have no issues with read and write speeds, speed testing is an essential step. This machine uses PCIe Gen4.0, which can fully unleash the performance of the solid-state drive. The actual test shows that the maximum read speed exceeds 4216MB/s, while the write speed exceeds 1761MB/s.
Since I started using this mini PC, it has become my main machine for video editing. Whether it’s editing, adding subtitles, effects, creating transition animations, or processing video stabilization and color correction, I have not encountered any lag. Moreover, exporting a 2.5-minute long 4K resolution + high bitrate video takes about 3 minutes, which is quite fast.
Having said so much, how does the Zero刻 SER6 Pro VEST perform in gaming? Let’s start with “Genshin Impact” as an appetizer. Under high graphics settings with 60 frames, the average frame rate of the game can be maintained at around 60 FPS, with no lag during battles, map exploration, or challenges.
Through testing, “Forza Horizon 5” maintains a frame rate of 60 FPS under recommended settings, with no changes throughout the entire track. The gaming performance can be described as “stable.” Speaking of which, I suddenly remember an interesting fact: a netizen once told me that “Forza Horizon 5” is not a AAA game, and I was left speechless. What do you all think, does it count as AAA?
Honestly, I didn’t expect the Zero刻 SER6 Pro VEST could even play “Red Dead Redemption 2.” The frame rate performance is shown in the figure, averaging around 47 FPS. I haven’t had much experience with this game before, so I might not have reached the more performance-intensive stages, but it’s quite enjoyable to play occasionally. If I have time later, I’ll continue playing and see how the smoothness is.
Of course, if you pursue higher gaming graphics and smoothness, the Zero刻 SER6 Pro VEST’s USB 4 supports an external graphics dock. If you find the cost too high or too troublesome, I recommend going for a more powerful desktop instead. However, I think there aren’t many friends interested in mini PCs who specifically want to play AAA games.
To summarize, the latest generation AMD 7735HS processor shows a certain performance improvement, but the increase is not too significant. The overall performance of the Zero刻 SER6 Pro VEST has met my expectations. It is entirely sufficient for daily office work, web browsing, and video editing, and it can handle occasional gaming without much issue. In terms of drawbacks, the design of the USB 4 port on the front is not very convenient, and the interface design is somewhat concentrated, lacking built-in speakers, etc. Do you think spending over 3000 (32GB + 500GB) on a mini PC is worth it?