Introduction
The ASUS ProArt series is a product line specifically designed for creators, corresponding to the gaming-focused ROG brand. The ProArt series is gradually expanding its product line from monitors to hosts and motherboards. Today, we have a ProArt series Mini PC, the ProArt PA90, in the review room.
Product Specifications
This PA90 is equipped with an i9-9900K CPU, NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics card, and there is also a version with Quadro series professional graphics cards available. It has 16GB DDR4 memory, expandable up to 64GB, and comes with a pre-installed 512GB SSD, including an expandable M.2 slot. The storage drive is a 1TB HDD.
See the detailed specifications in the table below.
Product Analysis
The PA90’s packaging uses a black-on-black design, which is very stylish, with white model text at the top, and the “MiniPC” is in bold font.
The accessories include several manuals, including safety instructions.
And two large external power supplies.
Strangely, the two power supplies are actually different models and manufacturers; one is Delta and the other is ASUS’s own power supply. I wonder what the reasoning is. Is it to cater to the artists’ whimsy? (laugh)
The Delta power supply has a design power of 230W.
ASUS’s own power supply has a design power of 280W, making a total power of 510W when combined.
When placed together, the two power supplies are indeed heavier than a standard brick.
The ProArt PA90’s actual host gives the first impression of being a refined aluminum alloy “trash can”.
The power button is located at the bottom front, along with several I/O ports.
The power button also has a similar recessed design as the top, enhancing the tactile feel.
The bottom ports include 2 USB 3.1 Gen2 ports, and headphone and microphone jacks.
The top features a centrally recessed curved top cover, which is closed when powered off and will rise when powered on.
Dynamic display of the top cover.
The top cover is attached to the lifting base with magnets to effectively prevent external damage. I can easily remove it.
The top cover is made of plastic.
The appearance after removing the top cover.
Except for the front, the other three sides of the PA90 have a hollow heat dissipation design, and the craftsmanship and feel, combined with the aluminum alloy’s metallic texture, give it a very high-end feel.
The craftsmanship in the hollow parts is very precise, with a smooth and even surface that won’t snag on your hands.
The back is where the motherboard’s I/O ports are located, including two Wi-Fi wire terminals, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, one DP video port, two HDMI video ports, and one network port.
To be honest, for a host, the I/O ports seem a bit lacking. A keyboard and a mouse can fill up the USB 3.0 ports quickly. Although the Thunderbolt ports have strong expandability, they are still inconvenient.
Additionally, the Wi-Fi antenna could easily be integrated into the machine, having two tails sticking out the back is aesthetically unpleasing.
It should be noted that the two power ports at the bottom are divided into 230W and 280W, so don’t mix them up, as it could lead to insufficient power supply.
The bottom is quite simple, with 4 rubber feet and 3 long heat dissipation openings.
The base measures about 180mm in width, making it quite compact.
The actual height of the host is about 370mm (when the top cover is closed).
Let’s compare it with a standard brick.
The actual weight of the host is about 6.15Kg.
With the two power supplies, the total weight is about 8.1Kg.
Performance Testing
The tested PA90 is equipped with an i9-9900K CPU with a frequency of 5.0GHz.
Intel’s official CPU specifications:
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/186605/intel-core-i9-9900k-processor-16m-cache-up-to-5-00-ghz.html?wapkw=i9%209900k
The memory is factory-configured as 16GB single-channel DDR4 at a frequency of 2666MHz.
The graphics card is an NVIDIA RTX 2060 with 6GB GDDR6 memory.
The graphics card has a maximum frequency of 1950MHz.
The system drive is a 512GB NVME SSD from Samsung.
The HDD storage drive is a 1TB from Seagate.
The AS SSD score is 4602.
PCMark 8 Home conventional 3.0 score is 4977.
PCMark 8 Creative conventional 3.0 score is 6386.
PCMark 8 Work conventional 3.0 score is 3968.
The score for 3DMark Port Royal is 3825.
The score for 3DMark Time Spy Extreme is 3450.
The score for 3DMark Time Spy is 7470.
The score for 3DMark Fire Strike is 17107.
The score for 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme is 8324.
The score for 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra is 4111.
The Cinebench R20 test result is 4593cb, with a single core score of 499cb.
Thermal and Noise Testing
The thermal and noise testing was conducted in an environment with a room temperature of 20℃ (±1℃).
First, the CPU temperature at idle is about 37℃.
The idle noise level is 36.0dBA.
After 30 minutes of full load, the CPU temperature reached 79℃ with a frequency of 3.90GHz and power consumption of 114.9W.
The noise level during full load is 48.3dBA.
The GPU idle temperature is about 37℃.
After 20 minutes of full load, the GPU temperature reached 79℃ with a frequency of 1425.0MHz.
The noise level during GPU full load is 55.1dBA.
The total power consumption of the machine at idle is 34.8W.
The total power consumption of the machine under full CPU load is 163.5W.
The total power consumption of the machine under full GPU load is 238.0W.
Disassembly Analysis
The top inner mesh cover is also magnetically fixed and can be directly removed. After removal, the internal light strip can be seen.
Unscrew the screws at the top and bottom to separate the outer metal mesh cover.
The internal structure of the PA90 is well designed, with the graphics card and CPU located on either side, ensuring that heat dissipation does not interfere with each other.
The CPU cooling is located on the other side, using a 120mm water cooler for heat dissipation.
Remove the outer protective cover to see the internal RTX 2060 graphics card.
The graphics card is from their own TUF series RTX 2060.
The machine can support graphics cards up to 300mm in length, theoretically allowing for upgrades, but it should be noted that the power supply only provides one 8-pin power cable.
As a complete machine product, the reliability of the internal components is quite good.
Remove the other side cover to see the motherboard and CPU cooler section.
The CPU cooler comes from the famous OEM Asetek.
The motherboard also has an additional 8-pin power supply reserved for the graphics card, but it does not come with pre-installed cables.
The fan is located inside the radiator, blowing air from the inside out. The fan design is also very industrial.
The motherboard has two empty memory slots reserved for memory upgrades.
The wireless module is from Intel 9560NGW.
The Intel i9-9900K processor.
The motherboard structure is non-standard and is not an ITX motherboard.
The motherboard and graphics card are connected through a side converter.
The HDD is located in a 2.5-inch hard drive bay on the side, making replacement quite convenient.
Conclusion
As a host product developed for creators, the PA90 reflects its artistic flair in its design, being very compact and refined. The internal structure and external craftsmanship are of high quality. The only regret is that the two large power supplies trailing behind somewhat detract from the aesthetics, but they can be hidden away. In terms of configuration, the 9900K CPU paired with various professional graphics card options provides sufficient performance. If one must find a flaw, it would be the noise level under high load, which still feels very “brand machine”.
ASUS MiniPC ProArt PA90:
https://www.asus.com.cn/store/product-2658.html
