The Incredible Mini Computer: A Review of the Mingfan EM680

Recently, we have discussed many mini hosts, some with high aesthetics, some with strong performance, and some with low prices.

Today, this one is the most “mini“, with dimensions of only 8cm x 8cm x 4.2cm. This may not be very intuitive, so let’s take a look at the pictures directly:

It really is palm-sized and can easily fit in your pocket.

How does such a small size perform in practice? Today, we will do a simple analysis:

Mingfan EM680

Swipe left to see the ports

Front ports

Side ports

Rear ports

Its configuration is as follows:

R7 6800U Processor

32GB LPDDR5 6400MHz Memory

512GB Solid State Drive

Length 80.1mm

Width 80.1mm

Height 42.1mm

Weight 238g

Adapter weight 151g

Reference price 2930 yuan

Its pros and cons are as follows:

Pros!

1. Extremely small size, does not take up space

2. A relatively large number of ports

3. Low fan noise under high load

Cons!

1. Dense ports, easy to conflict when fully plugged in

2. No RJ45 network port

3. Does not support VESA mounting

[Upgrade Suggestions]

This mini host is not difficult to disassemble; just unscrew the screws under the D-shell foot pads and disconnect the fan cable to remove the back cover.

The dual-channel 32GB LPDDR5 6400MHz memory can meet the needs of most applications, and the memory is onboard and cannot be replaced.

The solid-state drive on the test machine is 512GB, model Kingston OM3PGP4, supports PCIe4.0×4 and NVMe, and the machine has only one 2230 specification M.2 slot, which can be replaced if needed.

[Purchase Suggestions]

1. Extremely high requirements for small footprint

2. High requirements for the number of ports

3. Relatively low performance requirements

The Mingfan EM680 uses the “N-1 generation” old R7 6800U processor, but it is paired with 32GB of high-frequency LPDDR5 memory, which helps to release the performance of the Radeon 680M integrated graphics.

In terms of ports, the front side of the machine has USB4 (supports video output and PD power supply) and a 3.5mm audio interface;

the rear side has HDMI2.1, two USB-A 10Gbps ports, and a USB4 port (supports video output and PD power supply);

the right side has a Micro SD card slot and a USB-A 10Gbps port.

In terms of noise, its full-load decibel value is 42.4dB. (Environmental noise is 36.6dB)

The price of the Mingfan EM680 is not high; you can get solid-state memory and a pre-installed genuine system for 3000 yuan, but currently, there is no latest ZEN4 processor version. I guess the reason is still due to its niche market, resulting in the manufacturer’s inability to iterate.

So if you want an ultra-mini Ryzen mini host, this Mingfan EM680 should be the smallest PC I’ve tested so far.

However, if you want to buy the latest configuration, this computer may not be suitable for you.

[Cooling Analysis]

The above image is a disassembly photo of the Mingfan EM680, featuring a small size centrifugal fan with a single heat pipe + liquid metal thermal interface material combination.

Room temperature 25℃

Reflectivity 1.0

BIOS version: 0.16

For low-voltage processors, we use Stress CPU for stress testing.

Under full load, the CPU temperature reaches a maximum of 85.1℃, stabilizing at 82.5℃, power consumption is 28W, and frequency is 4.0GHz.

Swipe left to see the side temperature

Left side temperature

Rear temperature

Surface temperatures are shown in the above images, with the maximum temperature of the machine’s top cover reaching 52.8℃ at the rear exhaust port, the left exhaust port temperature is 65.8℃, and the rear exhaust port temperature is 64.0℃.

Overall, the cooling performance of the Mingfan EM680 is decent; the temperature is controlled, and the noise is not high, but the CPU power consumption is a bit low. However, we shouldn’t set our expectations too high, as its size is a limiting factor.

[Conclusion from the Pig King]

I have to say, Mingfan truly is a talent I initially thought that the previous size of computers was the limit, but the EM680 has completely refreshed my understanding! It’s just a pity that I discovered it only now; otherwise, I could have shared it with everyone earlier. It’s a case of late discovery!

In my opinion, this type of computer is mainly limited by energy consumption ratio. If Apple could fit the M3 processor into such a small body, it would definitely launch a stunning new product! I also found that the mini host industry is not stagnant; products like the Mingfan EM680 have brought me surprises.

This year, we have tested enough; we still have to return to our old profession and play more with laptops I hope that next year when we come into contact with mini hosts again, we can see more interesting new products!