Beelink SER8 vs Minisforum MS-A1
Minisforum MS-A1 is both faster and cheaper here - the default pick unless you need something specific from the other.
The verdict
- CPU
- Minisforum MS-A1 has 1.1x the CPU throughput (31,519 vs 28,621 PassMark).
- Idle power
- Beelink SER8 idles lower (10W vs 15W) - cheaper to run 24/7.
- Networking
- Minisforum MS-A1 has more NICs (2 vs 1) - better for a firewall or VLAN trunk.
Which wins for each job
| Job | Beelink SER8 | Minisforum MS-A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Plex / Jellyfin | ~5 streams | ~5 streams |
| Frigate NVR | add a detector | add a detector |
| Proxmox / VMs | 28,621 PassMark | 31,519 PassMark win |
| Firewall / router | 1 NICs | 2 NICs win |
| Local AI / LLM | no slot | no slot |
Approximate - capacity estimates from curated specs, the same logic as the recommender. Verify against your exact setup. Prices move; check the retailer.
Full specs
| Spec | Beelink SER8 | Minisforum MS-A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Price (list) | $499 | $259 |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS | AMD Ryzen 7 8700G |
| Cores / threads | 8 | 8 |
| PassMark | 28,621 | 31,519 |
| iGPU | Radeon 780M (RDNA3) | Radeon 780M (RDNA3) |
| NICs | 1 | 2 |
| NIC model | Realtek RTL8125 | Realtek RTL8125 |
| RAM max (GB) | 96 | 96 |
| M.2 free | 1 | 1 |
| PCIe slot | none | none |
| Idle (W) | 10 | 15 |
| TDP (W) | 54 | 65 |