Minisforum MS-A1 vs Minisforum UM790 Pro
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 29,825 PassMark).
- Idle power
- Minisforum UM790 Pro idles lower (11W vs 15W) - cheaper to run 24/7.
- Networking
- Minisforum MS-A1 has more NICs (2 vs 1) - better for a firewall or VLAN trunk.
- RAM ceiling
- Minisforum MS-A1 takes more RAM (96GB vs 64GB).
Which wins for each job
| Job | Minisforum MS-A1 | Minisforum UM790 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Plex / Jellyfin | ~5 streams | ~5 streams |
| Frigate NVR | add a detector | add a detector |
| Proxmox / VMs | 31,519 PassMark win | 29,825 PassMark |
| Firewall / router | 2 NICs win | 1 NICs |
| 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 | Minisforum MS-A1 | Minisforum UM790 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price (list) | $259 | $439 |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 8700G | AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS |
| Cores / threads | 8 | 8 |
| PassMark | 31,519 | 29,825 |
| iGPU | Radeon 780M (RDNA3) | Radeon 780M (RDNA3) |
| NICs | 2 | 1 |
| NIC model | Realtek RTL8125 | Realtek RTL8125 |
| RAM max (GB) | 96 | 64 |
| M.2 free | 1 | 1 |
| PCIe slot | none | none |
| Idle (W) | 15 | 11 |
| TDP (W) | 65 | 54 |