I’m in love with mini PCs, and Beelink is in top form within the category.
Pricing and availabilityDesignFeaturesPerformanceShould you buy it?
It’s a capable 1080p gaming box and runs quiet enough for use in an office environment, too.
The front I/O on Beelink’s SER9 consists of power, an audio jack, USB-C, and USB-A.
It’s also housed in a premium metal chassis and is an all-around high-quality, premium mini PC.
But you do pay a price for it.
I’ve been using the Beelink SER9 for a few weeks now, and this is my full review.
This review was made possible thanks to a review sample provided by Beelink.
The company had no input and did not see the contents of this review prior to publication.
It’s available in just one configuration, albeit in two colorways: Silver or Space Grey.
The backside I/O is absolutely full of useful ports.
However, the storage is upgradable after the fact.
Both slots can be upgraded with more storage down the line.
Sadly, the RAM is soldered and cannot be upgraded.
There are just four screws to remove to gain access to the insides.
It’s a great mini PC with incredible power while maintaining a sleek and clean look and feel.
I have to say I am disappointed with how many USB 2.0 ports we have here on the SER9.
I’d have much preferred all the USB-A ports to be at least 3.0 compatible.
(Image credit: Windows Central)
Overall, I really love the design of this mini PC.
The design of the SER9 also allows for internal component upgrades, too.
To compare, the brand new M4 Mac Mini is 5 x 5 x 2 inches.
(Image credit: Windows Central)
The SER9 really is comparable, being both incredibly powerful, quiet, and small.
Before we get to that, I want to highlight the speakers.
I don’t think a mini PC needs built-in speakers, but Beelink decided to include them here anyway.
(Image credit: Windows Central)
As you’d expect, they’re not amazing.
The speakers in the SER9 are just too muffled and tinny to really be useful.
This is especially true if you like to mount your mini PC behind your monitor or under the desk.
(Image credit: Windows Central)
Unfortunately, none of those features are actually available on the SER9 just yet.
Beelink SER9: Performance
When it comes to performance, the SER9 does not disappoint.
It’s a similar story in Geekbench 6, which tests raw CPU power.
(Image credit: Windows Central)
In our test, the SER9 came in just above theSnapdragon X Elitein both single-core and multi-core tests.
Our single-core result was 2,899, and our multi-core score was 15,145.
To compare, the Snapdragon X Elite earned 2,832 for single-core and 14,557 for multi-core.
(Image credit: Windows Central)
So, performance is close, but the AMD Ryzen AI 9 edges it out.
When it comes to graphics performance, the SER9 doesn’t disappoint here, either.
When gaming, it can ramp up to around 45db/s.
(Image credit: Windows Central)
That gaming performance is also nothing to sniff at.
Lastly, I want to mention an odd thing I noticed with my SER9 unit.
This buzzing noise is not present when the GPU isn’t in use.
The USB-A ports on the back leave a little to be desired.
I’m not sure if it’s something similar to coil whine or just an issue with my unit.
But it’s something to keep an eye out for.
Beelink SER9: Should you buy it?
You need a mini PC that’s powerful and quiet.
You want to do a bit of lightweight gaming.
You want a productivity machine that doesn’t take up much space.
You should not buy this if …
You need multiple USB-C ports.
You need more than two USB-A 3.x ports.
You want to do high-end gaming.
Overall, the Beelink SER9 might be one of thebest mini PCsI’ve tested yet.
USB 2.0 speeds in 2024 are basically useless, and no devices should be shipping with it.
The SER9 is on the more expensive sideat $1,249.
It’s a great mini PC with incredible power while maintaining a sleek and clean look and feel.
