The Minisforum AI X1 Pro-470 mini PC was one of those mini PCs that just powered through every test we threw at it during review. It's sleek, stylish, packed with ports and expansion slots, and driven by performance - which is why we awarded it 4.5 stars in our review.
It's a bit of an all-rounder for a range of professional tasks, from office and creative projects to local AI development, which is where the machine really shines. Right now, the barebones model is down to $727 (was $909) at Best Buy. That's cheaper than Amazon, where it's priced at $759.
• Best for: power-user professionals, creators, home lab builders, and developers who want an upgradeable AI workstation.
• Why we like it: This mini PC features a 12-core Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 with Radeon 890M graphics, room for up to 128GB of DDR5 memory and three M.2 SSDs, an OCuLink port for an external GPU, two USB4 ports, dual 2.5G Ethernet, and a premium full-metal build. For a specced-out 32GB/1TB config, it's $1327 at both Best Buy and Amazon.
Today's best mini PC deal
AI X1 Pro-470 mini PC: was $909 now $727
A bare-bones mini PC with a 12-core AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 processor boosting to 5.2GHz and Radeon 890M integrated graphics. It has two DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM slots supporting up to 128GB, three M.2 SSD slots, an OCuLink port, two USB4 ports, DisplayPort 2.0, and dual 2.5G Ethernet. It ships without memory, storage, or an operating system. View Deal
Why we recommend it
In our Minisforum AI X1 Pro-470 review, we gave it 4.5 stars, praising its premium full-metal build, strong AI performance, and the OCuLink port and three M.2 slots that make it so expandable. He tested a fully configured model with a single 32GB memory stick and found that the single-channel setup held back GPU performance, so install two matching modules for the best results. The barebone version on sale here uses the same hardware, letting you choose your own memory and storage.
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Price Context & Historical Value
This is $220, or 24%, off, and it’s cheaper than the $759 the barebone model cost when we reviewed it. Keep in mind that DDR5 SO-DIMM memory and SSDs are expensive right now, so adding 32GB of RAM and a 1TB drive can add several hundred dollars to the total. It’s a great buy if you already own compatible parts, but less compelling if you need to buy everything new. Still, as noted above, the 32TB RAM / 1TB SSD model is selling for $1,327 at Best Buy and Amazon.
Should you buy it?
✅ Buy the Minisforum AI X1 Pro-470 barebones if...
You want a powerful, stylish AI mini PC that packs enough power for localized AI, office and creative work, and mid-weight gaming, or you plan to add a desktop graphics card through the OCuLink port.
❌ Skip the Minisforum AI X1 Pro-470 barebones if...
You want a ready-to-use mini PC out of the box, as you'll need to upgrade the memory, storage, and operating system.