Homelab box for 3 months

Minisforum
MS-A2

Ryzen 9, 64GB of RAM, four network ports and three M.2 slots. A beast of a mini PC. For a home lab, it’s total overkill.

Bought by me Not sponsored Not gifted
My Minisforum MS-A2 on a wooden shelf in my server room, power light on, sitting on a grey 3D-printed stand with a fan underneath.
Mine, in the server room, on the stand I 3D printed.

The short version

The good

  • Runs pfSense, about 10 containers and several VMs at once without breaking a sweat
  • Two 10G ports and two 2.5G ports
  • Room for a low-profile graphics card
  • Well made, and easy to take apart
  • Runs at 45°C after a re-paste

The not so good

  • Hit 90°C just downloading something, until I replaced the thermal paste
  • Can be a bit noisy once you tune the fans for cooling
  • One of the 2.5G ports is Realtek, not Intel
  • Uses 60 to 100W, which adds up running 24/7
  • Total overkill for most home labs

Who it’s for

If your goal is to supply a football stadium with internet, get this. If you’re at home doing your homelabbing, look at something smaller.

No I wouldn’t buy it again.

Three months with it

What it runs

I’ve had it for three months and I use it as my homelab box. It runs pfSense, around 10 other containers and several VMs, all at the same time.

It just gobbles it all up.

The temperatures

When I got it, the temperatures would get so high so easily. Just downloading something would kick it into the 90s°C.

So I put some quality thermal paste on it, and now it sits at 45°C, and 60°C at a push. If you buy one, it’s worth doing.

The noise

It can be a bit noisy. It wasn’t when I got it. I went into the BIOS and moved the fan curves around to keep it cooler, and that’s what made it louder.

It sits in my server room, so I don’t hear it anyway.

The network ports

The two 10G Intel ports are a nice touch, as are the two 2.5G ports. Only one of the 2.5G ports is Intel, though. The other is Realtek.

It’s easy enough to find the right drivers for it, and it’s never caused a problem. Ever.

My extras

I put an Intel Arc A310 graphics card in it for Frigate, my camera software.

I also 3D printed a stand with a fan for it to sit on. It actually keeps the M.2 drives very cool.

Power

All in all, while it’s doing its thing it uses roughly 60 to 100 watts. If that’s a concern for you, it can mount up when it’s on 24/7.

Rough maths: 80W around the clock is about 700kWh a year. I pay 34p per kWh, so that’s about £240 a year. Anywhere from £180 to £300, depending on how hard it’s working.

Is it well made?

I’d say it is. It’s so easy to take apart.

So what do I really think?

It’s way overkill, especially since my PC is specced right out. I don’t use this beast of a machine anywhere near its full potential.

I’ve got a low-power Ryzen NUC-style box that could easily replace it and sip just 10W. That review is coming soon.

The specs

Minisforum’s numbers, my setup, and what I actually found.

16coresAMD Ryzen 9 9955HX, 32 threads, up to 5.4GHz
64GBDDR5 RAM in mine (takes up to 96GB)
2×10GSFP+ ports, Intel
2×2.5GEthernet ports, one Intel, one Realtek
3M.2 NVMe slots
PCIeSlot for a low-profile card. Mine has an Arc A310
60–100WWhat mine draws, doing its thing

What runs on mine

Minisforum says vs what I found

Minisforum saysWhat I found
16-core Ryzen 9 9955HXRuns everything I throw at it at once. Way more than I need.
Compact workstationHit 90°C just downloading. Fine after new thermal paste: 45°C, 60°C at a push.
Dual 10G and dual 2.5G networkingGreat, though one 2.5G port is Realtek. The drivers were easy to find and it’s never caused a problem.
PCIe slot for a graphics cardMy Arc A310 for Frigate fits fine.
Three M.2 slotsKept very cool by the fan on my 3D-printed stand.

Specs are Minisforum’s published figures. RAM, graphics card and power draw are from my own machine.

The verdict

After three months as my homelab box.