You still can't buy the Minisforum M2 Pro mini PC revealed at CES 2026 but the company has just released an entry-level device for budget-conscious users

Date:
Sun, 17 May 2026 21:40:00 +0000

Description:
Minisforum releases a cheaper Panther Lake M2 mini PC, while the more
powerful M2 Pro announced at CES 2026 remains unavailable.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Minisforum still has no release date for its long-promised M2 Pro mini PC The cheaper M2 mini PC sacrifices flagship graphics power for lower entry pricing A tiny 520-gram desktop now handles local AI models without relying entirely on cloud processing At CES 2026, Minisforum unveiled the M2 Pro mini PC, a device that promises to be a flagship device for high-end users, powered by an Intel Core Ultra X9 388H processor coupled with a discrete-class Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics.

However, five months after the launch, the promised M2 Pro has yet to be shipped, to the disappointment of potential buyers. Instead, Minisforum has now released a standard M2 version for budget-conscious buyers. Latest Videos From You may like Minisforum M2 Pro arrives with Intels Core Ultra X9 388H
CPU and 96GB of RAM Minisforum AI X1 Pro-470 mini PC review Minisforum MS-02 Ultra mini PC review Minisforum released an entry-level M2 mini PC This mini PC carries an Intel Core Ultra 7 356H Panther Lake chip, a 16-thread
processor that runs at 45 watts, which lacks the raw power of the Ultra X9 388H found in the M2 Pro, yet it remains a competent processor that costs substantially less.

The Minisforum M2 measures 130 x 127 x 50 mm, meaning it can fit in your
palm, and includes a 120W power adapter.

It weighs only 520 grams and supports a VESA mount, which means it can be attached to the rear of a monitor.

Under the hood, it comes with two SODIMM slots that support up to 128GB of DDR5-5600 RAM modules, and also hosts two M.2 2280 slots, supports PCIe 4.0
x4 storage for fast data access, and can hold up to 8TB of NVMe storage. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro
newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

There is also an additional M.2 2230 slot that houses an Intel BE200 wireless card with Wi-Fi 7. This card provides Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity for wireless peripherals and headphones.

For physical connectivity, this device uses one USB4 Type-C port operating at 40 Gbps for fast data transfers.

It supports three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports that deliver 10 Gbps each for connecting external devices. What to read next GMKTec demos Openclaw-capable mini PC that reaches 180 TOPS Unbelievably thin Panther Lake mini PC pictured with 13 ports on all four sides, including a 10GbE LAN connector, an OCuLink port and, wait for it, three M.2 slots inside Geekom A5 Pro mini PC review

A single USB 2.0 Type-A port provides 480 Mbps for legacy accessories like keyboards or mice.

Video output options consist of one HDMI 2.1 port and one DisplayPort 1.4 port. Two 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports use the RTL8125D controller for wired networking reliability.

There is a 3.5mm audio jack, which completes the connectivity suite for headphone or speaker use.

To tackle heating, which is a common problem for small-sized devices, the M2 comes with dual heat pipes alongside a single cooling fan.

Minisforum claims that with this configuration, at full load, the CPU hits 78 degrees Celsius with only 42.5dB of noise. Built for AI Minisforum markets
the M2 for AI tasks using its combined 90 TOPS of processing power (50 from the NPU and 40 from the GPU),

This allows users to run open-source models like GPT-OSS 20B and Gemma-4-26B-A4B locally, a useful feature for testing AI tools without
relying on cloud services.

The Minisforum M2 starts at $575 for a barebones model without any memory or storage.

However, a pre-configured version with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD costs
$1,039.

A budget-conscious user might reasonably question whether a system that more than doubles in price after basic configuration truly serves their needs. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/you-still-cant-buy-the-minisforum-m2-pro-mini-pc -revealed-at-ces-2026-but-the-company-has-just-released-an-entry-level-device- for-budget-conscious-users


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)