Minisforum UM690 vs Beelink SER8
| Field | Minisforum UM690 | Beelink SER8 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS |
| Cores | 8C / 16T | 8C / 16T |
| Form factor | 0.6 L mini-PC | 0.6 L mini-PC |
| Measured idle power | ~8–10 W idle wall-measured · Wall meter · source · 2023-03-05 | ~7–10 W system idle (package 3.5–4.7 W) wall-measured · Wall meter (package + system idle) · source · 2024-08-12 |
| ECC memory | No cited source — left blank. | No cited source — left blank. |
| NIC chipset | Intel I225-V 2.5GbE source · 2023-02-03 | 2.5GbE LAN (chipset not independently confirmed) source · 2024-08-12 |
| RAM ceiling | 64 GB (2× DDR5-4800 SODIMM) source · 2023-02-03 | Dual DDR5-5600 SODIMM slots source · 2024-08-12 |
| IOMMU / passthrough | Proxmox install needs a GRUB edit (initcall_blacklist=sysfb_init) due to the Radeon 680M; iGPU passthrough reported working only with specific vBIOS files and vfio device IDs. source · 2023 | No sourced passthrough report yet. |
| AMD reset bug | Radeon 680M (Rembrandt RDNA2) is subject to the AMD GPU reset bug — the card can only be used once per host power-on; the vendor-reset DKMS module is the standard workaround. source · 2020-11-22 | — |
| Price band | $500–700 | $500–600 |
| Proxmox fit (editorial) | good — ~8–10 W idle with a solid Intel i225-V 2.5GbE makes a capable Proxmox node, but 680M iGPU passthrough is tricky (GRUB workaround) and hits the AMD reset bug needing vendor-reset. | good — Very low ~7–10 W idle on a Zen4 8845HS makes an efficient always-on Proxmox node, though the unnamed 2.5GbE chipset and unconfirmed ECC leave some homelab unknowns. |
| Where to buy | Amazon Newegg eBay | Amazon Newegg eBay |
Frequently asked questions
Does the Minisforum UM690 or the Beelink SER8 use less idle power?
The Minisforum UM690 idles at ~8–10 W idle (wall-measured); the Beelink SER8 idles at ~7–10 W system idle (package 3.5–4.7 W) (wall-measured). On the cited lower-bound figures, the Beelink SER8 draws less. Idle varies with OS, 120 V vs 240 V mains and power tuning, so treat these as the third-party measured numbers, not a guarantee for your exact unit.
Minisforum UM690 vs Beelink SER8: which has the better NIC for Proxmox?
Minisforum UM690 NIC: Intel I225-V 2.5GbE (rated caution). Beelink SER8 NIC: 2.5GbE LAN (chipset not independently confirmed) (rated unknown). Intel i226 is the chipset to want; i225 has a documented dropout history and Realtek RTL8125 works on Linux/Proxmox but not VMware ESXi. Confirm the silicon on the unit you receive with lspci -nn.
Which is the better homelab / Proxmox box, the Minisforum UM690 or the Beelink SER8?
Minisforum UM690: ~8–10 W idle with a solid Intel i225-V 2.5GbE makes a capable Proxmox node, but 680M iGPU passthrough is tricky (GRUB workaround) and hits the AMD reset bug needing vendor-reset. Beelink SER8: Very low ~7–10 W idle on a Zen4 8845HS makes an efficient always-on Proxmox node, though the unnamed 2.5GbE chipset and unconfirmed ECC leave some homelab unknowns. These are our editorial verdicts derived from the cited fields above — not a spec.
Cited public information, not purchasing advice. Idle draw depends on OS, mains voltage (120 V vs 240 V) and power tuning (powertop); onboard NIC silicon can differ between production batches of the same model — confirm with
lspci -nn before relying on a NIC or passthrough claim. Full per-model detail and every source on the model pages.