The first Copilot+ capable mini PC I've tested doesn't disappoint as a strong rival to Apple's new Mac mini

I'm in love with mini PCs, and Beelink is in top form within the category. I've reviewed countless mini PCs from Beelink at this point, but the new SER9 with AMD's cutting-edge Ryzen AI 9 370 processor might take the cake as one of its best to date.

It's the company's first mini PC that's Copilot+ capable, meaning it will support new features such as Windows Recall and Click To Do when those features become available over the coming weeks.

But it's not just AI that makes this mini PC so good; the CPU and GPU are super impressive, too. It's a capable 1080p gaming box and runs quiet enough for use in an office environment, too. 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.

Beelink SER9: Pricing and availability

The front I/O on Beelink's SER9 consists of power, an audio jack, USB-C, and USB-A. (Image credit: Windows Central)

The Beelink SER9 can be purchased directly from Beelink's official storefront or via third-party retailers like Amazon.com for $1,249, but you can often find it for a couple hundred bucks cheaper if you purchase direct from Beelink. It's available in just one configuration, albeit in two colorways: Silver or Space Grey.

Beelink SER9: Design

The top side looks pretty clean on the SER9. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Starting off with the design of the Beelink SER9, this thing is a stunner. I think it's one of the more minimalist-looking mini PCs on the market, featuring an all-metal aluminum chassis that's cold to the touch and available in two colors: Frost Silver or Space Gray.

On the front, we have a clean layout that includes four tiny holes for the built-in microphone, along with a 3.5mm audio jack, one USB-C port, and one USB-A port. There's also a power button on the front with a built-in LED light to indicate when the PC is powered on. The button is very tactile and satisfying to press and in an easy-to-reach spot, unlike the new Mac mini.

Around the back, we have a healthy selection of ports, including one USB-A 3.2 port, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a 2.5Gbps Ethernet jack, a single DisplayPort 1.4 port, one HDMI 2.1 port, a USB4 C-Type port, and another audio jack. I have to say I am disappointed with how many USB 2.0 ports we have here on the SER9. There are three USB-A ports on the back, and only one of them is capable of modern 3.2 speeds. That means the other two USB-A ports aren't useful for anything more than wired peripherals like a keyboard and mouse. I'd have much preferred all the USB-A ports to be at least 3.0 compatible.

There's a small printed logo on the top of the chassis and a plastic mesh on the bottom that allows for airflow to move around the PC and keep the internals cool. The left and right sides of the box are simple and clean, with no ports, buttons, or labels to speak of.

Overall, I really love the design of this mini PC. It actually looks like the new Mac mini if you squint hard enough, which isn't a bad thing at all. Most Mini PCs have a plastic enclosure, so I appreciate Beelink going the extra mile with the all-metal chassis here.

The design of the SER9 also allows for internal component upgrades, too. The SER9 officially supports upgrading storage, featuring two M.2 SSD slots (one for the 1TB SSD it comes with and an empty one that you can add your own to.) Popping off the bottom mesh is as easy as undoing a few screws, and you'll immediately gain access to the M.2 slots for storage upgrades.

Beelink SER9: Features

The backside I/O is absolutely full of useful ports. (Image credit: Windows Central)

The Beelink SER9 is one of the few mini PCs on the market with a built-in speaker and microphone. On the front, you'll find four holes for the microphone, which Beelink says is powered by an AI chip that allows Windows to intelligently separate background noise from foreground noise. Basically, the built-in microphone supports Microsoft's Voice Focus feature, which is part of Windows Studio Effects and is only available on devices with a dedicated NPU, which the Beelink SER9 has.

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. As you'd expect, they're not amazing. I find my built-in monitor speakers clearer and easier to listen to, even though I wouldn't recommend using them either. The speakers in the SER9 are just too muffled and tinny to really be useful. They're fine enough in a pinch if you're joining a Teams call, but I wouldn't watch movies or listen to music with these speakers. This is especially true if you like to mount your mini PC behind your monitor or under the desk.

As mentioned, the Beelink SER9 is one of the first mini PCs on the market to ship with a dedicated NPU that is capable of outputting more than 40 TOPS of power. In fact, the NPU in this PC can output around 50 TOPS, making it an official Copilot+ PC and, therefore, capable of all Microsoft's special AI features in Windows 11, including Windows Recall and Click To Do.

Unfortunately, none of those features are actually available on the SER9 just yet. Microsoft intends to begin rolling out Copilot+ PC features for AMD and Intel Copilot+ PCs in the coming weeks after being made available first on Snapdragon X Copilot+ PCs. That's annoying, but at least you can guarantee the SER9 will be getting new AI features shortly.

Beelink SER9: Performance

There are just four screws to remove to gain access to the insides. (Image credit: Windows Central)

When it comes to performance, the SER9 does not disappoint. Featuring AMD's latest Ryzen AI 9 370 processor, paired with the Radeon 890M GPU and 32GB RAM, this mini PC is a proper beast when it comes to performance and getting work done. It's one of AMDs first Copilot+ capable processors with an NPU that outputs around 50 TOPS of power, which makes it the most capable NPU you can buy on the market currently in the Windows PC space.

Let's start with our PCMark 10 test, which tests your everyday productivity-type workflows with Microsoft Office, web browsing, and video calls. In our test, PCMark 10 earned a very respectable score of 7,392, placing it just behind Intel's Core i7-13700H and just ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, meaning this chip is no slouch.

It's a similar story in Geekbench 6, which tests raw CPU power. In our test, the SER9 came in just above the Snapdragon X Elite in 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. 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. In our 3DMark Time Spy test, the Radeon 890M graphics chip earned a score of 4,022, placing it up there with the likes of the Intel Arc 140V and performing shockingly similar to the NVIDIA RTX 4060 L in the Dell XPS 16, which has a score of 4,100.

When it comes to using the PC for real, the SER9 is incredibly snappy while remaining cool and quiet at pretty much all times. The only time I really hear the fans spin up is when rendering high-quality video or playing a game, which is to be expected. The SER9, when performing lightweight tasks, sits at around 33db/s, which is perfectly fine for a desktop PC. When gaming, it can ramp up to around 45db/s.

That gaming performance is also nothing to sniff at. The 890M in here is a genuinely capable graphics chip, so much so that I'd actually recommend the SER9 for those who dabble in a bit of gaming sometimes. You will be able to run most AAA titles at 1080p medium graphics settings at around 60 FPS, something I couldn't say about some older "gaming" focused Beelink PCs.

If you're looking for something that can play games at 4K with Ultra graphics settings, this isn't the mini PC for you. However, if you sometimes find yourself loading up Cities Skylines or casually partaking in a couple of rounds of Slayer in Halo: Infinite, the SER9 can handle those types of games at 1080p Medium with no problems.

Lastly, I want to mention an odd thing I noticed with my SER9 unit. Whenever the 890M graphics chip is in use, I can hear a very quiet, low-pitched buzzing noise from the PC. This buzzing noise is not present when the GPU isn't in use. 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?

The USB-A ports on the back leave a little to be desired. (Image credit: Windows Central)

You should buy this if ...

✅ You're looking for a mini PC that's capable of Copilot+ AI features.

✅ 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 the best mini PCs I've tested yet. It's the first AI mini PC I've had come through the lab, and I think it's a great choice for people looking for a desktop PC that's Copilot+ capable, even though none of those features are actually available yet. It features a gorgeous design and incredible power for the size of the box, but you do pay a premium for it.

I'm not a huge fan of the port selection around the back; I really think all the USB-A ports should be 3.x compatible at minimum. USB 2.0 speeds in 2024 are basically useless, and no devices should be shipping with it.

The SER9 is on the more expensive side at $1,249. You can often find it for around $999 if you buy direct from Beelink, but that might be a risk as customer support won't be as good as purchasing directly from an online retailer like Amazon. For the price, you get an incredibly capable Windows PC that will soon be compatible with all of Microsoft's new Copilot+ features, can competently handle gaming at 1080p, and is small and quiet enough to fit in on basically any desk and environment.