I am not sure why a PC user would adore a classic Macintosh’s design. It rarely happens. But if you think about it, the good’ol Macintosh is kind of the retro icon at this point. Anyhoo, if you belong to this rare group of PC users who like a piece of a retro icon, well, the AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM101 AMD 5800U is for you.
The AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM101 AMD 5800U is not the first; the original AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM101 was launched in December 2023 with AMD Ryzen 7 5700U and Ryzen 3 3200U. This new model, as denoted by its model name, is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 5800U which offers high-performance options for gamers/users who demand more performance.
The retro-licious aesthetic is a nod to Apple Macintosh. However, it is not a copy of the upright design with display. Instead, a play on the design. It blends the original Mac’s design into the usual Mini PC lay-flat aesthetic. It sports the familiar beige color and has a raised black shape to mimic the display, a recreation of the rainbow color logo, and the faux floppy drive where you will find the Mini PC’s power button.
The “logo” is a magnetic piece that can be replaced with other pieces from AYANEO. It also comes with retro-inspired stickers for you to further decorate the machine.
While you can place the AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM101 AMD 5800U upright I think it is best in its natural position: flat. If not you would have cables coming out of its many I/Os on the top which will not be a pretty sight.
Beyond the aesthetic, the Mini PC features a built-in SATA 3.0 interface, supporting 2.5” SATA SSD or HDD, and dual DDR4 memory slots with support for up to 64 GB. The AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM101 supports M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD and is compatible with SATA 3.0 SSD. It does come supplied with an AYANEO-themed 2.5-inch SATA HDD bracket if a 2.5-inch HDD is how you roll.
In the cooling department, it touts a high-performance four-copper tube heat conduction structure, a 35 W large-size high-pressure turbofan, and a 60,008 mm2 area of aluminum fins.
It offers a myriad of I/Os, including USB 3.2 Genm1 Type-C, 3.5 mm dual-purpose audio jack, RJ45 10/100/1000M, USB 3.2 Gen2, USB 2.0, HDMI 2.0, DP1.4, and finally, a DC_IN.
Those are wired; on the wireless front, it has WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. Plus, it is fully capable of supporting up to 4K 60Hz output and dual-screen display.
The new AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM101 AMD 5800U is available barebone with no memory and storage, and the OS has a retail price of US$299. Meanwhile, 16 GB + 512 GB, 32 GB + 512 GB, and 32 GB + 1 TB retail at US$399, US$429, and US$499, respectively. But you can it a little cheap but heading to its pre-sale campaign on Indiegogo where a barebone unit goes for US$270., and a configured unit starts at US$361.
Images: AYANEO.
