Minisforum MS-01 vs Minisforum MS-A2
| Field | Minisforum MS-01 | Minisforum MS-A2 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i9-13900H (also i5-12600H / i9-12900H SKUs) | AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX |
| Cores | 14C / 20T | 16C / 32T |
| Form factor | SFF workstation (1.9 L) | Virtualization SFF (~2 L) |
| Measured idle power | ~13 W bare-metal idle (Ubuntu 24.04, 64 GB DDR5, 1 NVMe, unoptimised); ~13–35 W in production with several VMs; ~52 W average measured over a week with a full VM stack wall-measured · Wall meter (bare metal) + smartplug/Home-Assistant week average · source · 2025-01-08 | ~25 W idle (far higher than the small APU boxes) wall-measured · Wall meter · source · 2025-05-30 |
| ECC memory | No (consumer DDR5 SODIMM, non-ECC) source · 2024 | No full ECC support (128 GB non-ECC tested working; 96 GB ECC only 'somewhat working') source · 2025-05-30 |
| NIC chipset | 2× 10GbE SFP+ (Intel X710) + 2× 2.5GbE Intel i226-V source · 2024 | 2× SFP+ 10GbE (Intel X710) + 2× 2.5GbE (Intel i226-V & Realtek RTL8125) source · 2025-05-30 |
| RAM ceiling | 96 GB (2× DDR5 SODIMM) source · 2024 | 128 GB non-ECC tested working (above Minisforum's 96 GB official spec) source · 2025-05-30 |
| IOMMU / passthrough | IOMMU initialises cleanly (DMAR enabled). iGPU (Iris Xe) FULL passthrough is notoriously hard — one owner spent ~24h with no success; the iGPU appears as multiple functions. SR-IOV vGPU (up to 7 instances) is the reliable route for Plex/Jellyfin transcode. PCIe slot + NICs pass through fine. source · 2024 | No sourced passthrough report yet. |
| AMD reset bug | — | — |
| Price band | $600–800 (barebones) | $700–900 (barebone) |
| Proxmox fit (editorial) | excellent — Purpose-built homelab virtualization box: 10GbE + i226, 3× NVMe, PCIe slot. Use SR-IOV vGPU not full iGPU passthrough. | good — A powerful 16-core virt SFF with dual Intel X710 10GbE and i226 2.5GbE — near-ideal for a Proxmox cluster, though ~25 W idle is far higher than the small APU boxes and ECC is only partially supported. |
| Where to buy | Amazon Newegg eBay | Amazon Newegg eBay |
Frequently asked questions
Does the Minisforum MS-01 or the Minisforum MS-A2 use less idle power?
The Minisforum MS-01 idles at ~13 W bare-metal idle (Ubuntu 24.04, 64 GB DDR5, 1 NVMe, unoptimised); ~13–35 W in production with several VMs; ~52 W average measured over a week with a full VM stack (wall-measured); the Minisforum MS-A2 idles at ~25 W idle (far higher than the small APU boxes) (wall-measured). On the cited lower-bound figures, the Minisforum MS-01 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 MS-01 vs Minisforum MS-A2: which has the better NIC for Proxmox?
Minisforum MS-01 NIC: 2× 10GbE SFP+ (Intel X710) + 2× 2.5GbE Intel i226-V (rated solid). Minisforum MS-A2 NIC: 2× SFP+ 10GbE (Intel X710) + 2× 2.5GbE (Intel i226-V & Realtek RTL8125) (rated solid). 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 MS-01 or the Minisforum MS-A2?
Minisforum MS-01: Purpose-built homelab virtualization box: 10GbE + i226, 3× NVMe, PCIe slot. Use SR-IOV vGPU not full iGPU passthrough. Minisforum MS-A2: A powerful 16-core virt SFF with dual Intel X710 10GbE and i226 2.5GbE — near-ideal for a Proxmox cluster, though ~25 W idle is far higher than the small APU boxes and ECC is only partially supported. 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.