Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01 review: small, snazzy and affordable

The AM01 is part of a new retro series from Chinese company Ayaneo. Their design is the most outstanding feature of this mini PC. Although I’ve never owned a Macintosh, the device appeals to me for nostalgic reasons.

The AM01 is available from 200 US dollars, directly from the manufacturer. I was given the model with an AMD Ryzen 5 5800U, 16 gigabytes of RAM and a 512-gigabyte SSD. You’ll have to fork out 360 dollars for this. Ayaneo advertises the mini PC as a multifunctional device. They say you can work with it, play indie and AAA games, install SteamOS, turn it into a media server or use it as a retro console. I have no doubts it can manage five out of these six use cases. One is likely to involve a great many concessions.

A quick setup and plenty connections

The AM01 is the size of a typical Intel NUC. There are no buttons, apart from a power button. On the other hand, Ayaneo isn’t stingy with the connections. There’s HDMI, Displayport, Ethernet, a 3.5 mm jack, four USB-A and one USB-C port on the front. They allow me to connect all my peripherals without any problems. For wireless connections, the device supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.

Windows 11 setup starts immediately after switching on. Ayaneo also advertises SteamOS use. I could make a stationary Steam Deck out of it. But for my testing purposes, I’m better off with Microsoft’s operating system. Installation runs smoothly and without any problems. What I quickly notice is the fan, however. It isn’t extremely loud, more comparable to an older laptop. The equipment corresponds to a mid-range notebook. Still, I’d have expected a better fan in this case.

The design of this PC cries out to be seen. However, as a work computer on my desk that’s near my ears, the fan would bother me. It remains silent when browsing and doing light office work. But all you have to do is start a simple indie game like What the Car? or download it from Steam, or even install a Windows update, and the fan makes itself heard. I could possibly improve this with manual fan control.

Ideal for simple games, retro releases or as a media server

I’ve tried various less demanding games, such as the aforementioned What the Car?. Age of Mythology Reforged is also easy to play at full HD resolution and medium details, provided you don’t want to compete against others online.

I definitely wouldn’t recommend the AM01 for AAA games. The integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics chip is too weak for this. Theoretically, a co-op shooter like Helldivers 2 is also playable. However, I have to reduce all details to the minimum and activate upscaling with Ultra Performance for it. With all this, the AM01 reaches 35 fps at peak performance. As soon as the action kicks in, which it does constantly in Helldivers 2, the frame rate quickly plummets to single digits. Warhammer 40K: SpaceMarine 2 also doesn’t exceed 25 fps. And even there, hordes of aliens quickly bring the game to a standstill. It doesn’t really bring much joy.

For a more general comparison, I ran two benchmarks that test the processor. In Geekbench, the AM01 achieved 1,929 points in single-core and 7,733 in multi-core mode. In Cinebench, it’s 84 in single-core and 586 in multi-core. Taking a look at Martin Jud’s laptop review, the retro PC is at the bottom of the pile – not surprising given the price. The performance is certainly sufficient for typical office work and Photoshop.

As long as you limit yourself to simpler games, you’ll be fine. It’s also worth considering installing SteamOS on the device. You will lose the benefits of Windows and Game Pass, but operation will be much smoother if you’re thinking of putting the device in the living room and playing games from the sofa.

To do justice to its name as a retro mini PC, I tried out a few emulators. The Ayaneo gets along wonderfully with Nintendo 64 and co. As a compact retro gaming station with a matching design, the device cuts a fine figure.

The limitation of any display connections to 60 hertz is somewhat disappointing. Even if the device isn’t the most powerful, 120 hertz would’ve been desirable. Working feels much better this way, and smaller indie games would also be easier to play.

The AM01 is well suited for listening to music. I’ve installed Plex alternative Jellyfin, allowing me to stream a 70-gigabyte version of Blade Runner 2049 to my end devices without any problems. The movie loads in seconds, and rewinding is no problem either.

Verdict: smart, versatile PC at a fair price

Ayaneo’s Retro Mini PC is a great little device suitable for a variety of applications. Thanks to its compact size and eye-catching design, it looks best in the living room or on a tidy office desk. Note that noise-sensitive users may be bothered by the fan.

The performance of the AMD chip is easily sufficient for normal office work and some Photoshop. You can also play games on it, provided they aren’t too demanding or you’re satisfied with little detail and a low frame rate. I tested the AM01 with Windows, though SteamOS is also an option – especially if you want to put it in the living room. It also offers sufficient performance as a media server.

For once, you don’t pay any extra fee for an exceptional design. However, as you have to import the device – we don’t currently stock it – the price will be a little higher. This does make the competition more attractive, but its design remains uniquely pretty.