Gaming in mini format, even without a Steam Machine? MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann tested a mini-PC and explains how much potential lies in a modern mini-PC from the manufacturer Beelink. And there’s a lot of it in the small device, but the limits are clearly defined as well.
The Steam Machine is sold out and hard to obtain. For many, Valve’s device was an option as a secondary device for the living room, serving as an alternative next to a large desktop PC or a console.
Besides gaming PCs and consoles, mini-PCs represent a third category of stationary devices, if we leave out the Switch.
The manufacturer Beelink offered me the chance to test the model Ser 08, specifically with gaming in mind. The company actively advertises its model with gaming performance and not just as a pure office device, as one might expect. On the manufacturer’s page, Dota 2, CSGO, PUBG, Lol, and Destiny 2 are prominently mentioned as gaming titles.
In a test, I took a look at the device and used it in everyday life for several weeks. What can the device accomplish in daily life and where are the limitations?
On Amazon, the Beelink Ser08 in its basic configuration currently costs about 700 Euros.
Mini-PC with powerful hardware but without a “real” graphics card
What hardware is in the device?
- AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS, which is a high-end notebook processor and not a pure desktop CPU.
- The CPU is equipped with a graphics chip called RX 780M. This means that in the mini-PC, no dedicated graphics card is used as in a real gaming PC. More on that later.
- 32 GB DDR5 RAM, which can be expanded.
- 1 TB SSD storage, which can also be expanded if necessary.
Technically, I’m already offered quite a powerful package here, but the processor is “only” from the year 2024 and continues to rely on the Zen4 architecture. RAM and storage are more than sufficient for 2026.
And that brings me to the system’s GPU. Let’s stay with the comparison to the Steam Machine, as you can immediately see the primary difference: While the Steam Machine uses a dedicated graphics card, the mini-PC only has a graphics chip that sits on the processor. A so-called APU.
On paper, this becomes even clearer when comparing the two chips: The RX 7600, roughly equivalent to the Steam Machine, is more than twice as powerful as the RX 780M in the mini-PC. On the other hand, the CPU of the mini-PC is about twice as powerful as the custom CPU of the Steam Machine.
The advantage of the mini-PC is also that it is very small: it takes up no more space than a cookie tin or a gaming controller (see image below). And it is also smaller than the Steam Machine. The mini-PC can therefore be quickly packed into the TV cabinet and powered on. What does this mean for daily use?
Yes, you can game with it, if it doesn’t have to be the current top titles
Yes, and what about gaming? With cutting-edge AAA titles, the little computer quickly runs out of breath. This should not really surprise you and, by the way, it didn’t surprise me either. Crimson Desert or Anno 117 are simply not fun with this device.
Older top titles usually work if you lower the details: Diablo 4, The Witcher 3, and even newer titles like Stellar Blade or EA Sports FC 26. A comprehensive test list with benchmarks can be found below in detail.
With smaller titles, things look significantly better: Here you get reasonable frame rates, as promised by the manufacturer. Even older MMORPGs, such as The Elder Scrolls Online or Star Wars: The Old Republic, run quite well on it.
At the end of the day, it really depends on what expectations you have for the little device. Do you want to play modern, visually stunning games? Then I would strongly advise against the mini-PC. Here, you would be much better off with a PS5 or an Xbox.
However, if you just want to play a few rounds occasionally and do not need the prettiest and best details, then the system is recommendable.
Beelink Ser 08: Performance in detail-check
What does the performance look like? In all games, it is unmistakable who is responsible for the overall poor performance, and that is the GPU. In almost all games, the GPU is at 100% at medium settings and Full HD (1920×1080), while the processor fluctuates somewhere between 20 and 40%. This means that the mini-PC misses out on a lot of potential due to the weak GPU chip.
The Steam Machine may have a significantly slower processor, but with the Beelink SER8, the fast CPU is constantly being throttled by the slow GPU chip. However, this also means: If you have games or programs that fully utilize the CPU, you are clearly at an advantage with the mini-PC, especially when you need to move thousands of units across the battlefield and the CPU has to handle many calculations in the background while the GPU has little to do.
In the table, you can see the average values in the games, the details of which are listed below as text. For performance, I tried to choose a wide range of games to cover multiple genres.
| Game | Performance |
|---|---|
| Palworld | FPS: 35 | CPU 34 % | GPU: 99 % |
| Stellar Blade | FPS: 39 | CPU 31 % | GPU: 99 % |
| Stronghold Crusader: Definitive | FPS: 60 | CPU: 21 % | GPU: 45 % |
| Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation | FPS: 44 | CPU 57 % | GPU 100 % |
| Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation (DX 12) | FPS: 33 | CPU 79 % | GPU 64 % |
| EA Sports FC 26 | FPS: 51 | CPU: 30 % | GPU 72 % |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | FPS: 42 | CPU: 52 % | GPU: 98 % |
What other options do I have? An alternative would be to combine the mini-PC with a docking station for graphics cards. These solutions are not cheap and also require a graphics card and sometimes a power supply. Additionally, such external solutions generally have a slower PCIe interface (PCIe 8 vs 16 in the PC) than a normal motherboard. Therefore, the full power of the graphics card may not reach your mini-PC.
I actually ordered an external case for my old Radeon RX 6700 XT, but it didn’t arrive in time for the test. If there’s interest, I will gladly send an update for that. Feel free to reach out in the comments!
Palworld
The survival game runs smoothly on the mini-PC right away. Even with many Pals and a well-built base, the performance remains between 30 and 40 FPS at medium details. The graphics chip is already at its possible maximum here.
Even hosting a game and joining another player is possible without issue, but the device’s performance decreases a bit then. As a player, the performance is usable, but as a host only conditionally, especially if you set the server settings too high.
Stellar Blade
The action game already ran very smoothly and effortlessly on my Steam Deck, and it’s similar on the mini-PC. The game runs stably at medium details, but you can get a bit more performance out of it at low settings. The GPU is also the limiting factor here.
Even in the action-packed boss fights, where quick reaction times are required, the mini-PC can keep up. However, the game does not look particularly nice anymore. Especially with hair or depth, many details are lost.
Interestingly, at the start of Stellar Blade, there was an error message that the “PlayStation PC SDK Runtime” was missing. The game started without any problems, though.
Stronghold Crusader: Definitive
The old RTS title runs absolutely flawlessly on the mini-PC. Even with many enemies and correspondingly many units on the map, I couldn’t observe any drops in performance. However, it should also be said: Stronghold Crusader is already 20 years old, even in its Definitive version.
In testing, I was even able to increase the resolution to UWQHD and play without issues. For such a game, the performance is therefore entirely sufficient and I still have more headroom.
Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation
The RTS focuses primarily on large battles with hundreds of units. Here too, it becomes evident that especially the graphics chip is limiting, while the CPU is rather at 30% and waiting to deliver more performance. With Direct X 11, performance is between 40 and 50 FPS at medium details.
With Direct X 12, the load can be shifted to the CPU. Here, the processor finally feels utilized, and the load on the GPU decreases. Interestingly, the frame rate also drops compared to Direct X 11. Therefore, after a brief test, I switched back to the more stable 11 version.
EA Sports FC 26
Electronic Arts’ latest football game runs quite stably and even reaches 60 FPS in active matches at medium settings. Interestingly, the GPU does not struggle at 100%, rather it fluctuates between 70 and 80%. Therefore, there’s still some room to adjust the settings.
The initial start of the game does take a while because the EA client must be installed first, followed by the anti-cheat module. However, there were actually no problems.
Cyberpunk 2077
You can also play Cyberpunk 2077 on the mini-PC, but you need to significantly reduce the graphics settings and use FSR 2.1 as well.
Similar to other modern games, the system is heavily limited by the GPU.
Can I recommend the device? Yes, in principle, you get a compact and powerful device that is limited by the weak GPU.
The device remains unobtrusively quiet even under load and offers plenty of performance. Gaming is certainly possible as long as you reduce details. You won’t get an alternative to a real gaming PC, but it is a good option for a secondary PC.
What alternatives are there in the mini-area? Beelink is not the only manufacturer selling mini-PCs.
- I have had very good experiences with NiPoGi, where I have privately used a small system in my daily life for years.
- Acemagic focuses on a colorful, playful design.
- Geekom opts for a similarly simple and understated design as Beelink, but offers a few more powerful options, including with the new Ryzen AI CPUs. However, the problem remains that you ultimately only get a Radeon 890M, which is just 10% faster than the chip used here.
- Another manufacturer is Minisforum, which also offers powerful mini-PCs, sometimes with a real graphics card.
In principle, the same applies to all the listed devices and options: Your gaming PC under the desk or your PS5 will not be replaced quickly by such a mini-PC, but these devices do not intend to replace them either. Nevertheless, it is impressive to see how much the technology in the mini-PC sector has developed in recent years. Nowadays, there are even models with dedicated graphics cards that can compete with the PS5: Manufacturer shows new gaming PC, thinner than the PS5 and supposed to be significantly more powerful
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