Minisforum MS02 Ultra Review – The Most Versatile Mini PC with 256 GB RAM, USB‑4, Wi‑Fi 7 and PCIe 5.0 GPU Support

Introduction

The Minisforum MS02 Ultra arrives as a striking blend of compact design and powerhouse performance. Marketed as the company’s most versatile mini PC, it packs a staggering 256 GB of DDR5 RAM, USB‑4 V2, dual 25 GbE Ethernet ports, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and a full‑size PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for a dedicated graphics card. Whether you need an AI workstation, a high‑end gaming rig, or a content‑creation workstation, the MS02 Ultra promises to adapt without sacrificing its tiny footprint.

Design and Build Quality

The chassis adopts an industrial aesthetic with clean lines and a modern finish. Ventilation is generous: air can flow in from both sides and the top, which is essential given the multiple expansion options. Inside, the layout is engineered for easy access—two rear screws release the entire cover, exposing a well‑organized interior.

• Dimensions: Mini‑ITX form factor (exact measurements not disclosed)
• Materials: Metal chassis with brushed finish
• Cooling: Dedicated CPU duct, three system fans, and top‑mounted airflow for GPU

Connectivity

The MS02 Ultra’s I/O panel is arguably its most impressive feature. It balances high‑speed data transfer, networking, and legacy ports.

Front Panel

• 1 × USB‑A 10 Gbps
• 2 × USB‑4 V2 (up to 80 Gbps theoretical bandwidth)
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Power button

Rear Panel

• 3 × USB‑A 10 Gbps
• 1 × 10 GbE Ethernet
• 1 × 2.5 GbE Ethernet
• 2 × 25 GbE Ethernet (pre‑installed PCIe card)
• HDMI 2.1 (FRL)
• 1 × USB‑4 40 Gbps
• Power input (internal 300 W PSU)

Expansion Capabilities

The MS02 Ultra is built around flexibility:

• PCIe Slots
  • 1 × PCIe 5.0 x16 (full‑height, supports low‑profile GPUs)
  • 1 × PCIe 4.0 x16 (occupied by the dual 25 GbE card in the Ultra configuration)
  • 1 × PCIe 4.0 x4 (additional expansion)
• RAM: Four DDR5 SO‑DIMM slots supporting up to 256 GB (ECC supported on the 9285AX SKU)
• Storage: Two M.2 2280 slots (NVMe) – the review unit ships with a 1 TB SSD
• Power: 8‑pin PCIe connector for GPU, plus an additional 8‑pin connector inside the case for future upgrades

Core Hardware Specs

Component	Specification
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 9285AX – 24 cores (8 Performance, 16 Efficiency), 24 threads, up to 5.5 GHz (P‑cores) / 4.6 GHz (E‑cores)
RAM	64 GB DDR5 (Sodium) in review; upgradable to 256 GB, ECC supported
GPU (review)	Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 low‑profile, 8 GB GDDR7, 1 × 8‑pin PCIe power connector
Storage	1 TB NVMe M.2 SSD
Power Supply	Integrated 300 W PSU
Networking	Dual 25 GbE (PCIe card), 10 GbE, 2.5 GbE, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
USB	USB‑4 V2 (80 Gbps), USB‑A 10 Gbps, HDMI 2.1

BIOS and Firmware

Minisforum provides a graphical BIOS that can be navigated with a mouse and keyboard. Key settings highlighted during testing:

• Power Limits: PL1 = 90 W, PL2 = 110 W (reduced when a GPU is installed; otherwise PL1 = 100 W, PL2 = 140 W)
• CPU Core Configuration: Ability to enable/disable individual performance or efficiency cores
• Fan Profiles: Quiet, Balanced, Performance – the reviewer selected Performance to accommodate the GPU’s power draw
• Network Stack: IPv4/IPv6 PXE support, visible Ethernet adapters

Performance Benchmarks

CPU

• Geekbench 6 – Single‑core: 2,957, Multi‑core: 17,992
• Cinebench R24 – Single‑core: 128, Multi‑core: 1,930 (outperforming many laptop and desktop CPUs in the same class)

GPU (RTX 5060)

• 3DMark SteelSeries (Time Spy) – Overall score: 13,672, FPS: 32.15
• 3DMark (Nomad) – Score: 3,214

These numbers reflect a system running with a 90 W PL1 and 110 W PL2 limit due to the installed GPU, yet still delivering solid performance for its size.

Real‑World Gaming Tests

The reviewer tested a range of modern titles at 1440p and 4K:

• Forza Horizon 5 – 4K Ultra, no DLSS, smooth playable frame rates
• Red Dead Redemption 2 – Ultra/Medium/High mix, average ~70 FPS at 1080p without DLSS
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider – 1440p High settings, ~121 FPS (no DLSS)
• Spider‑Man 2 – 1440p High with DLSS Quality, ~80 FPS; DLSS 4 (Quality) pushes it past 100 FPS
• Cyberpunk 2077 – 1440p Ultra with DLSS Quality, ~75 FPS; enabling DLSS 4 Frame Generation (X4) spikes performance to ~160 FPS

These results demonstrate that even a low‑profile RTX 5060 can deliver respectable frame rates at 1440p, especially when leveraging Nvidia’s DLSS technologies.

Workstation Potential

While the review focused on gaming, the MS02 Ultra’s architecture is equally suited for professional workloads. The upcoming test with an Intel ARC B50 Pro (16 GB VRAM) will showcase the platform as an AI/ML workstation capable of handling large language models and GPU‑accelerated rendering. The combination of PCIe 5.0, ample DDR5 memory, and high‑speed USB‑4 makes it a compelling option for developers, content creators, and data scientists.

Conclusion

The Minisforum MS02 Ultra lives up to its claim of being the most versatile mini PC on the market. Its strengths lie in:

• Unmatched expandability for a mini‑ITX chassis (PCIe 5.0 GPU, dual 25 GbE, up to 256 GB RAM)
• Future‑proof connectivity with USB‑4 V2, Wi‑Fi 7, and multiple high‑speed Ethernet ports
• Robust performance from an Intel Core Ultra 9285AX CPU and optional discrete GPU options
• Thoughtful thermal design that keeps temperatures in check despite the compact size

Whether you’re building a pocket‑sized AI workstation, a compact gaming rig, or a high‑performance content‑creation box, the MS02 Ultra provides a flexible foundation without compromising on speed or expandability. Its price point reflects the premium components, but for users who need a small form factor without sacrificing capability, it sets a new benchmark in the mini PC segment.