After testing the MINISFORUM UN1290 Mini PC for weeks, I'm blown away by its performance in a 5x5x2-inch chassis. The Core i9-12900HK (14C/20T) chews through my Plex media server tasks while barely breaking a sweat. Triple 4K output via HDMI/DP/USB-C makes it a productivity beast.

PROS:

- The barebone version ($325) is a STEAL if you have spare DDR4 RAM and SSDs (I paired it with a $18 16GB stick)

- Whisper-quiet during office work, though fans spin up during 4K transcoding

- Surprisingly competent for light gaming (Minecraft at 60fps on Iris Xe graphics)

- WiFi 6E and 2.5G LAN provide flawless connectivity

CONS:

- Requires TINY screwdrivers for upgrades (not included)

- Rubber feet hide crucial screws - annoying design choice

- Some units reportedly shipped with wrong specs (i5 instead of i9)

- No disk activity LED - odd omission for a server build

BOTTOM LINE: This mini PC punches way above its weight class, but buy from reputable sellers to avoid spec mix-ups. Perfect for homelabs or as a space-saving workstation, though hardcore gamers should look elsewhere.