Ayaneo Retro Mini AM02

In a world where PC gaming hardware is dominated by a handful of behemoths, whose foghorn message of «GET OUR STUFF, CRUSH YOUR FOES» is expressed in some truly awful product aesthetics, I'm just super-happy to see a manufacturer like Ayaneo treading a different path.

It specialises in handheld gaming PCs (such as the Ayaneo Kun and the Air 1S), built around AMD's low-power, performant APUs, but dabbles in mini-PCs as well. The Retro Mini AM02 is its second such release, and it's cute as a button. 

It's a pint-sized homage to the original Nintendo Entertainment System, complete with a front hood which pops open to reveal twin USB 2.3 ports, a USB4 Type-C, and a combined audio socket. It's elegant, tactile, easy on the eye, and once you have it installed on your desk (or by your TV, we'll come to that), I defy you not to throw admiring glances at it from time to time.

The styling of the Retro Mini AM02 goes hand-in-hand with the capabilities of the machine. It says «Make an emulator out of me! PLAY ALL THE GAMES YOU GREW UP WITH!», which you absolutely can, you absolutely should—I absolutely did—but that doesn't preclude the fact that the hardware is capable of more. 

APU: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
iGPU: Radeon 780M
Memory: 0GB | 32GB | 64GB DDR5-5600MHz
Storage:  0TB | 512GB | 1TB
Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
I/O: 2x USB 4/Thunderbolt, 3.5mm audio, 4x USB 2.3, 2.5G LAN, 2x HDMI 2.1
Price: $479 (Barebones), $599 (16GB+512GB), $639 (16GB+1TB), $699 (32GB+1TB)

Housing AMD's Ryzen 7 7840HS, the higher-wattage version of the 7840U found in Ayaneo's handhelds, and packing a Radeon 780M iGPU, most modern games should run playably at 1080P, provided you're willing to sacrifice higher graphics settings.

There's a 4-inch touchscreen on the lid which can be swiped left or right to display detailed system info, a clock, or a quick-access panel to switch between preset performance modes. It's just begging for some custom wallpaper options, though the functionality isn't there yet—Ayaneo