MINIX NGC NR660, Review: mini PC AMD Ryzen 5 6600H and USB4

Today we will see the new MINIX NGC NR660, a computer from MINIX of which we will make its analysis or review in detail. A small PC with interesting features.

The compact MINIX NGC NR660 NGC comes with a sober design with the lines and the usual brand logo on the top cover. This machine includes the AMD Ryzen 5 6600H processor manufactured in 6 nm, 16 GB of DDR5 RAM, two slots for NVMe 4.0 SSD, Wifi 6E connectivity, USB4 connector up to 40 Gbps and three video outputs. The installed operating system is Windows 11 Pro and is compatible with Linux or other distribution.

Let’s take a look at the results in this review and see how it fares in this competitive sector.

MINIX NGC NR660 mini PC details

Unboxing of the MINIX NGC NR660

The new MINIX NGC NR660 arrives in a square cardboard box protected with a product logo. Inside we have the mini PC, DC adapter, VESA bracket and manual.

Description of the MINIX NGC NR660

The MINIX NGC NR660 is presented in a light plastic box, in the upper area we have the logo of the brand, at the bottom and sides we have the air inlets. As connectors highlights its USB4 port up to 40 Gbps to use an external GPU and its two Ethernet 2.5G.

• Ports: 1x USB4 / 3x USB4 3.2 / 1x USB 2.0 / 1x HDMI 2.0 / 1x DP 1.4 / 1x Jack audio / DC.

We remove the bottom cover and find an auxiliary fan, underneath we have 500 GB PCIe 4.0×4 SSD, there is another free slot left. As memory we have a SODIMM RAM DDR5 4800 MHz of 16 GB in one of the two SODIMM that we can expand up to 32 GB with another RAM module. There is another very quiet main fan in the lower area above the CPU. For wireless connectivity we have integrated on the motherboard a RZ616 chip with Wifi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.

System and performance

Environment and user experience

We start the MINIX NGC NR660 by pressing the power button, the integrated LED lights up. In a few seconds we arrive at the Windows 11 Pro 64 bit desktop activated. As we can see, the drivers are installed correctly. The system moves fast on desktop, it is a small computer valid for using multimedia, office and light gaming apps.

• OS: Windows 11 Pro 64bit / Linux optional.
• Software: No preinstalled apps / Antivirus check = OK.
• BIOS: ESC access / BIOS AMI text / WOL / Auto Power ON / Power ON RTC.
• Tutorials: Control with your Smartphone / Install Windows 11 / Migrate Windows to SSD

Network, Storage, RAM and Ports

In terms of connectivity, in the MINIX NGC NR660 we find a Wifi 6E + Bluetooth 5.2 wireless adapter (AMD RZ616) with excellent speed and two 2.5G Ethernet ports. The SSD is a 500 GB NVMe PCIe 4.0×4 with good performance. The RAM comes is DDR5 16 GB RAM 4800 MHz in 1x SODIMM, but by adding another one we can reach Dual Channel speed.

• Wifi: Range 42 dBm / Link 6G 2400 Mbps / Bluetooth OK.

Processor and features

As engine of the MINIX NGC NR660 we have the AMD Ryzen 5 6600H chip manufactured in 6 nm that has six cores and twelve threads that moves between 3.3 and 4.5 GHz. For the graphics section we have an AMD Radeon 660M GPU up to 1800 MHz with 6 cores. This processor has a power consumption of only 45 W TDP and has sufficient performance for demanding apps, suitable for use with KODI or IPTV, light editing applications and games 3D load to some extent.

MINIX NGC NR660 Benchmarks

We performed performance tests with the MINIX NGC NR660, as we see in the data is in line with these processors, in general we have a good performance. The installed AMD Radeon 660M 6-core GPU, as we can see, offers sufficient performance for many games.

Thermal and noise

We put the MINIX NGC NR660 to the test and as we can see it offers excellent thermal performance despite its power consumption. The system keeps temperatures under control with its very quiet fan at all times, even in demanding scenarios.

• Consumption: Off 0.9W / Standby 11W / Usage 17W / Max 84W.
• Thermal: 40ºC – 71ºC Max / 69ºC Gaming / CPU 3.2 GHz Max / Performance up to 100%.
• Noise: 34 dBA Max / Variable RPM / No Semi-passive.

Gaming

We tested several games with the MINIX NGC NR660 and the results are the usual for this type of GPU integrated in low power Intel. As we can see AMD Radeon 660M GPU with 6 RDNA 2 cores is suitable for games in 1080p or 720p quality, we can play titles with quite a lot of 3D load.

• Setting: Medium quality / 1080p resolution / No VSync / Play emulators with RetroArch.
• On models with integrated Intel HD GPU in low and 720p resolution.

This mini PC we can play titles like LoL with a positive frame rate, in more demanding games like Fornite we can also play by adjusting settings or in performance mode. As for emulators at most we stay in some demanding titles of PS3, Switch and the like.

• NOTE: We recommend mounting Dual Channel memory with two SODIMM if we want to play.

Video and audio test

Playback test

In the video and audio section, the MINIX NGC NR660 has an integrated AMD Radeon 660M GPU with a VPU with support for current codecs such as AV1. We also have support for HDR10 and multichannel audio up to 7.1. This PC is perfectly valid as a multimedia system to use KODI, IPTV or to use it with servers such as PLEX.

• Video: 2x HDMI 2.0 / HDR10 / 3 monitors up to 4K@60Hz simultaneously.
• Audio: HDMI up to 7.1 Jack stereo / Dolby DTS.
• Tutorials: Install KODI with add-ons / Auto refresh rate / Multichannel audio on Windows

Video and audio test results

• Maximum bitrate: 350 Mbps.
• HW = Hardware Acceleration / SW = No Hardware Acceleration.

• Formats: Native = Full Support / Core = 5.1 Only / PCM = Stereo / More info.

Streaming services on the MINIX NGC NR660

We used the MINIX NGC NR660 mini PC performing several tests with the most popular streaming services, the results are positive in general. You can consult our guides where we explain in detail all the most popular streaming services, you can see how to get FullHD quality or even 4K resolutions.

• Performance: It has hardware acceleration for AV1 4K codec on YouTube.
• Tutorials: Install Addons in KODI in a simple way / LibreELEC for PC

Streaming Results

Conclusions and purchase links for MINIX NGC NR660

Opinion about the MINIX NGC NR660

After testing the MINIX NGC NR660 we can say that this is an efficient and compact mini PC. The AMD Ryzen 5 6600H APU gives us good performance in all scenarios and has a very quiet fan, which is hardly audible even in games. We also have very fast Wifi 6E, two 2.5G Ethernet ports and a USB4 connector up to 40Gbps a good endowment in these aspects.

Inside the MINIX NGC NR660 we have a 500 GB NVMe PCIe 4.0×4 SSD and another free connector in case we run short of storage, something that is appreciated. As RAM we have 16 GB DDR5 4800 MHz quite fast, although we recommend increasing with another SODIMM up to 32 GB Dual Channel if we are going to play. An ideal computer for our office desk or office for its design and small size that also has VESA support for hanging it on a monitor.

This MINIX NGC NR660 is a very quiet, versatile and efficient mini PC. It is a good machine for its number of ports and high connectivity.

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