Minisforum’s Bold Move at CES 2026: AMD’s Laptop Power for Desktops

Revolutionary Introduction at CES 2026

At CES 2026, Minisforum unveiled an intriguing innovation – the BD395i MAX Mini-ITX motherboard, centered around the mobile APU AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (Strix Halo). This motherboard is part of a recent trend towards “mobile-on-desktop” solutions, where a laptop-class chip is utilized within a desktop system.

Main Features and Specifications

The BD395i MAX combines the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with a 16-core Zen 5 CPU and the Radeon 8060S iGPU. Minisforum ships this board with 128 GB of LPDDR5X-8000 memory. While having ample memory is advantageous, a downside exists: the chips are soldered directly onto the board, preventing easy replacement. This marks a notable departure from previous BD-series boards based on mobile processors, where at least minimal RAM expansion was an option.

Equipped with a full PCI Express 5.0 x16 slot, the board allows for the installation of a full-sized discrete graphics card.

Market Perspectives and Future Outlook

The introduction of the BD395i MAX is set against a backdrop of increasing interest in compact yet powerful computing solutions. Although Minisforum has not disclosed the price or release date, industry analysts anticipate a competitive positioning in markets seeking versatile performance.

AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip, noted for its enhanced AI capabilities, is expected to attract enthusiasts and professionals alike who are interested in AI-driven tasks. Compared to similar offerings, the expected performance benchmarks position it favorably in terms of efficiency and multi-core performance.

Expert Opinions

Industry experts have called Minisforum’s latest offering “a potential game-changer for home and small office setups,” highlighting its ability to deliver robust computational power in a miniaturized form factor.

As technology continues to advance, the demand for systems that can effectively bridge the gap between mobile and desktop computing remains robust. The BD395i MAX is poised to cater to this demand, with subsequent iterations potentially offering more customization and expandability options.