MINISFORUM MS-01 Review: A Mini Workstation Built Around 10GbE and Three NVMe Slots
The MINISFORUM MS-01 is a compact workstation for people who need networking and storage more than a dedicated GPU. Its Core i9-13900H with vPro Enterprise, two 10Gbps SFP+ ports, dual 2.5GbE and two 40Gbps USB4 ports make it a natural fit for a homelab, a virtualization node or an edge server, and the three M.2 slots plus U.2 support give it room for a serious array. The trade-offs are a large external power brick, Wi-Fi 6 rather than 6E, and USB4 ports that MINISFORUM does not market as Thunderbolt.
- Homelab and NAS builders
- Network engineers
- Virtualization and vPro fleets
- Edge servers
Pros
- Two 10Gbps SFP+ ports plus dual 2.5Gbps RJ45 for fast wired networking
- Core i9-13900H with 14 cores, 20 threads and vPro Enterprise support
- Three M.2 NVMe slots, one U.2 option and RAID 0/1
- Two 40Gbps USB4 Type-C ports with Alt DP
- Half-height PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (electrically x8) for a NIC, controller or low-power GPU
- Up to 96GB of dual-channel DDR5-5200 across two SODIMM slots
Cons
- USB4 ports are not marketed as certified Thunderbolt
- External 180W power brick adds bulk outside the chassis
- Wi-Fi 6 rather than Wi-Fi 6E
- No SD card reader or fingerprint sensor
Who is the MINISFORUM MS-01 for?
This is a machine for a desk, a rack shelf or a wiring closet where wired networking and internal storage matter more than a small footprint. The dual 10Gbps SFP+ ports and dual 2.5Gbps RJ45 ports suit a router, firewall, NAS head or virtualization host, and the vPro Enterprise support makes it a candidate for managed fleets. A half-height, single-slot PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (electrically x8) adds a network card, a storage controller or a low-power GPU. It is not the right pick for someone who wants a quiet living-room PC: the chassis is larger than a typical mini PC and the cooling is designed for sustained work.
What the MS-01 offers
The Core i9-13900H brings 14 cores and 20 threads with a 24MB cache and boost clocks up to 5.4GHz, paired with Intel Iris Xe graphics that share dual-channel DDR5-5200 memory. Two SODIMM slots take up to 96GB. Storage is unusually flexible for the size: three M.2 NVMe slots (one PCIe 4.0 x4, one PCIe 3.0 x4 and one PCIe 3.0 x2) plus a U.2 option through the bundled adapter, with RAID 0 and RAID 1 support. Around the back sit two 10Gbps SFP+ ports, two 2.5Gbps RJ45 ports, two USB4 Type-C ports with Alt DP, HDMI 2.0, two USB 3.2 Type-A ports and a DC input, while the front adds one USB 3.2 Type-A, two USB 2.0 Type-A and a 3.5mm combo jack. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 are built in.
What to know before you buy
The 180W power supply is an external brick rated at 19V and 9.47A, so plan for the extra block on the desk or in the rack. The USB4 ports run at 40Gbps with Alt DP, but MINISFORUM describes them as USB4 rather than as certified Thunderbolt. Wireless is Wi-Fi 6, not Wi-Fi 6E, and there is no SD card reader or fingerprint sensor. The chassis combines an aluminum top, sides and bottom with plastic front and rear panels, and it measures 196 x 189 x 48mm at 1.42kg, which is big for a mini PC and worth checking against the shelf or rack space you have. A two-year warranty covers the unit.
Is the MINISFORUM MS-01 worth it?
The value case rests on the networking and expansion, not on raw CPU alone. Few compact systems combine two 10Gbps SFP+ ports, dual 2.5GbE, two USB4 ports and a PCIe slot, and the three M.2 slots with U.2 support let one box serve as a NAS head, a hypervisor host or a network appliance. If you need that combination in a small chassis, the MS-01 is a focused tool with few direct rivals. If you mainly want a fast general-purpose desktop, a smaller and quieter mini PC with the same processor will usually cost less and take up less room.
Frequently asked questions
Does the MINISFORUM MS-01 have 10Gbps networking?
Yes. It has two 10Gbps SFP+ ports and two 2.5Gbps RJ45 ports, plus two USB4 ports that can carry 20Gbps Thunderbolt networking between compatible systems.
How much memory and storage can the MS-01 take?
It has two DDR5-5200 SODIMM slots with a maximum of 96GB, and three M.2 NVMe slots that accept up to 4TB each. One slot can be converted to U.2 with the included adapter, and RAID 0 and RAID 1 are supported.
Does the MS-01 support an external graphics card?
It has one half-height, single-slot PCIe 4.0 x16 slot that runs at x8. MINISFORUM states support up to an RTX A2000 Mobile class card, so a full-size desktop GPU is not an option.
What operating system does the MS-01 ship with?
The configured model ships with Windows 11 Pro, and MINISFORUM also lists Linux support. The barebone variants are sold without memory, storage or an operating system.
How is the MS-01 powered?
It uses an external 19V, 9.47A adapter rated at 180W. There is no internal power supply.
