Beelink SER5 Mini-PC Review – sidegrade instead of upgrade despite Ryzen 5000

1 - Einführung und technische Daten 2 - Optik und Haptik 3 - Innenaufbau 4 - BIOS 5 - Benchmarks: CPU, SSD, Cache 6 - Benchmarks: GPU, Spiele 7 - Stresstests 8 - Zusammenfassung und Fazit

Summary and conclusion

Once again, we are impressed by how much performance can now be found in the smallest of spaces. Before we get to the “generation comparison”, a few words about the processor. Even though the next generation of AMD Ryzen CPUs is already visible on the horizon, the 5000 series would still be considered up-to-date and competitive. Mini-PCs often hang a few CPU generations behind, no matter if it’s AMD or Intel. So, for once, it’s nice to have the (still) latest generation in such a system.

However, Beelink cannot do anything about the very incremental jump in performance with higher power consumption. The Ryzen 7 4800U from the SER4 only wanted a frugal 25 watts under maximum load for its 16 threads, whereas it’s already 35 watts for the Ryzen 5 5600H and 12 threads. And that’s only because the manufacturer limited the BIOS-configurable TDP from up to 45 watts to just 35 watts ex-works. And as you could see in the stress tests, that was also necessary so that the temperatures could be kept in check. In the end, however, it’s the performance that counts the most, and the Beelink SER5 absolutely doesn’t have to hide in that respect:

At least in terms of CPU power, because with 7 GPU cores you have to admit defeat to the 8 GPU cores of the 4800U in the SER4. However, the difference is very small, so you won’t notice it.

The manufacturer’s website lists the MSRP of the SER5 5600H at 469€ for the model with 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD. At the release of the SER4 4800U, the price was still 539€, so you get very comparable performance for less money here. If some time hadn’t passed in the meantime and the price for the SER4 4800U had been reduced to 419€. However, if you look beyond the RRP in the manufacturer’s store, which is stated without customs and import fees, to the actual offer available here in Germany including all costs, a slightly different picture emerges. For the SER4 4800U (8C/16T), you would want 709€ in the Amazon store, whereas the variant of the SER4 with 4700U (8C/8T) is already available from 499€ in the Amazon store.

=> Manufacturer Shop
=> Amazon Shop
=> Price Comparison

So, at – at the time of publishing this review – 619€ from the German Amazon store, you are somewhere in between the other offers. The system itself can only be praised for the most part, only the SSD gets slower and slower when there is little storage space left. The temperatures are also okay considering the absolutely unobtrusive volume and size of the cooler. The positive overall impression of Beelink’s SER mini-PCs thus continues with the newest member. If you are in the market for such a niche device, you will get a lot here, but should also consider the other models and CPU variants.

The test sample was provided by Beelink without obligation. There was and is no influence on the tests and results. There was also no compensation for expenses and no obligation to publish.