I have made no bones about the fact that I think the Minisforum MS-01 was the best home lab mini PC in 2024. I have (2) of them in a two-node VMware vSphere cluster, maybe Proxmox this year. However, when I got word of the Minisforum MS-A2 and the specs this forthcoming mini PC is going to pack, the excitement for this new mini PC has definitely stirred. Both of these mini PCs are power houses. However, in this post, I will compare the Minisforum MS-A2 vs MS-01 and the specs that we know from the CES 2025 show this year for the MS-A2.
***Updated with bifurcation comparison***
Minisforum MS-A2 Now Released
As of recently, the MS-A2 is now available directly from Minisforum’s site here: Minisforum MS-A2 Official Product Page. This isn’t speculation anymore—we have concrete details and hardware in hand.
More a successor to the MS-01 than the MS-A1
You might think the MS-A2 is a successor to the MS-A1. I had a review unit of the MS-A1 for a few weeks to test and play around with. I was excited at first for this unit. However, it disappointed due to the networking. While all of us thought the MS-A1 would be the AMD equivalent of the MS-01, it really wasn’t.
While it had a healthy AMD Ryzen 7 8700G processor with 16 threads, it had only 2.5 GbE networking and it had Realtek network adapters which definitely limits you on cross compatibility with VMware and Proxmox.
So, long story short, the MS-A2 is more of a successor to the MS-01 than the MS-A1. Let’s look at the specifications of what we know from the details released at CES 2025 regarding the MS-A2.
Not yet released
Also, keep in mind that the Miniforum MS-A2 has not been released as of yet. When it is going to be released? According to Minisforum, it is set to release in March or April of 2025. So keep in mind, we are comparing what we know about the MS-A2 vs the MS-01.
Minisforum MS-A2 vs MS-01: AMD vs. Intel
Both the MS-A2 and the MS-01 have healthy processors with multi-thread performance. However, the MS-A2 ups the game with an AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX. This is a 16-core, 32-thread processor that clocks up to 5.4 GHz. It’s built for multitasking and will absolutely trounce on virtualization workloads.
***New information*** As of the official product page, the MS-A2 will also have the option of the AMD Ryzen™ 9 9955HX. If you select this processor, it is expected to ship in early June, whereas, the Ryzen 9 7945HX will ship late May.
According to the marketing from Minisforum, the CPU performance of the MS-A2 vs MS-01 is a ratio of 1.6 > 1 performance.
Also, what I love about this processor compared to the MS-01 is that the AMD processors are uniform cores that you don’t have to worry about the oddities of the Performance cores vs Efficiency cores when it comes to hypervisors.
The Minisforum MS-01 is no slouch in the processing department. However, it uses the Intel Core i9-13900H in the top trim model. This chip has 6 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores (14 cores total) with 20 threads. The max turbo frequency of 5.4 GHz, the same as the MS-A2. However, the MS-A2 will have a total of 12 more threads of processing power in the form of uniform processing cores.
Take a look at my review video of the Minisforum MS-01:
Winner
If you are looking at which mini PC is the most powerful from a processing standpoint and will allow you to have the ultimate in multi-threaded performance, there is no question the MS-A2 is the winner here. However, the MS-01 still holds ground as a fantastic configuration for home lab, albeit not quite as stellar as the MS-A2.
Memory
Memory is king in home labs. Both the MS-01 and the MS-A2 support 128GB of DDR5-5200 MHz RAM. I am really hopeful that we see Crucial’s new release of 64 GB modules drop this year as well, giving us the ability to at least try to get 128 GB of memory in our mini PC configurations. Crucial’s 128 GB kit has come to market now as well. See my threads here:
- Mini PCs with 128 GB RAM: New Home Lab Era!
- List of Compatible Mini PCs with 128 GB RAM Kit
- https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/community/mini-pcs/does-the-minisforum-ms-01-mini-pc-support-128-gb-of-memory-with-new-64-gb-memory-modules/
Winner
We have a tie in the memory department as both currently will support 128 GB of DDR5 memory.
Storage
On the storage side of things, both of these mini PCs support really great storage options for home labs. Multiple internal M.2 slots is always a good thing and both mini PCs have (3) M.2 slots.
- MS-A2 offers three M.2 slots, including two PCIe 4.0 x4 and one PCIe 3.0 x4. It does support M.2-to-U.2 adapters
- MS-01 also features three M.2 slots, including a PCIe 4.0 x4 slot that supports U.2 drives
Winner
For more PCIe 4.0, the MS-A2 edges ahead of the MS-01. Both have U.2 options.
Networking is identical
Both mini PCs shine when it comes to networking, boasting top-tier connectivity. The MS-A2 and the MS-01 include two 10 Gbps SFP+ ports and two 2.5 Gbps RJ45 ports, all Intel-based. This combination supports high-speed networking for data-heavy tasks.
Verdict
It’s a tie here. Both models have the 10 GbE networking that we all know and want and the 2.5 GbE for additional multi-gig connectivity.
Expansion and Connectivity
Note the following comparison with between the MS-A2 and the MS-01:
- MS-A2: Comes with a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (x8 speed), two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports with DisplayPort 2.0, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, and one USB 2.0 port.
- MS-01: Has better connectivity due to the two USB4 ports capable of 40 Gbps data transfer, alongside two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A and two USB 2.0 ports. This also means it can support 8K displays via USB4.
Winner
The MS-01 edges out the MS-A2 in connectivity due to its USB4 ports and support for high-resolution displays.
Bifurcation
In case you haven’t heard of bifurcation, it essentially lets you split up the PCI-e lanes on a PCI-e slot so that multiple devices can use specific lanes. For instance, if you want to install a multi-NVMe PCI-e card to add multiple NVMe drives, you can do that on a PCI-e slot that supports bifurcation.
The MS-01 does not support bifurcation. However, I haven’t heard officially back on the answer from Minisforum on the MS-A2, but if you have been following me on the build I just did for Proxmox with the BD750m motherboard from Minisforum and the exact same processor that the MS-A2 will have, you will note that I was able to verify bifurcation support with the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX processor on that motherboard. So, it is likely the MS-A2 will have bifurcation support also.
Read my forum thread here specifically about bifurcation for MS-A2 here: https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/community/mini-pcs/does-the-minisforum-ms-a2-support-bifurcation/
Likely winner
The MS-A2 will likely win this comparison once we confirm the bifurcation support in the release units.
Minisforum MS-A2 vs MS-01: Which is best for home lab server?
So, should you choose the Minisforum MS-A2 vs MS-01 for a home lab in 2025? Here’s the breakdown as far as I see it:
- Go with the MS-A2 if you’re all about virtualization, multi-threaded performance, and maximum RAM capacity. Its AMD Ryzen processor is a uniform processor with 32 threads of processing power and three PCIe 4.0 storage slots will make this a virtualization beast.
- The MS-01 is also great for virtualization as I can speak from experience with it that it works weell. Compared to the MS-A2 it loses on the CPU front. But if you would rather have USB4 connectivity, and display versatility such as using this box as a powerful workstation that dual-purposes as a home lab environment, the MS-01 is still king since it supports 8K displays with the USB4 connectivity.
Note the comparison table below.
| Feature | Minisforum MS-A2 | Minisforum MS-01 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX | Intel Core i9-13900H |
| Core/Thread Count | 16 cores / 32 threads | 14 cores (6P+8E) / 20 threads |
| Max Clock Speed | 5.4 GHz | 5.4 GHz |
| Memory Capacity | Up to 128GB | Up to 128GB |
| Memory Speed | DDR5-5200 MHz | DDR5-5200 MHz |
| Storage Slots | 3 M.2 slots | 3 M.2 slots |
| PCIe Version | 2 PCIe 4.0 x4, 1 PCIe 3.0 x4 (U.2 to M.2 adapter support) | 1 PCIe 4.0 x4 (U.2 support), 2 PCIe 3.0 x4 |
| Networking Ports | 2x 10Gbps SFP+, 2x 2.5Gbps RJ45 (identical config) | 2x 10Gbps SFP+, 2x 2.5Gbps RJ45 (identical config) |
| Networking Speed | 50 Gbps total | 50 Gbps total |
| USB Ports | 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x USB 2.0 | 2x USB4, 2x USB-A, 2x USB 2.0 |
| USB Versions | USB 3.2 Gen 2, USB 2.0 | USB4, USB 3.2 Gen 2, USB 2.0 |
| Expansion Slot | PCIe 4.0 x16 (x8 speed) | PCIe 4.0 x16 (x8 speed) |
| Display Support | DisplayPort 2.0 via USB-C | 8K via USB4 |
Ultimately, both the Minisforum MS-A2 and MS-01 are phenomenal home lab servers in 2025. Your decision boils down to your specific needs—whether it’s brute force or refined efficiency. Either way, you’re in for a treat.
About The Author
what are the thoughts on the TPM module for a VMware environment for both model
gert van gorp,
Thank you for the comment and question. Both of these models will give you a TPM error in vSphere. Unfortunately most mini PCs, including these models, use consumer grade TPM devices that don’t a compatible standard with VMware ESXi.
Brandon
Will the MS-A2 support bifurcation on the PCIe slot – the MS-01 does not. If it has the same motherboard and similar BIOS it probably will not. This was a limitation of the MS-01 that restricted the ability to use NVMe expansion cards. Bifurcation would be a big move forward. Thanks
Paul,
This is a great question. I will ping my contact at Minisforum and see what I can find out on this front.
Brandon
I think it will, think of bd795i
I can only assume that when the MS-A2 drops that the price will be at a premium, so it seems like with as close matched as these are, the MS-01 could provide more bang for the buck. Not to mention that it’s been out longer, has a lot of its issues/kinks already worked out. In that light, would you say this tips the scales a little more towards the MS-01?
Yasir,
That is a fair point. However, I will say that I think there are a couple of things that still sway me to the MS-A2. These are that it has uniform cores and not the “big little” architecture with the efficiency and performance cores. And, it also supports (I believe in my testing with another Minisforum board and this processor with my recent Proxmox build) that it supports bifurcation on the PCI-e slot and the Minisforum MS-01 does not.
I agree and will probably pick up an MS-A2 at some point. I decided to get an MS-01 recently because it was on sale along with memory and storage for it.
Another concern I have are tariffs and “trade wars” going on and I think there’s an uncertainty factor on the cost of electronics from China in the future. Hopefully that won’t be a factor when the MS-A2 launches, but if it is, I’ll at least have the MS-01 to work with until pricing for the MS-A2 is reasonable. I’m just at an experimentation phase of starting the backbone of a homelab environment so the differences between the A2 and 01 are negligible for my purposes.
Yasir,
I am wondering the same thing as you. It will be interesting to see what happens over the coming months with the tariffs and other trade changes. Hopefully it won’t impact things, but I have a feeling it will. Also, prices for components like RAM and other things will probably trend higher as well.
Brandon
Any thoughts on vPro on the MS-01? Does the MS-A2 have anything similar?
Hey Felix! Thanks for the comment. I haven’t really had very good luck with the vPro functionality with the MS-01. It seems like all the tools out there to manage vPro are legacy, deprecated, or just plain don’t work. However, the MS-A2 doesn’t have any of these features at least, so no remote management. It would be great if Minisforum would integrate some type of IPMI solution for out of band management.
Brandon
I just wanted to comment on here to say that MeshCentral works well and stays updated. I already had a server running it in my environment and it was pretty trivial getting vPro working with it. That being said, there are issues with vPro that you would not have with a comparable IPMI solution, namely the network ports don’t stay powered while the unit is turned off. Therefore, you can only manage it while in an active power state.
Dan,
Thanks for the comment and sharing your experience with MeshCentral. I think this is still one area where mini PCs with vPro are still behind true server grade equipment in terms of management. However, with JetKVM and other solutions out there, we do have options.
Brandon
thank you much for the article. I thought i wanted the ms-a2 when it comes out, but what I really need for my case is the ms-01 because I use I for everyday uses on high resolution monitors and need the usb4 ports.
kevin,
thank you for the comment! This was one of the bummers on the MS-A2 I thought when seeing the specs. It would have been nice to see it match the MS-01 on this front.
Brandon
I’m curious, how did you calculate 65 Gbps for the networking? Surely thats 10Gb + 10Gb + 2.5Gb + 2.5Gb. giving a total of 25Gb.
Kelv1n,
Thanks for the comment and question. I looked at my math here, and I was a bit off initially in the table. However, the 25 Gbps gets doubled based on full duplex for both send and receive theoretically:
2 × 10 Gbps SFP+ ports: 20 Gbps
2 × 2.5 Gbps RJ45 ports: 5 Gbps
Then 25 Gbps × 2 (full-duplex) = 50 Gbps instead of 65. I have updated the table accordingly. Thank you for pointing that out!
Can you tell us what (and if) we can expect with ESXi and (nested) VCF on the MS-A2 compared to the MS-01?
Step,
Thank you for the comment. I really prefer the uniform processor of the MS-A2 compared to the MS-01. Also, you get bifurcation which means you can actually use the PCI-e slot for additional devices. So, all of this translates to more possibilities for your nested configurations, including more storage possibilities.
Brandon
Can you confirm if the MS-A2 supports ECC memory?