Introduction

Mini PCs cannot be equipped with independent graphics cards due to size limitations, so their graphics processing capabilities are slightly weaker. However, with the promotion and application of OCuLink technology, more and more mini PCs have begun to support OCuLink. With its pure PCIe channel and a transfer rate of up to 64Gbps, OCuLink greatly improves the efficiency and response speed of external graphics cards, bringing stronger graphics computing capabilities to mini PCs.

AOOSTAR GEM12 Pro Mini PC is one of the first mini hosts equipped with an OCuLink interface, providing users with a wider range of expansion possibilities. In addition, it is equipped with an AMD R7 8845HS processor, which provides powerful computing power and smooth multitasking performance. It also has a display and a fingerprint recognition module, which adds more convenience.

What is OCuLink?

OCuLink, short for "Optical-Copper Link," is a peripheral connection standard that allows you to connect PCIe devices using an external cable rather than an internal slot. 

The interface was developed by the PCI-SIG, the Body for standardization and norming of the PCI interface (Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group). It is designed to provide a smaller, more flexible, and more efficient PCIe expansion solution.

OCuLink delivered PCIe 3.0 and PCIe 4.0 bandwidth. It also supports SATA and SAS. The common OCuLink interface on the market uses two different connectors, SFF-8611 and SFF-8612, which are used for the host side and the device side respectively. It provides 4 PCIe lanes, each with a bandwidth of 8GT/s (PCIe 3.0) or 16GT/s (PCIe 4.0), for a total bandwidth of up to 64Gbps.

OCuLink is a connection system for the PCI Express area. The interface has a Small-Form-factor which is optimized for internal and external enclosure usage. OCuLink cables are a cost-effective possibility for an external PCIe extension.

Compared to Thunderbolt which integrates DisplayPort and PCI-Express, OCuLink is a pure PCIe channel and does not include a DP channel. Its transmission loss is relatively low when connecting an external graphics card dock. OCuLink of PCIe 3.0×4 can reach a bandwidth of 32Gbps, while PCIe 4.0×4 can reach a bandwidth of 64Gbps, which is more advantageous than the maximum bandwidth of 22Gbps of Thunderbolt 3 and the maximum bandwidth of 32Gbps of Thunderbolt 4.

However, OCuLink may be slightly inferior to Thunderbolt in terms of compatibility, integrity, and completeness, but it has the characteristics of relatively lower price and better performance.

Product Appearance

The box is black with GEM SERIES and PROFESSIONAL MINI PC printed on the front.

The specs info are pasted on the back. Model is GEM12 PRO. Processor: AMD 8845HS. Memory: 16GB. Storage: 1T. Graphics: Integrated. Network: WiFi+RJ45.

The box contains the AOOSTAR GEM12 Pro Mini PC, power adapter, accessories, and some documents.

The accessories include brackets, screws, hard drive heat sinks, rubber booster pads, etc.

AOOSTAR GEM12 Pro Mini PC is made of aluminum alloy and is made through multiple processes. The front is designed with ventilation and the word "GEM" is formed to improve the heat dissipation performance.

A TFT screen is added to the lower left of the front of the AOOSTAR GEM12 Pro Mini PC, which will have a unique animation when it is turned on. With the official software, it can also display information such as temperature, time, and frequency, and can even be customized.

From left to right on the top are the power button, 3.5mm headphone jack, two USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, one USB4 port, and an independent OCuLink interface. The OcuLink interface is the PCIE 4.0*4 and can be connected to an external graphics card dock.

On the opposite side, from left to right, there is a full-function USB-C power port, two dual 2.5G Ethernet ports, one DP2.0 port, one HDMI2.1 port, and two USB 2.0 ports.

The side has a large area of ​​hollowing out to enhance heat dissipation.

There is a cooling fan built into the bottom, and grooves are reserved at the four corners for installing height-enhancing foot pads. The two screw holes on the top are used to install the mounting bracket.

The included USB-C power adapter has a non-detachable cable.

The specs info are printed below the prongs. Model is HKA12019063-0A1. It can support input of 200-240V 50-60Hz 0.8A. It can support an output of 19V 6.32A.

The length of the cable is about 200 cm (78.74 inches).

The weight of the power adapter is about 272 g (9.59 oz).

The length of the AOOSTAR GEM12 Pro Mini PC is about 132 mm (5.2 inches).

The width is about 130 mm (5.12 inches).

AOOSTAR GEM12 Pro Mini PC厚度约为56.84mm。

The thickness is about 56.84 mm (2.24 inches).

This is a comparison with 200ml of Coca-Cola, and it can be seen that the mini PC is compact and small.

The weight of it is about 656 g (23.14 oz).

The ChargerLAB POWER-Z KM003C shows that the input power is about 57.91W when using the original power adapter to power the mini PC.

Different from other mini PCs, the AOOSTAR GEM12 Pro Mini PC has a customizable digital display and fingerprint recognition module.

GPU Expansion Test

We will connect the AOOSTAR GEM12 Pro Mini PC to the Minisforum DEG1 GPU Dock for testing.

Since the Minisforum DEG1 eGPU Dock does not come with a power supply, we used FSP's 350W power supply (model: FSP350-60AGBAK). The graphics card chosen is a Lenovo RTX 4060Ti 8GB.

Use GPU-Z to view various information about the graphics card. The graphics card is NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti, with 48 ROPs, 136 TMUs, 4352 shaders, a default clock of 2310 MHz, a boost clock of 2535 MHz, memory type: GDDR6, memory size: 8GB, and a bus width of 128bit. The driver version is 31.0.15.5152 DCH/Win11 64.

Using 3D Mark to conduct PCI Express functional testing can verify whether the actual data transfer rate of the channel complies with the standard and ensure that the graphics card can fully exert its performance. After testing, the transmission bandwidth reached 6.7GB/s, which meets the bandwidth rate and loss of the OCuLink interface.

In the 3DMark TimeSpy (DX12 1440p) test, the Lenovo RTX 4060 Ti 8GB graphics card paired with the Minisforum DEG1 eGPU Dock can achieve a graphics score of nearly 13469 points.

Under the AMD R7 5800X + MSI X570S + TEAMGROUP 8GB×2 3600MHz platform, the Lenovo 4060 Ti 8GB can achieve a score of 13330 points in the 3DMark TimeSpy (DX12 1440p) test.

Finally, the game test shows that in Counter-Strike 2, at the default high-definition setting, the fps can reach 138 when connected directly to an external monitor and graphics card with OCuLink.

The AOOSTAR GEM12 Pro Mini PC was tested with the Minisforum DEG1 eGPU Dock. In the 3D Mark PCI Express functional test, it achieved a score of 6.7GB/s and in the 3DMark TimeSpy (DX12 1440p) it achieved a graphics score of nearly 13469 points, which is even higher than the performance on the desktop host platform. It can be seen that the overall performance loss is relatively small.

Summary

AOOSTAR GEM12 Pro Mini PC has a compact appearance, powerful performance, and rich interfaces, especially the OCuLink interface, making it a highly competitive product. Whether it is used for office, entertainment, or professional applications, it can do the job. In addition, it also has a display and fingerprint recognition module, which provides convenience.

In the 3D Mark TimeSpy test after connecting the GPU dock, the graphics card performance of the AOOSTAR GEM12 Pro Mini PC is comparable to that of the desktop platform, with less performance loss, and can provide relatively strong graphics processing capabilities. It also ran Counter-Strike 2 at a high frame rate. For users who pursue performance and portability, the AOOSTAR GEM12 Pro Mini PC is undoubtedly an option worth considering.