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The Chatreey AM08 mini PC is an unusual-looking mini PC with slanted design and a power button at the top that also functions as a performance dial, letting you quickly switch between silent, balanced, and performance modes.
At first glance it looks nearly identical to the Chatreey AMR5 that launched last year, but the AM08 has a faster processor and a few physical changes.
The biggest difference is that the AMR5 is powered by a 15-watt, Ryzen 5 5600U processor while the AM08 has a 45-watt Ryzen 9 5900HX chip. According to some synthetic benchmarks, that means the AM08 should theoretically deliver around a 10 to 15% boost in single-performance and up to 50% faster multi-core performance.
Both little computers can be configured with up to 64GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and up to two storage devices. And while the processors in both models were first released in 2021, they’re still pretty good chips featuring AMD’s Zen 3 CPU architecture. In fact, AMD still uses Zen 3 CPU cores in some of its 2023 chips.
The processor isn’t the only thing that sets the AMR5 and AM08 apart though. There are also a few differences in ports, storage, and price – you can pick up a barebones Chatreey AMR5 for $327, but prices start at around $490 for an AM08 (or $495 if you want a version with more customization options).
Here are some key specs:
| Chatreey AM08 (5900HX)Â | Chatreey AMR5 (5600U) | |
| Processor | Ryzen 9 5900HX 8 x Zen 3 CPU cores / 16 threads 3.3 GHz base / 4.6 GHz max boost freq 20MB total cache 45W TDP (default) | Ryzen 5 5600U 6 x Zen 3 CPU cores / 12 threads 2.3 GHz base / 4.2 GHz max boost freq 19MB total cache 15W TDP (default) |
| Graphics | Radeon Vega 8 @ 2.1 GHz | Radeon Vega 7 @ 1.8 GHz |
| RAN | 2 x SODIMM slots DDR4-3200 Up to 64GB total | |
| Storage | 1 x M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 1 x 2.5″ SATA | 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 |
| Ports | 2 x HDMI 2.0 1 x USB Type-C 4 x USB 3.2 Type-A 1 x Ethernet 1 x 3.5mm audio 1 x DC power input (19V/6.3A) | 1 x DisplayPort 1 x HDMI 1 x USB Type-C 4 x USB 3.0 Type-A 1 x Ethernet 1 x 3.5mm audio 1 x DC power input (19V/3.7A) |
| Wireless | WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.1 | |
Both models are designed for easy upgrades: the side panel is held in place magnetically, allowing you to remove it and install memory or storage without a screwdriver.
Both features also feature support for up to three displays (with two dedicated video outputs and a USB-C port with support for video output), and both have an active cooling system that includes a copper heat sink and a fan.
The most distinctive features are probably the performance dial on top of the computer and the RGB lighting effects that make it easy to see which performance mode is enabled at a glance:
- Blue for silent mode
- Green for balanced mode
- Red for performance mode
Chatreey also refers to red as “game mode,” and calls the AMR5 and AM08 gaming PCs in some of its marketing. But with Radeon Vega integrated graphics and no support for an external graphics dock, that’s probably a bit of a stretch. You could certainly play some less demanding games on these systems, and but I wouldn’t really call them gaming PCs.
A shame the dial doesn’t go to 11
Throw some RGB lighting on that pos
Support for 3 displays, as long as you’re okay with one of them being connected to the front of the PC.