MINISFORUM is best known for making small desktop computers, but the company plans to launch a high-performance 2-in-1 tablet early next year.
It’s called the MINISFORUM V3 tablet, and it will have a 28-watt AMD Ryzen processor, a 14 inch, 2.5K 165 Hz display, support for up to 32GB of RAM, two USB4 ports, and support for a pen and detachable keyboard.
When MINISFORUM first unveiled the tablet a few months ago, the company said the spec sheet was still a work in progress. But now it’s been finalized, and the company says you can expect the V3 tablet to feature:
- Display: 14 inch display with a 2.5K resolution and 165 Hz refresh rate
- Processor: Unnamed AMD “flagship CPU”
- RAM: 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5-6400 onboard memory (not user replaceable)
- Storage: M.2 2280 slot for solid state storage (but it’s not user accessible)
- Battery: 50Wh
- Ports: 2 x USB4, 1 x USB Type-C for DisplayPort input, 1 x 3.5mm audio, 1 x microSD card reader
- Wireless: WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2
- Security: Fingerprint sensor (in power button) and IR camera
- Cameras: 5MP rear and 2MP front
- Audio: Quad speakers (2 woofers and 2 tweeters)
- Cooling: Dual fans & four copper heat tubes inside the case
- Dimensions & Weight: Under 10mm thick and under 1kg
While one of the USB-C ports is only for video input, the other two are full-function ports that can be used for power, data, and video output.
MINISFORUM calls the computer, a 3-in-1 device since you can use it as a tablet, a laptop (with the detachable keyboard), or as a monitor (thanks to the DisplayPort input function).
The MINISFORUM V3 also comes with a stylus that supports 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity and attaches to the side of the tablet magnetically when it’s not in use. The tablet supports Microsoft Pen Protocol 2.6 and should also work with third-party pens that support that standard.
MINISFORUM hasn’t announced pricing or availability yet graphics based on RDNA 3.5 architecture and updated AI capabilities.
👀Preview of Minisforum V3 AMD Tablet: a versatile 3-in-1 Windows device with a high-performance AMD CPU. It serves as a laptop, tablet, or portable screen, boasting a 14-inch 2.5K 165Hz display.
Share your thoughts in the comments!👂🏻 pic.twitter.com/HjxYSObxkz
— MINISFORUM Official (@Hi_MINISFORUM) October 30, 2023
This article was first published September 27, 2023 and most recently updated November 15, 2023.
god i hope this is able to run linux without it being a federal frickin’ issue.
It runs MicroPoop Os!
Searching for this devices to use with pen for Shapr3D and Plasticity 3D modeling softwares.
It’s possible to do nice things with a touch and a pen, for hybrid parametric+mesh modeling software.
“The tablet has two USB4 ports (..)” NICE 🙂
This device is extremely interesting to me.
I really hope Minisforum gets it right in terms of screen, speakers, quiet operation etc. And that they make storage upgradable like on the Surface pro. I would buy this on day one to replace my desktop.
I really, REALLY hope they stick to a 14in screen, so that it can be what the s8/s9 ultra from samsung should have been. All the windows tablets to date use 13in or smaller crappy screens (60hz, 120hz max with either too low or high res). For this, 14″ 2.5k (2560×1600) is an absolutely excellent size + resolution (not to mention it’s exactly 2x the steam deck).
That 2x usb-c + DP in also seems absolutely epic, with SD card to top it all off.
Also, Ryzen is practically the only CPU that should be used in these sorts of things. Intel power efficiency on the mobile side is definitely not suited for low power, ultralight / small battery devices. I am super hyped for this release. Hope they get it right.
I’m not very keen on using USB-C as a video input. It works great as an ouput, because it can be easily converted into HDMI.
I’ve used 2 different monitors (LG and MSI) with USB-C offered as a video input (using Displayport Alt-mode), and I’ve struggled to get devices working on those inputs (devices that offer USB-C with Displayport Alt-mode).
My LG supports Macbooks and not much else. My MSI supports my Samsung phones, but not Macbooks.
Somehow I’m not confident that Minisforum will do it any better. HDMI would have been much better here.
I have an LG 5k monitor that has a USB-C input, but it only supports the Thunderbolt 3 protocol, not the “regular” USB-C DP alt mode. Yours might be the same, and if your windows devices only support DP alto mode, that would explain the issue.
I know mine works fine when I connect it to a windows machine with USB4.
Not sure what’s up with the MSI monitor, though. I’ve seen some monitors that can only output 7.5w of power on the USB-C port (which is enough for a phone but not a laptop). The video signal should work in that case, though – it just wouldn’t charge.
The LG was a 43MU79-B, which specifically supports USB-C DP alt-mode. However, I couldn’t get it to work with several devices that supported USB-C DP alt-mode.
I actually returned that monitor specifically because of the power delivery. LG claimed it supported 60W on their specs, and it didn’t. I wanted a 1-cable solution for my Macbook, and LG lied in their specs.
However, that had nothing to do with the DP alt-mode support, as the devices I used didn’t require power to use DP alt-mode (proven by the fact that they worked fine with USB-C to HDMI cables – which don’t support power delivery).
Just more of a general question for the people that know:
Why does there have to be a separate input USB-C for display function, when USB goes both ways?
When there is one, it it directly connected to the display, so it will just use the display as a normal monitor, regardless of other hardware/software? Ie. regardless of what OS I run, can I just plug a cable, and it will work as a secondary display?
Well, the video input port essentially has to be hooked up to either an internal capture card that converts the display output of the other device to camera input (and I’ve never heard of a capture card where the same port could be used as input or output), or be hooked up to a display controller that switches to the external input whenever it detects a signal, bypassing the CPU and any USB host controllers connected to it entirely.
A question I have is, why did they use USB-C for video in? While to be sure, a USB-C port is a welcome addition to a monitor, I’m not sure if any adapters exist that can convert the HDMI output from, say, a game console, to a form of signal a monitor with a USB-C port will be able to make sense of. AFAIK, all ones I’ve seen go from USB-C (device output) to HDMI (display input) and aren’t reversible. But if they do, then it’s fine.
Yes they exist, and I have one of them and it works every time with any device. I can plug anything into any USB C monitor. It from Club 3D, I don’t know if I am allowed to post a link here…
I don’t think HDMI is better. If there are any problems, write to support. Note that you connected monitors to devices that are just starting to support this technology.