The Retro X5 Mini PC from ACEMAGIC isn’t just another mini PC—it’s a love letter to gaming’s past, wrapped in a package that feels like stepping into a childhood memory. Its dual-tone gray and white chassis mimics the classic Nintendo Entertainment System, complete with familiar curves and accents, yet inside lies a modern powerhouse: AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Strix Point processor. For $940, this isn’t just nostalgia; it’s a 12-core Zen 5 CPU, a Radeon 890M iGPU, and enough RAM and storage to handle AI workloads, productivity, and even light gaming.
This isn’t ACEMAGIC’s first foray into retro-inspired hardware. Earlier this year, the company unveiled two mini PCs designed to evoke classic Nintendo consoles—the Retro X5 and its more affordable counterpart, the Retro X3. The Retro X5, however, is the first to hit the market, and it does so with a feature set that feels more aligned with today’s demands than yesterday’s.
The NES Aesthetic Meets Modern Specs
The Retro X5’s design is its most striking feature. The front panel mirrors the NES’s iconic layout, with a power button shifted to the right and USB ports replacing the original’s reset button. A Type-C port sits beside two Type-A USB slots, along with a 3.5mm audio jack—a nod to the era when such connections were standard. The rear panel, meanwhile, keeps things practical with dual 2.5G LAN ports, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.0, and additional USB connectivity.
But the real story isn’t the looks—it’s what’s under the hood. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 isn’t just a CPU; it’s a CPU+GPU+NPU combo, blending AMD’s latest Zen 5 architecture with a Radeon 890M iGPU built on RDNA 3.5. This isn’t the kind of integrated graphics found in budget laptops. With 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD, the Retro X5 is built for tasks that would have been unthinkable on the original NES—AI acceleration, multitasking, and even light gaming via its integrated graphics.
A Machine for the Modern Era
ACEMAGIC hasn’t just recreated a console; it’s built a mini PC that could serve as a secondary workstation, a media hub, or even a compact gaming device. The Radeon 890M iGPU, while not a dedicated GPU, is one of the most capable integrated solutions available in mini PCs today. It’s the same architecture powering devices like the Steam Deck, meaning it can handle indie games and emulation with relative ease.
But there’s a catch: the Retro X5 isn’t just for gamers. Its NPU (Neural Processing Unit) support suggests AI workloads are a priority, making it a strong candidate for developers or creators who need a compact, powerful machine for AI-driven tasks. The 32GB of RAM ensures smooth multitasking, while the 1TB SSD provides ample storage for large files or multiple operating systems.
What’s Next for the Retro X5?
For now, the Retro X5 is available in China for 6,499 Yuan—roughly $940 at current exchange rates. Whether it will expand beyond China remains unclear, but ACEMAGIC’s track record suggests global availability isn’t out of the question. The Retro X3, its Zen 4-based sibling with a Ryzen 7 H 255 and Radeon 780M iGPU, is expected to follow but hasn’t been priced or released yet.
The Retro X5 Mini PC is a fascinating blend of form and function. It’s a mini PC that looks like a console, a console that feels like a modern machine, and a machine that could appeal to retro enthusiasts, creators, and casual users alike. If nothing else, it proves that nostalgia can still drive innovation—even in hardware.
