While AMD's Ryzen 9 7945HX3D processor with 3D V-Cache that launched today is positioned as the world's highest-performing CPU for gaming notebooks, this device is one of the highest-performing processor for gaming in general. That makes it a perfect candidate for compact gaming PCs. Minisforum wasted no time in announcing plans to use the new CPU for its upcoming 6-liter gaming PC.
Minisforum calls its forthcoming system Project DRFXI — to emphasize its Dragon Range nature — and this is one of the company's first small form-factor (SFF) desktops with a Mini-ITX motherboard, as reported by VideoCardz. The PC can handle CPUs with up to 100W thermal design power (TDP), enough to handle AMD's new 16-core Ryzen 9 7945HX3D CPU. The company plans to use a low-profile air cooling system for the processor, though we can only guess for now whether it will be able to keep the CPU at its peak boost clocks for long.
The machine has two slots for DDR5 memory modules and two M.2 slots for SSDs, which is about as good as you get for a Mini-ITX motherboard. In addition, it will feature Wi-Fi, GbE, USB (Type-A and Type-C), audio connectors, and display outputs.
One of the interesting peculiarities of Minisforum's DRFXI is that supports desktop graphics cards of all length and height, giving it a lot of flexibility. There is a catch though: The graphics board must be installed on top of the system, outside the case. This does not necessarily look good, but at least it provides lots of options and even support for future PCIe 5.0 x16 graphics cards. All you need is a sufficient PSU and you could even stick an RTX 4090 on top of the chassis.
Minisforum hasn't detailed specific plans for when it will make its Project DRFXI available, nor do we have a price estimate. Given the relatively unique design, with a high-end CPU and support for the largest graphics cards, it's aimed at demanding gamers. That typically means the resulting product won't be cheap.
