Vzmore AX9 Max impresses in games, but its 12GB ‘VRAM’ is only a reservation

The compact PC delivers promising gaming results, but several headline frame rates rely on upscaling or frame generation, and its BIOS setting reserves system RAM rather than adding dedicated graphics memory.

The Vzmore AX9 Max is drawing attention for two reasons: its gaming results and a separate claim that its firmware allows users to reserve as much as 12GB for graphics memory. The first deserves consideration on its merits. The second is better understood as a memory-allocation setting rather than evidence of a genuinely large pool of dedicated video memory.

Notebookcheck reported gaming figures from ETA Prime’s testing of the mini PC, which pairs AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 with Radeon 890M integrated graphics. In that testing, Forza Horizon 6 ran above 60 frames per second at 1080p on High settings without upscaling. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was said to average more than 70 frames per second at 1080p with FSR 4 Frame Generation, while Cyberpunk 2077 reached roughly 55 frames per second with FSR Quality and more than 90 with Frame Generation. The important detail is that only the Forza result was native rendering; the other numbers depended on upscaling or frame generation.

That distinction matters because it changes how the results should be read. Notebookcheck compared the Ratchet & Clank figure with its own benchmark of an RTX 4060 laptop GPU, which it said only just held 60 frames per second at 1080p on High without upscaling. That does not make the integrated graphics unit equivalent to a discrete GPU, but it does show how much frame generation can inflate perceived smoothness relative to native rendering. In other words, the AX9 Max appears capable for an iGPU system, but the headline numbers need context.

The separate “12GB of VRAM” claim is more complicated. Geeky Gadgets, citing ETA Prime’s video, said the BIOS includes fan-speed control and a setting that can reserve up to 12GB for GPU use. However, the report did not identify the exact menu path or setting name, and it offered no before-and-after performance comparison. AMD’s own guidance makes the broader point clear: integrated graphics do not carry dedicated video memory in the way a discrete card does, and the BIOS option typically known as UMA Frame Buffer Size simply manages how much system memory is reserved for graphics.

That means a 12GB allocation on a system with 32GB of RAM is a reservation, not a bonus pool of physical VRAM. Spheron’s explanation of shared GPU memory makes the same point: increasing the reservation does not transform an integrated GPU into a discrete one, and it removes that memory from general use by Windows and applications. AMD also says leaving the setting on Auto is usually best, while manual increases are mainly useful when a game reports insufficient graphics memory or fails to launch properly. On that basis, there is no evidence that the 12GB setting is responsible for the gaming results reported above.

Notebookcheck’s full review provides the hardware background that helps explain why the AX9 Max performs well. The review unit had 32GB of dual-channel DDR5-5600 memory and a 2TB Lexar SSD, and the site credits that memory configuration with avoiding a bandwidth bottleneck that can affect rival mini PCs. AMD’s product page for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 lists a 12-core, 24-thread design with Radeon 890M graphics, matching the configuration under discussion. Notebookcheck also noted that the chip briefly touched 65W before settling at 54W under sustained load, while performance remained stable. It gave the machine an 85% verdict, but also said noise could not yet be properly assessed because the review fan vibrated audibly.

For buyers, the practical lesson is straightforward: the AX9 Max appears to be a strong compact PC, especially when fitted with fast dual-channel memory, but the BIOS memory-reservation figure should not be mistaken for a real graphics-memory upgrade. The useful question is not whether the system can reserve 12GB for graphics, but whether that setting solves a specific compatibility problem. For most users, AMD’s default Auto behaviour remains the safer and more balanced choice.