AceMagic’s Retro X5 combines retro appeal with upgradeable AI performance in a compact form

The AceMagic Retro X5 stands out as a rare mini PC that blends nostalgic NES-inspired design with modern, upgradeable hardware and impressive AI capabilities, challenging the trend of soldered memory in compact systems.

AceMagic’s Retro X5 is a rare example of a mini PC that tries to solve a practical problem while also leaning into novelty. The machine is built in the style of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, but the more meaningful feature is not the retro casework. It is the use of standard DDR5 SO-DIMM memory, which gives buyers a level of upgrade flexibility that is increasingly absent from compact AI PCs. That matters because many of the latest Ryzen AI systems use soldered LPDDR5X, locking in the memory configuration at the point of purchase.

Inside the compact chassis is AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, a Strix Point chip with 12 cores and 24 threads, paired with Radeon 890M integrated graphics and an XDNA 2 neural processing unit. Reports from Gizmochina and VideoCardz say the platform delivers up to 80 TOPS of combined AI performance, with the NPU rated at 50 TOPS on its own. That makes the Retro X5 suitable for mainstream creative work, including photo editing and lighter video workloads, but it is not positioned as a replacement for systems with far stronger integrated graphics or discrete GPUs.

The hardware list is otherwise broadly modern. AceMagic says the machine supports up to 128GB of DDR5-5600 memory, uses two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots for storage expansion up to 4TB, and includes dual 2.5Gb Ethernet, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB4 with 100W power delivery, HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.0. The company also says the USB4 port can be used for an external graphics enclosure, which gives the machine a degree of future-proofing unusual at this size. Cooling is handled by a dual-heat-pipe design and centrifugal fan, with a removable top cover for tool-free access.

Pricing has varied sharply depending on region and channel. AceMagic’s own product pages list different starting figures, while coverage from Gizmochina and VideoCardz placed the China launch at around $941. Other listings and retail promotions have pushed the price much higher, with some offers near $1,049 and full list prices closer to $1,399.99. That makes the Retro X5 a purchase where timing matters as much as specification, and the upgradeable memory is likely to be its strongest argument for buyers who value longevity over the nostalgia.